Is a bypass valve necessary?

[stillmatic]

I'm getting a CAI kit soon and I was just wondering if it's necessary to get a bypass valve for the air filter? What are the chances of water getting into my engine if I don't have one? It seems that not many people have it installed...

[TrunkMonkey]

I'm getting a CAI kit soon and I was just wondering if it's necessary to get a bypass valve for the air filter?

no.

What are the chances of water getting into my engine if I don't have one?

if you stay out of deep water, slim to none.

It seems that not many people have it installed...

that's because no one plans to drive through 1-2ft deep water.

-demetrius

[spec-v5150]

Yeah i wouldnt worry about in unless I lived somwhere where it rained ALOT. It cant hurt though. I wouldnt bother me so much on teh freeway but on side streets. Hitting a pothole would suck. Or sometimes on by the sidewalk you have alot of accumulated water. I dont know how much this bypass valves hurt airflow as I have never had a CAI. If it is cheap and doesn thurt performance and it rains alot by you, I would get one. Never can be too safe.

[nismofan14]

the only time i have problems is when it rains really hard. The filter gets a little wet and then uck moisture up to the MAFS causing it to act up. Then i just unhook the cold air extension till it stops raining.

[WRX to RB25DET]

From my personal expereince i Do Not recomend CAI's but if you must have one, dont bother with the Bypass valve, it really only opens when the filter is submerged or very "full" of water, and you are still sucking water particulates. I sell these all day long at one of my jobs and what I ALWAYS recomend if your going CAI is a Injen Splash Shield they cost alittle more than the Bypass valve but they help deflect the water kicked at the filter by the wheel or from the whole in the bumper so you basicly can only get part of your filter wet! and it helps prolong your Cleaning intervals. when i had a CAI installed on my G-Friends Celica i had to clean the filter Every time it rained cause it would get so dirty from all the Road grime..... You can use the Injen splash shield with the AEM and the Injens. check them out http://store.dragracing.com/pr...d=100

Cheers, Jon