Rain

Posting photos as requested:

Stock Engine:



Airaid CAI Installed:





And here's my story (Warning, Long Read):

Unlike some of you, I'm a complete n00b when it comes to working on a car. It stems back to my childhood when I used to try and help my dad work on vehicles and he would yell at me, so I never learned anything.

With that in consideration, and just for the sake of record keeping, I decided that I would have any mods to my car professionally installed. Although the CAI seems easy enough, I didn't want to take any chances.

That being said, I don't know of any reputable Mustang mechanics in Maine. I discussed installing aftermarket parts at my dealership when I got my first oil change and was assured that they install all parts except gears. I was told they have a Mustang enthusiast on staff that could give me the name of someone to install gears, but anything else is not a problem.

I booked my appointment at the dealership for 8am this morning, even though I thought the $99.50/hour labor charge was outlandish. When I checked in at the service desk, I was told that they weren't sure they install "such things" as they put it, and needed to call the service manager over. The service manager came over, looked at the work slip and said "We have never installed one of those." I was like, whaaaaaat? Then he says "I'll need to go look at it to see if it's something we can do."

At this point, I was losing confidence in my dealership's competence. The communication I was receiving now highly contrasted what I'd previously been told. But it's over an hour drive there, and I didn't want to make the trip for nothing.

The mechanic came back and said they could install it, and that it wouldn't take more than an hour. I proceeded to the waiting room and was called back to the service desk not even 10 minutes later.

The mechanic told me that the CAI is for racing and off road use only. He then went on to say that I could ruin my engine from water moisture. By this point I was really starting to get irritated. Finally he said he could install it for me, but I needed to sign a waiver form releasing them from any concerns/problems/liability resulting from the installation.

I didn't have a problem with that per se, I just had a bit of an issue with him basically telling me that even if he didn't install it correctly, it's still my dime.

I decided to walk around the dealership and was told that they have the new 2013 Mustang GT in stock, so I was able to go look at it in person, though did not get a chance to drive it (though they did try to sell it to me). I was going to ask to drive it, but by the time I got around to it, my name was called back to the service desk.

My installation was complete. The mechanic walks up to me and says "I hope you have your tuner thing with you. The car is not running good at all. It is not happy."

I must admit, I freaked out a bit inside, but understood that the Airaid CAI does require a tune. I jumped in my car and installed the BAMA 91 Octane Race Tune, said a little prayer, turned the key, and the car started up without a hitch.

I revved the engine a couple times, and there didn't seem to be any issues. In fact, I noticed it actually sounded more aggressive, which I wasn't quite expecting. Now comes the real test.

As I chirped my tires at the first stoplight, it was immediately apparent this wasn't the same car I drove earlier. The tune certainly livened up the accelerator pedal, and adjusted the timing in gear shifts. The new growl produced by the engine is absolute music to my ears, especially at 3k RPM's or so when it really begs for attention.

I've put 100+ miles on the car since the installation and had no issues. It's like the feeling you get when driving a car for the first time. While I don't have any solid before/after numbers to give you, I'm very pleased with my purchase.

Props to American Muscle, Airaid and BAMA Performance for your great products.

And a middle-finger salute to my dealership's service center, for destroying any ounce of credibility you may have had. Looking forward to the customer experience survey!

CAR-15

Really man? You couldn't install a CAI? There are plenty of videos out there that show you how to do this. Do your research and take a chance. You CAN do the work on your car man. Dealers are not the way to go when it comes to this stuff. Find some people in your area that have Mustangs and talk to them. Look at the state info on this site.

CaptainRon

Hey congrats on the first mod!
Live and let learn. None of us is born with a wrench in our hands and although I've learned a lot about wrenching on cars over the years, I probably would have taken my car to a mechanic too if I didn't feel comfortable doing the job myself.

Dealerships however in my experience aren't very friendly when it comes to installing aftermarket parts. They only know how to sell, whether its their cars, their parts or their service, all they do is sell..... Next time I would suggest going to a trusted buddy or ma and pa mechanic that has experience with these types of mods....

pc_647f

Have you sought counseling for this?

Seriously though, start working on your car, that's the only way you'll learn. And save a lot of money. Just don't flush the engine out with water and try to run it!

Rain

LOL! Yeah, I knew I'd catch some flak for not being a man and getting my hands a bit greasy. Haha. To be honest, I never even opened the instruction packet, so you can chalk it up to laziness.

There are a lot of CAI threads, so I wanted mine to be a little different and entertaining. I thought someone might find it useful, and if not, at least laugh at my expense.

Regardless, though it's still day 1, I'd recommend the Airaid for anyone in the market for one.

My next performance mod will most likely be 4.10 gears, so you can bet I'll be asking around.

pc_647f

The rear end is a different story. That's a professional job all the way. The average DIYer should not attempt that unless you know exactly what you are doing ahead of time.

iceguyb14

+1. Even professionals mess up sometimes.