Installing a cold air intake system on your VW can be one of the most beneficial items in improving the performance of your VW. Benefits include: Horsepower gains, noticeable boosts in throttle response, better gas mileage. In addition, adding an intake reduces the need to have your air filter changed with every tune up. Most premium cold air intake kits, such as K&N, Injen or AEM, come with a long-life washable performance air filter that requires little to no maintenance. In addition, premium cold air intake kits are custom made and fine-tuned to fit and perform perfectly with the factory Volkswagen space limitations as well as engineering specifications.
- The Basics of How a Cold Air Intake Works
Your engine relies on an air/fuel mixture for combustion. Your stock VW draws air through the intake tube and air box, which is loaded with a disposable paper air filter in your intake. Volkswagen designers created this intake tube to be the quietest possible unit that can fit in the engine compartment. However, when designing the intake system with noise level in mind, a key element that is missing is the temperature of the air going into your engine. Often times the air going into your engine through the intake is usually hot when taken in because of the design of the Volkswagen intake system.
Premium cold air intake kits solve these problems for you. The first added benefit is volume. A custom-fit cold air intake system in your Volkswagen replaces your stock intake tubing with a wider pipe that has fewer bends. This results in a much higher volume of air with better flow, which gives your engine more oxygen molecules to combust with. The second added benefit is air density. A cold air intake generally routes the air filter away from or completely outside of the engine compartment, where cooler air can be sucked in by the air filter, for example, the upper wheel well. The cooler air coming into the intake system means more oxygen molecules in the air mixture, which allows your fuel to burn better and give you more power. Thus you can have the best of both worlds, better performance AND better gas mileage, which usually are exclusionary to each other.
Cold air intake kits improve your air to fuel ratio. The higher density of the cold air as well as the improved air flow means that there are more oxygen molecules to every drop of fuel injected into your engine. This allows the fuel to combust more efficiently. Thus, your engine uses less fuel both during city and highway driving. If you are installing a cold air intake in your Volkswagen for fuel savings, though, be careful. Don't drive aggressively or otherwise waste the fuel you would have been saving due to a fun increase in horsepower. Okay, a little fun here and there is OK, but don't overdo it if your goal is fuel economy.
That gets us to the next benefit of cold air intake kits - better horsepower. This is accomplished by the same aspects that give you better gas mileage - increased volume of cooler air. The effect is that your engine can breathe much better. You'll get more power out of every drop of fuel you pump into your volkswagen's powerful engine. Just how much. There is not set horsepower increase for cold air intake systems. Performance will vary by the brand of intake you choose, your engine size, and what other modifications you have done to your Volkswagen. Most premium cold air intake designers, such as AEM, Injen and K&N, advertise a 5-10 horsepower increase. Yours may be bigger or smaller depending on how you drive and what your other performance modifications are.
Installing a cold air intake system on your Volkswagen Golf will allow you to "feel" the power and torque while you are driving. Whether you need an extra power boost while driving up hills or want to race better up and down curvy mountain roads, a cold air intake will do the job in providing increased horsepower.
- Will a cold air intake change the sound of my Volkswagen?
Since your stock intake tubing was designed to reduce noise, installing a cold air intake will definitely increase your noise level. While it won't be overpowering, it will give you a nice performance-oriented growl that most Volkswagen performance enthusiasts can't get enough of. It may even give you that "turbo" intake suction sound that you crave.
No. In most cases, installing a cold air intake kit on your Volkswagen will be relatively easy. You will remove the stock intake tubing from your Golf with simple hand tools. On some Volkswagens it is necessary to remove the fender or bumper to properly fit the cold air filter in place. Advertised installation time is usually 90 minutes or less and most premium intake systems come with detailed instructions. If you don't feel comfortable with installing it, you can always pay a professional to do the job. If you live in Colorado, Custom Cars 'n Bikescan install your intake for you..
- What are some other upgrades I can do to improve my intake system further?
Other performance upgrades designed to boost airflow in your Volkswagen are mass air flow sensors and throttle body spacers. These can help boost your air flow even further. Throttle body spacers are a bolt-on performance modification that go between the intake tube and the throttle body. The inner ring on the spacer has a unique design that spins the incoming air that mixes better with your flow. They can be installed without a performance cold air intake, or together to truly maximize air flow and increase power gains. Another aftermarket part to be installed with a cold air intake is an improved mass air flow sensor. With all of the extra air coming in to your Volkswagen with a cold air intake system, sometimes the stock mass air flow sensor cannot register all of it. Aftermarket mass air flow sensors can read more accurately and with a wider range than the stock VW sensor, sending the engine the proper data it needs to maintain a more balanced air to fuel ratio. This will allow your engine to optimize the air fuel ratio and give you maximum horsepower gains and fuel savings. The larger mass air flow sensor simply replaces the stock sensor.
- Is a cold air intake street legal?
- This is a common question asked by many Volkswagen owners, especially in states like California with strict emissions laws. Most of the high-end intake manufacturers, such as K&N, Injen, AEM and aFe, complete strict tests to ensure smog-legal distinction. Most manufacturers also design their air intake kits to earn C.A.R.B certification, or compliance with California emissions laws. If you drive your Volkswagen in California, be sure to check on this when making your purchase. Basically, a performance intake won't cause you to fail smog, and installing one won't void your warranty. If you do fail smog, it i
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