K & n cai
 

After installing a K&N CAI on a 2006 Mustang, does the car need to have a tune after or can you just install the CAI and be on your way?

i only ask because i was told by some shops that some CAI's on the 05+ mustangs will need a tune so the check engine light doesnt come on..
but some intakes won't...

i also noticed that some CAI's come with tuners as a package deal and others not.. so i am assuming that the ones that come with it need the tune...

also is K&N a good way to go... or any other recommendations?
would it void warranty as well?


thank you

read the fine print make surre what ever you buy has the no tune option if you dont buy the programer. If it requires a tune and you do not tune it then you can have issues. I have been researching this since I got my 08 GT and I have found C&L has the best CAI by far it is more expensive but seems to be worth it. There is all so the Ford CAI you can get from Ford performance hope this helps.

thanks for the input..
i was going to get the Ford CAI when i got the Ford Racing dual exhaust kit put on..
but i was offered a new K & N CAI kit for my car..
so i was wondering if it was better.. more beneficial.. needs a tune.. etc.. :)

Go with a CAI + Tuner combo from the likes of brenspeed.com or bamachips.com. Otherwise you're wasting your money in my opinion. You won't see/feel any gains that are worth mentioning. Once you've been tuned you'll know what I'm talking about. Really wakes up the motor and for auto's the improved shift points and line pressure make for mind blowingly fast hard shifts.

I'm running a JLT CAI w/ Bamachips 91 Octane Torque tune. It is heaven.

Oh and it will definitely void your warranty. But I have heard if you have a problem just re-install the factory tune + factory intake and disconnect the battery for awhile. It will reset the computer and they will only be able to see that the PCM was accessed and not what was done to it. (But I'm not 100% sure - I have never had any problems.). If they inquire further, just tell them the battery died on you and you swapped it.

Oh here's a great CAI comparison from 5.0 Magazine.

Cold Air Intake Comparisons - 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords Magazine

Coles notes:
JLT scores top marks for power
C&L scores top marks for quality and 2nd place in power

Some of the others compared are MAC, K&N, Western Motorsports, Anderson Ford Motorsports, Modular Mustang Racing, Mustang Racing Technologies, Powerhouse Automotive, Tunable Induction

i've checked out bamachips.com and they just have the C&L available for the V6's.
What would be a better tuner?
C&L & Predator combo or C&L & Xcalibrator 3 Combo?

I'm a total newb when it comes to this :/

plus my car is a daily driver, so I'd guess the torque tune would be the tune i'd want over performance?

Any CAI that has a larger diameter than stock at the point where the MAF sensor mounts will require a tune.

As for the tuner, it really comes down to personal preference. Check out the home site for each tuner, and see what features/adjustments each one offers.

I went with the Xcal. It seems to be a pretty popular choice.

I went with Xcal 3 as well. Worked perfect. Heard bad things about the livewire tuners so maybe steer clear of those.

Livewire Tuner?
sorry.. newb here :)

It's made by SCT as well. It has a couple extra features that the others dont. It can measure your 1/4 mile time and horsepower from the car. It mounts on your dash/windshield (I forget)... It works the same as the Xcal except that its been known to have some problems. Or at least thats what Doug at Bamachips told me when I was asking him about it.