I guess you guys haven't seen an AEM intake on other vehicles. This is a common feature that nearly all of their intakes use. It only opens when the bottom filter is fully submerged. Air is easier to pull than water so it will simply pull air through the gray foam. Otherwise it stays shut and all air is pulled through the cold air intake at the bottom. This isn't something new and it doesn't destroy all the power losses. With the vast amount of knowledge here I'm surprised you guys haven't started your own intake companies. :rolleyes:

Read this please:

AEM Air-Bypass Valve - Tech - Sport Compact Car Magazine

yea i've used them before and they are garbage IMO

So I'm sure you have the dyno charts to show the massive losses it produces.

i didn't say massive losses, but they constantly pull in hot air. That would just lead me to believe that it's losing the power. I'm not sure if even they dyno with them installed.

I had the 2 bypass valves on 2 different cars, they caused extra play in the pipe and broke very easily. The sound was also a little louder with the bypass off.

I've had multiple AEM intakes in the last 10 years I've been in the import scene. I've been proven time after time that the bypass valves in fact DO take away the gains. On the aftermarket applications, AEM chooses the bypass valves as an option. I've always stayed away from it and I've been to multiple dyno day events, seen third party dyno charts, etc showing the power loss as a result of installing the bypass valve. If the bypass valve had absolutely no drawbacks, why do you think AEM doesn't have it fixed welded to all their applications? There is a reason for that and they know it. If you think about the concept of a bypass valve, it makes absolute sense that it takes away some power.

Exactly. They showed that it works. I'm sure it does work. But they chose not to post the dyno numbers with the bypass valve in tact in comparison to without. The bypass valves do not stay completely shut at all times. I've witnessed during dyno days where the valve partially opens due to the suction that's created during WOT. Pulls in hot air and ruins the dyno numbers. Makes sense and that's what I've first handedly witnessed.

i know they work, but they're just horrible to have unless you feel like you need them. They're like $50 a piece and they break so easy. I always had so much play in my piping with them on. Plus the foam sleave always seemed to wear away fast. IMO they're junk

Yup. I don't know of anyone that actually had a positive thing to say about them. They are useless unless the entire filter is completely submerged underwater. At that point, you might as well ruin the car anyway because it literally takes driving through a 2 feet lake to completely submerge the filters and you do not deserve to own this car or any car for that matter. I've seen guys accidentally drive through >1 foot puddles countless times with no adverse effects. Marketing gimmick and a way to save their arse from lawsuits if you ask me.

You need to read a little more before you attempt to be an authority on the subject. The bypass valve does NOT "constantly pull in hot air." It is called a valve because there are rubber flaps that stay closed during normal operation. The foam filter pulls absolutely no air into the intake unless the bottom filter is submerged. Like I said before, read the article and understand how it works.

in response to your it stays shut until blah blah blah the air is pulled by a vacuum in from the intake it enters from the path of least resistance like said. those damn valves are always slightly open thanks to them even being there so there is always a leak of hot air into the system they just don't open all the way until there is a downstream restriction (water or a dirty filter). not to mention that the valve itself causes turbulence in the pipe and hurts performance simply by being there. which is why a lot of people with aem intakes throw that crap out and install a silicone coupler then it's a great intake.

I had the AEM intake on my Titan and it was a great intake, didn't have any of the bypass filter nonsense...

http://www.titantalk.com/gallery/dat...0318081434.jpg

Thank you. Only people with extensive AEM experience know this.

Schrute, holy hell it looks like you had some fun in that! Good stuff.

btw, you quoted the wrong person.

Any word when the intakes hit the street? I had AEM in my Tiburon before I traded it in and I love their product.