Car tuning tips and mods.

Like all of us, car engines need to breathe. They use an air fuel mixture which has to be precisely balanced into what is referred to as an air to fuel ratio or AFR. For petrol engines this is between 12.5:1 and 13.3:1. A lambda sensor sniffs the exhaust and determines the amount of unburnt oxygen and will adjust the fuelling to maintain a clean efficient burn.

Adding an induction kit allows a car to suck in air more freely. The induction kit typically comprises a cone or hemishperical filter with no air box. The idea is that more air can enter the engine. The standard paper filters that car have in their air boxes are somewhat restrictive to airflow. If the engine can suck in more air then it is able to burn more fuel so you are effectively increasing the efficiency and power output of the engine.

“Not all engines will benefit from an induction kit!” 

It is worth noting that not all engines will experience power gains from an induction kit. Smaller engined cars (those under 1.4 especially) will actually feel less powerful with an induction kit. In this case you should use a panel air filter which replaces the standard paper one inside the OEM air box.

In these smaller engines a certain amount of excess oxygen will not be matched with fuel as the injectors are not big enough. This causes the engine to run lean. An air filter should also be matched to a good exhaust system to allow a balanced flow through the engine. More air in means more exhaust gases.

 In all cars induction kits will suffer from under the bonnet temperatures. We all know that hot air carries less oxygen. Removing the air box makes the intake temperature rise as air is taken from this hot region. Most dyno runs are taken with the bonnet open so will not reflect real world power gains. To combat this problem add a cold air feed to pipe in fresh cold air from outside the engine bay.