Stillen Cold Air Intake

As I noted in my previous post, the last thing that needed to be done for the 15,000 mile service was the air filter replacement. I had read that the stock filter was difficult to change out and that it needed to be replaced every 15,000 miles. Plus, the stock filter costs $20 at the local dealer. Since I was going to spend the time to do a quality 15,000 mile service, I decided to just replace the whole stock air system with an aftermarket cold air intake (CAI) from Stillen. What is a CAI? A CAI is a system to bring down the temperature of the air going into the car for the purpose of increasing the power of the engine. All CAIs operate on the principle of increasing the amount of oxygen available for combustion with fuel. Because cooler air has more density for a given volume, CAIs generally work by providing cooler air from outside the hot engine bay.

I know it's a performance modification, but here are the benefits of a CAI:

• Environmentally friendly. The K&N conical filter is completely washable and reusable. It also lasts forever and never has to be replaced. The filter only has to be serviced every 30,000 miles.
  
• Economical. Since the filter is reusable, I wouldn't need to buy an air filter ever again.
  
• Increased miles per gallon. The CAI enables the engine to "breathe" freer, therefore resulting in less consumption for the same amount of output.
• Increased power. The Stillen CAI adds 11 horsepower at 6,100 rpm to the G35 sedan. (Total horsepower with CAI = 291 hp).

I purchased the Stillen Cold Air Intake with Z-tube kit. The Z-tube further increases power and efficiency by replacing the stock resonator with tube with a more efficient tube. I needed help to install the CAI so I went to my friend Kevin's place for help. He's the go to guy for anything car related. It took about 2 hours to install, but now that we have more experience the next install will take less than an hour.

So what are the results? My first impression is that this upgrade is worth every penny. Throttle response is faster, the car seems livelier, and the engine seems quicker and more responsive. I will post more once I get complete MPG numbers stemming from this modification.