Originally Posted by
ala_xfire
Yes, the OEM setup pulls cold air from the front of the radiator just like the NW CAI does, but there are 2 differences :
1. The air has already passed through the filter and now has a straight shot to the throttle body with the CAI.
2. The CAI is not acting like a big ole heat sink sitting on top of the engine, the IAT's are much lower at the IAT/MAF sensor just before the throttle body resulting in a denser air charge to the combustion chambers.
( and 3. it looks cool - I hate the later years trend of covering up engines with plastic goo-gaw )
And last but not least.. you open up the area at the radiator support where the OEM tubes hook up by removing those plastic pieces and passing the 3" ish hose through. Just pull your tubes loose and see how restrictive that is.