Cold Air Intakes

[Gstick]

Just asking if there is any MPG of fuel savings with any of the CAI's ?

I have watched quite a few Youtube install/reviews of the TRD, AFE, & S&B, and I realize that the factory airbox design of our 4R's is drawing air from under the fender. In my eyes, if I even gained 1 MPG of fuel, it would seem that the CAI of any brand would pay for itself over a few years. (I am never getting rid of my 19 TRD OR !!!) Can anyone out there confirm or deny any fuel savings ?

I'm not trying to stir up a hornets nest on this forum, I just want to know if I should spend the $ for a CAI. Thanks

 

[cloudrunner]

Nope, no fuel savings, none. I’ve had a K+N CAI on my 4th gen and now have a TRD CAI on my 5th gen and neither of them saved fuel. The only advantages of having an after market CAI is a negligible increase in HP at wide open throttle and it makes a terrific noise when you push the skinny pedal, especially the TRD intake.

 

[fkheath]

Just asking if there is any MPG of fuel savings with any of the CAI's ?

I have watched quite a few Youtube install/reviews of the TRD, AFE, & S&B, and I realize that the factory airbox design of our 4R's is drawing air from under the fender. In my eyes, if I even gained 1 MPG of fuel, it would seem that the CAI of any brand would pay for itself over a few years. (I am never getting rid of my 19 TRD OR !!!) Can anyone out there confirm or deny any fuel savings ?

I'm not trying to stir up a hornets nest on this forum, I just want to know if I should spend the $ for a CAI. Thanks

The reason you may get better gas mileage with a CAI is not due to where the air comes from, but because most have a less restrictive air filter than the OEM air filter.

Thus, you may get better MPG if you just get a less restrictive air filter such as the TRD or K&N filter. Then you will get most of the benefits of a CAI for far less cost. Toyota 4Runner Trd air filter - PTR4300086 - Genuine Toyota Accessory

Toyota 4Runner Air Filter

 

[mmike87]

Look cool, sound cool. That's it. In these days of CAFE standatds, 1 mpg for the cost of an air filter could be standard equipment from the manufacturer more than likely. Just my humble opinion.

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

 

[Whippersnapper02]

You'll almost never recover the cost of buying one. Plus stock is cold air.

 

[Sp00ner]

Nope, no fuel savings, none. I’ve had a K+N CAI on my 4th gen and now have a TRD CAI on my 5th gen and neither of them saved fuel. The only advantages of have an after market CAI is a negligible increase is HP at wide open throttle and it makes a terrific noise when you push the skinny pedal, especially the TRD intake.

I was shocked at the sound difference, if I'm being honest...

 

[Space King]

Eh...Nope!

It helps to think of a vehicle's power train as a plumbing system. If you want to increase the flow, you have to find and eliminate the bottlenecks.

The bottleneck in the 4Runner's 1GR-FE engine isn't in the intake tract. Nor, on the exhaust side, if you're wondering. The heads and valvetrain are the primary bottlenecks. They were optimized by Toyota engineers for power delivery over a broad range of RPMs and reliability. With nods towards emissions and fuel economy.

If you want to improve (or maintain) MPG, you'd be better served by keeping your tires optimally-inflated, and assuring drivetrain and suspension components are properly lubed.

Boring answer, I know... but the truth often works out that way.

 

[patkelly4370]

It helps to think of a vehicle's power train as a plumbing system. If you want to increase the flow, you have to find and eliminate the bottlenecks.



The bottleneck in the 4Runner's 1GR-FE engine isn't in the intake tract. Nor, on the exhaust side, if you're wondering. The heads and valvetrain are the primary bottlenecks. They were optimized by Toyota engineers for power delivery over a broad range of RPMs and reliability. With nods towards emissions and fuel economy.



If you want to improve (or maintain) MPG, you'd be better served by keeping your tires optimally-inflated, and assuring drivetrain and suspension components are properly lubed.



Boring answer, I know... but the truth often works out that way.

And drive economically.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[MikesDuneRunnerSLS]

I'm leaning towards the Volant CAI if it can be used with a dry filter. If you're looking to increase efficiency you might avoid K&N or an oiled filter setup. A history in automotive has shown me you're only asking for trouble once enough of the filter oil builds up on your MAF sensor.

 

[borfoo3]

I'll add some cons that don't get mentioned often:

Most modern stock vehicles have 'cold air intakes'. Aftermarket ones essentially sacrifice some filtration performance to improve airflow, including the TRD setup I'm running.

After cleaning the intake manifold a while back, I was shocked how much fine dust made it in there! Almost had me consider going back to a stock filter. My truck mainly off-roads in sand out here, so the environment is pretty demanding.

Also, the TRD tubing/ couplers tend to come loose from time to time. Not good.

 

[Saker]

I'll add some cons that don't get mentioned often:

Most modern stock vehicles have 'cold air intakes'. Aftermarket ones essentially sacrifice some filtration performance to improve airflow, including the TRD setup I'm running.

After cleaning the intake manifold a while back, I was shocked how much fine dust made it in there! Almost had me consider going back to a stock filter. My truck mainly off-roads in sand out here, so the environment is pretty demanding.

Also, the TRD tubing/ couplers tend to come loose from time to time. Not good.

I had the TRD CAI on my 2014 for 7 yrs and never had mine come loose. Have one on my 21 now.
Also, I use the stock filter on mine.
I’ve had good results, maybe my couplers just fit tighter.

 

[Too Stroked]

I added a CAI to my 2021 and increased my fuel mileage by 37 MPG. I also knocked 5 seconds off my quarter mile times, made it sound like a 12 cylinder Ferrari, cured cancer, reduced those troubling bags under my eyes, reversed global warming, cured hunger and poverty and a few other things I probably forgot. As for the ED, just ask my wife.

Yea, according to the Marketing folks, they do wonders. According to the seat of my pants, they don't do much of anything. Carry on.

 

[seatia]

I'll put in my 2 cents for what little it's worth. :bounce:

Many moons ago pretty much all vehicles had a simple air cleaner/filter on top of the carb with a short snorkel still inside the hot engine bay.
Then, on certain High Performance muscle cars OEMs added cold air intakes.
Supposedly, GM claimed that it did add a bit of horsepower.
It quite likely did, probably an immeasurable amount for anyone but them with their sophisticated equipment.

For one, we cannot accurately duplicate a test with and without a CAI. Just driving around and comparing doesn't cut it.

Keep in mind that anything that is done to the air intake changes the HP, think turbos and superchargers to an extreme degree.

Since those early days I mentioned, today there is not any vehicle etc I can think of that does not have and CAI. Even forklifts and other industrial equipment has the extra bucks in their design for a CAI. WHY?
Just something to think about.