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CAI on 2015 Pro-4X, Worth it?

5K views 13 replies 6 participants last post by  Tenzen 
#1 ·
I'm new on here, so let this serve as an introduction/first question:

I've got a 2015 Pro-4X am kicking around the idea of putting in a CAI. All the research I've done is split pretty much 50/50 on whether or not this mod is really worth it. Some say it causes more problems then it's worth and significantly drops mpg - others say the opposite.

Any suggestions from anyone who's actually put one on their X? Specifically on the 4.0L V6? Pros and cons?

All I'm really after is a little extra power (when needed) and hopefully a little bump in mpg on the highway.

Thanks in advance.
John
 
#4 ·
Based on my expensive experience with the VQ w/o the use of forced induction, the only way to get a significant amount of extra power is to do headers ($$) hi flow cats and exhaust .
And THEN let it be re tuned on a dyno to adjust for your breathing improvements.
(best method seems to be Osiris Uprev)

This could net as much as 18-20 extra peak hp.
But none of this is cheap and when you're done, you are halfway to the price of a supercharger which will give an additional 80-100 hp at the wheels.
 
#8 ·
I'm wondering about the supercharger now too. I don't know if I'm ready to spend $5k on one yet, since I just bought the truck. Plus another question would be - if I throw a supercharger on there, is it just as simple as getting tuned and everything is good? Or to Tenzen's question - will it cause other issues or all kinds of error codes? I'm also wondering if you need to upgrade the exhaust as well to get the full benefit of a supercharger.

So right now my build thread is non-existent, but once I decide what to do I can throw some stuff up here. I might start pricing out the headers, hi flow cats and exhaust and see where that points me.
 
#9 ·
I'm wondering about the supercharger now too. I don't know if I'm ready to spend $5k on one yet, since I just bought the truck. Plus another question would be - if I throw a supercharger on there, is it just as simple as getting tuned and everything is good? Or to Tenzen's question - will it cause other issues or all kinds of error codes? I'm also wondering if you need to upgrade the exhaust as well to get the full benefit of a supercharger.

So right now my build thread is non-existent, but once I decide what to do I can throw some stuff up here. I might start pricing out the headers, hi flow cats and exhaust and see where that points me.
I'd do an intake and exhaust but purely for the sounds.


Any time you go aftermarket forced induction, be prepared for random stuff to pop up constantly. It's just inevitable. You're putting hardware on the car that wasn't necessarily meant to be there and forcing 65-110 more hp through the drivetrain. Even with the best of installs, bad luck still happens. It can become a bottomless money pit where you ask what else could go wrong?! Plus you never ever see a return on investment.

Yes, to make the most of the supercharger you'd want to upgrade the intake/exhaust system. You're pushing more air thru the exhaust. If you don't change it to a larger diameter, it could cause back pressure issues as well it will become a "bottleneck" so to speak if trying to achieve max power.
 
#11 ·
A supercharger adds air...so that you add more gas to it to maintain the same ratio....which is needed so it combusts and makes your rig go, etc. (More stuff combusting = more horse pressure = smiley driver (Except at gas station...)

THAT means you will have more exhaust VOLUME to get rid of (Blow more in on one side, and you need to let more out on the other side...)

A 1/3 increase in pipe diameter can handle double the flow as a rule of thumb...so, based on the specs of what you are doing...you'd size the exhaust to not be restrictive.

If its too restrictive, your air pump/engine thingie is trying to push air in, but the old air is in the way (Back pressure)....so it doesn't work as well.

>:D
 
#12 ·
SC sounds like a big fuel drain.. Prices are already back up to about $3.. I think the 2nd generation has good hp already.. There's got to be ways of getting more hp without hurting mpg that much..

Maybe high flow intake, headers, High flow exhaust etc..

What about not adding a super charger but adding larger exhaust pipe tubing.. Is that going to make a negative difference on back pressure ? Or does that require headers or something.. And are headers or any of that going to throw emissions codes?
 
#13 · (Edited)
SC sounds like a big fuel drain.. Prices are already back up to about $3.. I think the 2nd generation has good hp already.. There's got to be ways of getting more hp without hurting mpg that much..

Maybe high flow intake, headers, High flow exhaust etc..

What about not adding a super charger but adding larger exhaust pipe tubing.. Is that going to make a negative difference on back pressure ? Or does that require headers or something.. And are headers or any of that going to throw emissions codes?
Forced induction can actually MORE fuel efficient than NA. I think what TJ is referring to is the fact that when you get forced induction, it's impossible to keep your foot out of it! You just want to hear and feel it wind up constanty. This is when gas pump issues come into play.

There would be no benefit to adding a larger diameter exhaust to the stock motor. If you had intake, cams,tb and headers, maybe.

Couldn't speak to the emissions question as I've not looked into headers for this vehicle...
 
#14 ·
I thought SC was always on and always running..

I thought that was the main difference between SC and Turbo.. Turbo I know you can keep from engaging unless you put your foot down.

I've had Turbo 4 cylinders before, but if you drive so as to not engage it, you're driving a gutless 4 cylinder.. You have a hard time getting up hills, etc..

I wonder what adding turbo would do.. I think I already ruled out turbo but can't remember what issue was the reason..

But I wonder at what point it would kick in.. The v6 isn't gutless at all. I can't imagine at what point in acceleration it would kick in and be useful ..

But I didn't think SC was controllable like that
 
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