djohnson1967

Good question. The short answer is that I am not sure yet. When the car is cool I believe this CAI system works OK. It seems more responsive at the throttle, especially in first and second gear. Again, when the car heats up (and we all know these cars heat up a lot), the decline in performance is noticeable. Maybe I am being hypersensitive because this is still a fairly new install (about two weeks). But, my theory is that the design of the Stillen unit is not that great. First the intake tubes are metal. They look great, but when I was trying to diagnosis the AC problem I lifted the hood and these tubes get too hot to touch (remember I am in Tucson, so that does't help). That CAN'T be a good thing for a "cold" air intake. Plus, before installing I thought the filters would have a more unobstructed "view" of the outside world through the grill and be able to suck in plenty of air. These intakes instead are nestled up inside the fascia and the foam bumper "seals" off air flow from the grill. Frankly, I am not sure where the air comes from that they are supposed to suck in. So, between the high temperatures on the tubes and obstructed air flow, I am not so sure this is better than stock.

I think what I will do is play it safe and take the Stillen unit off and reinstall the stock intakes. That will allow me to do several things: See if that cures the AC problem. Do a better job of an A/B comparison between Stillen and stock in all driving environments. And, I will be able to take a less modified car back to the dealer.