mazdaspeed CAI
 

Hey Folks I just ordered the mazdaspeed CAI. Just a few questions about the unit. Will it add a noticeable difference in power ? and will it help keep my car from burning so rich. The car is brand new and wow black residue all over my muffler. I have been told its totally normally for the MS3 to do that.I use to sell my cars when the done that LOL.

hey great intake by the way. if yours doesnt come with the air straigtener insert get it lol. but on to the questions. it adds power yes, can you feel it yes, will you hear the turbo spool and the stock bpv yes. will it help the richness probably not but not 100% on this one, i had a aftermarket exhaust that goes past the bumper. it is normal though for these cars to have the black residue. it might take a tuner like the standback or ap to help get that richness down but nothing to worry about i guess. well hope that helps enjoy it and enjoy the car brother.

Thanks Skeeter, do you have any recommendations on air straighteners incase mine doesn't come with one.

Aem is the only one to buy for the MSCAI

yes aem is the only one. contact jscspeed.com i think they stock them

Yours will come with it if you buy the new one. I bought mine from the dealer last week and it came witht the straightner. I like it. You feel more power and it seems smoother on part thottle.

I would go with the Mazdaspeed CAI rather than any of the ones made/sold by aftermarket companies. I had one installed at the dealer on Monday and love it so far...you can feel the increased power and the whooshing sound you get on acceleration above 3000rpm is cool. Why buy aftermarket when you get the same or superior performance with a Mazda part plus the piece of mine of no warranty issues in the future?

make no mistake... the mazdaspeed intake IS an aftermarket part, made by an aftermarket company. the warranty issue thing is the ONLY reason to pay much more for a intake that is relatively low on the list of quality pieces available in the aftermarket. if an intake is THE ONLY mod you plan on making than i could see how a ms cai could make some sense.

All CAI work the same and there is no discernible difference between any of them. The type filter used will likely make more difference than the company that made the tubing itself. And,while the CAI may not be made "in-house" by Mazda, it is marketing and sold as OEM and thus enjoys that legal definition which could help in the event of future problems.

Hey Folks I do plan on doing more mods in the future. I will probably stick with just some bolt ons and maybe some Mazdaspeed parts. The CAI is my first upgrade and I am waiting for it to arrive at the dealership.

i do not deny that with a airflow straightener, the same size tubing, the same price, and the same appearance(makes a difference for alot of guys)... than there is no difference.

reality is that most of the cais on the market DO differ in this regard. the mscai for the money is the worst bargain, the least aesthestic, and one of the smallest(2.75in diameter) of the bunch. thats not debateable.

as i said before... the only reason to make it your choice is if you intend on making it your only mod(to stay under warranty). mazda has voided guys for bpvs. so IF you were gonna mod beyond a intake, why pay more for a cheaper looking, smaller diameter, more expensive intake than say cpes?

it doesnt make sense if you want a blowoff valve, motor mount, inlet, ic, etc to go along with it.

I have the MS CAI on my MS6, love it, great unit, install is easy,hardest part probably is wedging the cone in the fenderwell. NOTE(turn your wheels full right before you start the install):wink1: IMHO some black soot on the exhaust tip of a turbo car isnt a big deal, I wouldnt worry. As for the air straightener thing, I dont have one and everything works fine.

plus it helps if they throw it on for free to get you to buy the car

I am new here too and have read massive amounts of posts on intakes.
Some think it's paranoid to be scared of hydrolocking with a cai some don't. There are definetly cases where driving over large pudles of water have caused serious damage. I live in Florida and rain and large pudles are a big issue.
Some think a sri gives you peace of mind.
I was gonna go injen or mscai but after reading I think sri is the way. cp-e or cobb. I am still waiting to find someone with a typhoon K&N or a $1000 Auto exe ram air box.

The more I drive the car the more I like the MSCAI2. Yeah, I could have bought a CP-e but for my plans on modding the car this fits the bill.

Can anyone link me to an order page for the Mazdaspeed CAI? I hear they go around $300 shipped? Any less?

lol. mines 2.5

unichip vs cobb ap
 

Im looking into getting a big bang for the buck with my '08 Speed3. Should i get a chip like a unichip or cobb ap? Or just go with a CAI or something like that?
What I really want is more hp for as cheap as possible, but DONT want to hurt the car. I need to keep this thing for many years. Should I be looking at the unichip?
Throw some ideas at me. Right now everything is stock but tinted windows lol.

i have one for sale with an a/s

is that brand new or used? and how much shipped?

it's used. i want 175 shipped. you can email me if you can't pm yet
pxcbell [[[at]]] gmail dot com

Just Ordered
 

I just ordered the Mazdaspeed CAI for $300 shipped & taxes from my dealership. They told me that I can install it myself and that it does not matter if they install it or I do it myself. My factory warranty will remain either way.