KernES350

I have a 2007 Lexus ES350 with 90k and I am interested in getting a Cold Air Intake to get better gas mileage... Does a CIA get you better gas mileage if so how much and what would you recommend for my car?

Thanks a lot in advance

jcat_350

First, there is no CAI made for our cars, just the WeaponR short ram unless you make something custom. Even if you make something custom, there's no real way to get the intake down low where it needs to be in the bumper to get cold air.

That being said, a short ram or WAI (warm air intake) will really only make more noise. You won't see a noticeable increase in power or torque, and in most cases you will lose gas mileage unless the intake is of larger than stock diameter, and you upgrade your MAF and get an ECU tune to compensate for the extra air with more fuel.

All in all, it's a pretty big waste of money. Get an AFE or Blitz dry reusable filter to save you money on filters, and let the intake do it's job as the Lexus engineers spent lots of time and money developing it to do so.

A weapon R intake can be had for ~150-200, but again, it's money well wasted since it'll be hidden under engine covers and not do anything for your car except make it sound a bit louder.

xanderES

iTrader: (8)

For anyone who wants to spend around ~300 for a CAI, here it isCold Air Intake (only for 07-09). It fits behind the bumper near the driver wheel well making it very hard to clean. If you were looking to an alternative to the k&n typhoon and are only looking for a more aggressive sound while accelerating I would say yes.

Everything jcat said was true about cai/short ram and the ecu. Where would you get an ecu tune from anyways? The dealer? Good luck with that lol

In your situation, I would definitely say no. The biggest gain you'll see in gas mileage would be from a change in driving behavior. Or the use of an item like this i-throttle that limits the increase of rpms when you hit the pedal depending on the mode you're in.

jcat_350

throttle controllers are expensive, ineffective, RISKY garbage. I'd never put one on any car I own, much less one with a history of unintended acceleration due to EMI between the electronic throttle bits.

You could run a piggyback air/fuel controller such as an AEM FIC or HKS F-con, that would give a tuner typically enough license to get it right. Only thing that is tricky is the self-learning feature of these ECUs. Take a look at the NA-T threads in the 2GS forum to get an idea of what i mean.