I drive a 2002 Lancer ES manual. I plan on getting an AEM cold air intake as soon as possible but i need to clear up something. I was reading about CAI's and came across the term "hydro locking"...now, I have a reasonable guess as to what that is, but what I need to know is, what are the odds of it happening to me? I regularly wash my ride with a high pressure sprayer; will that make water go thru the grill into the engine? Im sorry if i sound like an incompetent dumbass but i only recently started getting into cars. I live in Denver where it rains about once a week and snows heavily in the winter; does anything IVe listed pose a threat when it comes to hydro locking? I never have or plan to drive my car thru high standing water, so i just want to know how safe a CAI is before I spend the money. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

well hydro locking is when water gets inside your engine, to not have it happen i would say is dont drive through huge @$$ puddles and dont drive fast when its raining, and also dont dirrectely put water on the filter and if it gets wet, just dont drive it for a little bit. heres a video of some body who had it happen to them.

https://mitsubishiforum.com/m_66104/tm.htm

 

with a CAI the only way that it will happen is if the puddle is big enough to totally submerge the intake filter.

 

Ok, so what happens if I'm driving down the highway at 75 mph and its raining heavily? Will a high pressure water sprayer, spraying on the grill of my car, get in there on the intake? To everyone who has a CAI installed, please respond and let me know if you've had any problems. Thanks for the help everyone.

 

Washing your car is not going to cause hydro lock unless you get under your car and just soak your filter. I have had one for two years and I have never had any problems driving it in the rain or after washing it. If your still worried you can buy an AEM byepass valve which is just something that you put on the pipe which will open and suck in air there if the bottom of your tube was to be submerged in water, or most tubes come in two pieces so just detach the bottom piece when it is raining heavy and put the filter up higher. Basically don't drive through huge puddles and you would be fine.

 

highway driving will be fine too. I had one for over a year and never had it happen to me

 

if your worried about it get a short ram intake, not as GREAT as a cold air but you wont have to worry about water that much.

 

i have cold air and haven't had any problems with driving in the rain . I would only have to worry if i drove while it was flooding and the water came over half way above my tire rim. Also, if you are really concerned with washing your car with a high pressured sprayer, why don't you just wash ur front end by hand.? its only when the filter is dunked into water and all it can do is suck up water instead of air. plus, ur car has to be running in order for it suck up water. i don't think you are washing your car while its running. so just relax.