Do You Need A Cold Air Intake With A Turbo?

Maintaining a cold air intake can be a task, but before installing a cold air intake system in your vehicle you will need to make a thorough research. But what happens when you have a turbo engine, do you need a cold air intake with a turbo?

We will discuss all you need to know about turbo-charged cars and cold air intake, find out if your turbo-charged car needs a cold air intake and if the presence of a CAI makes any difference in a turbo car.

How does a turbo work on cars?

It is a known fact that a car works by combustion of fire, and this combustion is not possible in the absence of air. Turbo increases your car power by forcing lots of air into your engine cylinder, this air reacts with fuel to produce more power for your car.

Normally, after combustion, the waste gases are forced out through the exhaust pipe but in a turbocharger, the waste gases are reused. Because a turbocharger works with a great amount of heat, an intercooler is needed to cool up the air coming from your car turbo.

Do You Need A Cold Air Intake With A Turbo?

You are probably considering installing the popular after-market for your turbocharged engine, but do you need a cold air intake with a turbo? An aftermarket cold air intake in your turbo engine is unnecessary as the benefits are minimal, needless to say, a turbo works better with an intercooler.

The air compressed by a turbo is hotter than the normal air a cold air intake carries, so installing a cold air intake will not increase your car’s performance by a great deal. You can get a professional to install a cold air intake for your turbo if you are not capable of installing it. Here is a video on the effects of installing a cold air intake on a turbo car.

How to install a cold air intake on a turbo

To install a cold air intake in your turbo engine you will want to start by unfastening the clamps securing the turbo air ducts, disconnecting the lid from the air duct, and gently removing it. Take out the filter and the bottom of the air box, then you should loosen the screws securing the cold air duct and the radiator.

After taking out all the stock components, installing grommets in the vital locations, you should ensure that your OEM is installed and not taken out with the other stock component. After this, secure your air filter to the stacks with the fasteners provided, you can now install your cold air intake. Remember to place your air filter in the right position.

Can You Put Cold Air Intake On A Turbo?

It is possible to have a cold air intake on a turbo, but you have to position it right. Positioning your cold air intake right will prevent your cold air intake from taking in hot air from the engine bay next to your turbo.

Setting up a cold air intake in a turbo-charged engine is quite easy, you only have to be cautious about where you put your air filter, get it far away from your turbo. You should NEVER install a cold air intake in a turbocharged engine without an air filter.

Difference between Cold Air Intake and Intercooler

An intercooler and a cold air intake perform a similar task. They both take cool air to the engine bay, the only difference is that their working mechanism is different. An intercooler cools hot and compressed air from the turbo before taking it to the engine bay, a cold air intake directly takes cool air from the environment to the engine bay.

The hot air passed through an intercooler is not as cool as the air brought into the engine by a cold air intake. Moreover, an intercooler can only be used in turbocharged cars and also adds little or no extra power to your vehicle. A cold air intake is easier to install compared to an intercooler, but it costs more than an intercooler.

Best intercooler for a turbo

We have come to a conclusion that instead of installing a cold air intake for a turbo, you should install an intercooler that is designed to work with a turbo.

Mishimoto MMTMIC-WRX-01SLRD Top-Mount Intercooler

Key features

1. Single inlet design that provides maximum airflow
2. Include crankcase and silicone bypass, ventilation hoses, bypass valve gasket, and T-blot clamps

Conclusion

Do you need a cold air intake with a turbo? The answer is no, you can install a cold air intake if you want but there will be no significant increase in your vehicle power or its performance, instead, you should use an intercooler that is suitable for a turbo. If you are installing a cold air intake for your turbocharged engine, remember to keep the air filter far away from the turbo.