2006 Pathy Cold Air Intake Installed - MPG boost

[wissper]

Good looking out. Just ordered it. I will report back once I have it installed. Seems like a no brainer if it indeed does help out MPG.

Even if you don't see a huge boost in mpg the horsepower gain is absolutely noticeable and the engine purrs like a kitten which makes it more fun to drive. I am definitely happy to be seeing some gains in MPG but even if I wasn't I'd still be happy I put it in. Gotta be careful not to get hooked on the sound of the engine though.. lol. Gunning it to hear the engine rumble with the new intake will definitely take a chunk out of the precious mpg =)

The HP gains arent that great. I have dyno sheets that show the increase, before and after installing the same intake. You get maybe 5-10whp throughout your powerband. You really wont notice any difference without a tune, and exhaust. The only thing I have really noticed is that it makes a lot more noise which is great, your gas mileage will go up though as long as you can keep your foot out of it

Yeah that's about what I think I'm getting - 5-10hp maybe... it's enough of a boost to smooth out the powerband so I don't have to hit the gas so hard when I'm coming up from a dead stop, and climbing hills doesn't require so many gear shifts. I think that's where I'm getting the most noticeable results.

[wissper]

$200+ for a CAI? that seems semi-expensive to me. i swear ones for my other vehicle (acura tl) at a bit cheaper lower to mid 100's. is $200ish normal price for a CAI for our paths?

Part of the reason it's more expensive is the filter itself is huge - I was surprised when I opened the box. It's probably 14" in diameter or so. The heat shield is very large also.. it takes up the entire space where the original air box was in the engine block.

[Bandy1080]

Just got the CAI in the mail today, it looks great. It is a HUGE filter! The one thing I noticed was that it didn't come with any oil or cleaning instructions. What type of oil do I put on the filter? And how to I clean it? I plan on cleaning it every couple of months or so.

I am going to install it this weekend and will report back!

Thanks.

Bandy

I have been looking at these for a while.

How hard was the installation?

Is this the one you got?
http://afepower.com/shop/details_new.ph ... o=54-10492

Yeah that's the same one I got - the stage 2. It took me literally 30-45 minutes tops.

The one thing I had issues with was removing the old air box because on the 06 there is a bolt that I thought I had to take out which is connected to a rubber grommet under the closest side to the front of the engine compartment, but the best solution I found after fiddling with the bolt trying to get it out (it's in a very awkward position where a socket won't fit) is just to work the grommet through the hole and pull the air box out first then remove the bolt and grommet afterward. That will save you some time. The rest of the installation is very straight forward. You just need a 10mm socket wrench, a 10mm wrench, phillips head and straight head screwdrivers, and that's about it. One other note - I didn't fully disconnect the MAF sensor, I just pulled it out of the air flow tube and laid it in a safe place away from where I was working then popped it back in later rather than disconnecting the cable. Probably wouldn't make a difference either way that was just easier for me.

I think I got the whole kit for $200 bucks or so .. maybe a bit more. I got the Pro 5R kit not the Dry kit.. there are mixed opinions on them but I figured the oiled filter would protect better than the non oiled filter.

This place has the same one for pretty cheap -
http://www.partstrain.com/store/details ... 204bec356b

It doesn't list the 06 on the compatible list but it's the exact same part number.
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[wissper]

Just got the CAI in the mail today, it looks great. It is a HUGE filter! The one thing I noticed was that it didn't come with any oil or cleaning instructions. What type of oil do I put on the filter? And how to I clean it? I plan on cleaning it every couple of months or so.

I am going to install it this weekend and will report back!

Thanks.

Bandy

The filter comes pre-oiled so you don't need to oil it right away. They sell the kits for like $10 from aFe which you can use to oil it after cleaning.

As for cleaning instructions I'm not entirely sure on that one.. you might want to check their website to see if there are any docs. I might still have my paperwork somewhere so I'll see if I can find out how you're supposed to do that. Or maybe someone on here knows.
You can also get a filter cover for them to prevent larger pieces of debris from getting into the filter at all which would lengthen the time between cleanings quite a bit I imagine, although I'm not sure how it would impact air flow.

[johnathanromero]

depends on the filter you got, some are a dry filter, some are an oiled filter. I have the dry filter so i wash it and let it dry then put it back on.

[Bandy1080]

I installed the CAI on friday. It took about thirty minutes total. It was pretty easy.

You guys were definitely right about the engine noise, it is music to my ears. I just love stomping on the pedal and hearing that engine purr! And the pathfinder seems a little more peppy and quicker off the line.

I will gather some data on the MPG and report back.

[jasunderland]

I will gather some data on the MPG and report back.

Please keep us posted as I am interested in seeing the results. May help in deciding to get one.

[Bandy1080]

Ok so here are the results. Not sure if it matters but this test was conducted in the city of Boston and on a flat highway when it was 95 degrees out with the AC pumping. These numbers are taking from the onboard computer.

Vehicle - 2009 Pathfinder LE V6

City-
Before CAI- 16.2 mpg avg.
After -17.9 mpg avg

Highway(65mph)
Before - 21.1 mpg avg
After - 24.7 mpg avg

Highway (75mph)
Before - 19.9 mpg avg
After - 21.4 mpg avg

Overall I can safely say that it has increased MPG

[jasunderland]

Here is my Analytical break down for a 2 mpg gain:

Gallon Tank MPG Range Gallons Used for 300 Mile Trip
Before 21 16 336 18.75
After 21 18 378 16.67

Additional Miles per Tank 43.00
Less Gallons used for 300 Miles 2.08
Ave Gas Price $2.75
$$$ Saved on 300 miles $5.73
Nismo CAI (I have extended $280.00
Warr so I have to use Nismo)
Labor (I think they have to insall it too ) $60.00

Total Cost $340.00

300 Mile Trips to pay for the CAI 59.35


**Edit Sorry for it being hard to read, it didn't look like this when I typed it out...

[Bandy1080]

I have the 100k mile 84 month extended warranty through Nissan on my pathfinder and my service guy said that my CAI was perfectly fine and would not affect the warranty at all. Unless the problem with the car was a direct result of me installing it wrong or not cleaning out the air filter.

[deezx5]

jasunderland at that rate it will pay for itself in just over a year assuming you drive 15K miles a year.

To really be technical you can also subtract the cost of a replacement air filter yearly $25-50 depending on your replacement interval and filter choice. You will need to add $10-12 for cleaning solution kit that will last about 5 years. The K&N drop in panel filter was a no brainer for me for this reason alone.

[jasunderland]

Without Labor


Here is my Analytical break down for a 2 mpg gain:

Gallon Tank MPG Range Gallons Used for 300 Mile Trip
Before 21 16 336 18.75
After 21 18 378 16.67

Additional Miles per Tank 42.00
Less Gallons used for 300 Miles: 2.08
Ave Gas Price: $2.75
$$$ Saved on 300 miles: $5.73
Nismo CAI (I have extended: $280.00
Warr so I have to use Nismo):
Labor (I think they have to insall it too ): $0.00

Total Cost: $260.00

300 Mile Trips to pay for the CAI: 48.87
Total miles: 14,662



A year.