Cold Air Intake Benefits: A Simple Guide to Why CAIs Should Be Your First Upgrade

If you're looking for one high-impact, accessible upgrade to truly unlock your engine's potential, cold air intakes (CAIs) deliver benefits you can't ignore, including measurable horsepower gains and faster throttle response. Sealed/closed-box cold air intakes provide the cold, dense air your engine craves, with CARB legal options, easy installation, and low maintenance. 

In this guide, you’ll get:

• What a cold air intake does

• Realistic horsepower ranges with dyno examples

• Cold air intake vs short ram vs stock

• CARB legality and warranty basics

• How to choose the right sealed, closed-box kit

• Step-by-step installation and simple maintenance

Stock intakes often pull warm air from under the hood. Warm air is thinner and contains less oxygen, which makes the engine work harder and burn fuel less efficiently than colder air. A great example of this is trying to sprint in a hot, stuffy room. 

A cold air intake improves engine performance by isolating the filter from the warmer engine bay while feeding the intake cooler outside air. 

No matter if it's an open or closed air box design, the premise remains the same. However, with a closed air box design, you'll receive colder, denser, cleaner air directly to the throttle body at a faster pace due to improved intake tube geometry and diameter.

This can be done in two different ways:

• Open Air Box: Pulls air from the grille and fender-well and is exposed to the elements at a higher level compared to that of a closed air box system. Still a really great and popular option for high-performance vehicles, but not as popular for off-road vehicles.

• Closed Air Box: This design pulls cleaner, denser, and colder air from the fender well and front grille (optional). This design is also an excellent option for dusty and wet environments, making it a great choice for off-road vehicles.

With more oxygen available, the engine can efficiently combine it with fuel, allowing it to burn cleaner and stronger. And the result is more fuel is turned into power, rather than being wasted.

In most stock air boxes, air has to wind its way through narrow tubes, resonators, and lots of sharp bends, which slows it down and makes it harder for the engine to breathe. A cold air intake replaces that tight, twisty path with wider, straighter, smoother tubing and a sealed airbox insulating a larger, conical style filter rather than a flat panel filter, so air meets less resistance and can rush into the engine faster and more steadily.

A cold air intake gives your engine what it wants most: cool air, unrestricted airflow, and solid filtration. These three improvements work together to support the engine in producing power more efficiently, which translates into measurable gains you can feel on the road.

The combination of increased cooler air and reduced airflow restriction helps your engine burn fuel more efficiently, unlocking more power, which you experience as HP gains on the road.

You can expect a range of HP gains depending on your setup, as seen below:

• On many naturally aspirated engines, a quality cold air intake kit like those offered by S&B typically adds about +5–15 hp.
  

• On many turbo, diesel, or large-displacement engines, you can see HP increase by +10–25 hp, with some engine setups seeing bigger gains.
  

• On the road, these gains feel like quicker acceleration and a stronger mid-range pull.
  

Actual gains are affected by various factors, including stock airbox design, tune, and other mods, which affect both the dyno numbers and what you feel.

The mix of less restrictive piping and a more direct route for incoming air helps the engine react sooner to your input when you hit the gas, as more cool oxygen-rich air reaches the engine faster. The result is a quicker throttle response and livelier acceleration immediately. Vehicles that will see more of a difference are those that have trouble with low-end acceleration.

Acceleration feels stronger and more controlled because the engine can sustain a healthier air-fuel ratio as load and RPM increase. With more unrestricted airflow and a cooler intake charge, the engine doesn’t run out of breath as quickly, so you feel a smoother, more confident pull through the RPM range, especially on on-ramps, long grades, and when you’re loaded or towing.

Engine protection improves when you pair higher airflow with quality filtration. Cold air intakes feed the engine cooler, denser air, improving combustion efficiency and helping extend long‑term engine health. Poor filtration and inefficient fuel burn accelerate wear and carbon buildup, leading to long‑term damage. Well-designed cold air intakes use large, well-sealed filters that are built to flow strongly while still trapping fine dust and debris. Following the recommended cleaning or replacement schedule keeps contaminants out of the engine, especially on gravel, dirt, or dusty roads.

The engine sound becomes more aggressive because the intake can finally “speak up.” A high-flow filter and less restrictive tubing let more of the natural induction sound come through, while the stock airbox keeps cruise noise in check. The result is a deeper, sportier intake note under load, which makes the vehicle feel more serious without droning on the highway.

A good cold air intake keeps the intake side from becoming a bottleneck as you add power. By freeing up airflow and stabilizing intake temps, it gives tunes, exhaust changes, and turbo or supercharger upgrades more, cleaner, denser air to work with. When you’re ready for the next round of mods, you’re starting from a stronger baseline and can unlock more of what each upgrade is capable of.

The guide below explains the real-world tradeoffs between stock, short ram, and closed/boxed cold air intakes to help you make the right choice.

• Stock airbox: Quiet and reliable. Built for cost and noise control, not extra power. Often pulls warmer air from under the hood.
  

• Short-ram (open cone): Easiest install and the loudest sound. Sits in the engine bay so it breathes hot air in traffic or on hot days. Short-rams may lose power in hot or slow traffic because they ingest warmer air.
  

• Closed/boxed cold air intake: Seals out under-hood heat and pulls cooler air from the grille, fender, hood scoop or snorkel. Delivers steadier performance in real driving, summer weather, and towing, without excessive sound.

Bottom line:

• Choose a closed box cold air intake for immediate power and throttle gains. 

• Choose a short ram for a louder intake and minimal heat management.

No. To be 50-state legal, the intake must have a CARB Executive Order (EO) that lists your exact year/make/model/engine. If the listing says pending EO, race/off-road only, or doesn’t include your vehicle, it is not CARB-legal for street use in CARB states. 

Choose reputable brands, including S&B, that publish EO details and can provide replacement EO labels if needed.

These S&B sealed cold air intake systems hold CARB Executive Orders and deliver ISO-tested airflow gains, stock-safe sensor behavior, and emissions-compliant performance in all 50 states for the platforms below.

Typically not. Usually, a vehicle-specific cold air intake is built for the factory tune and sensors, so a tune isn’t required, and a check engine light (CEL) isn’t expected if installed correctly. Seat the MAF/IAT, tighten clamps, check for leaks, and allow a few drive cycles for the ECU to adapt. Consider a tune only when stacking other mods or chasing max gains. Additionally, there are some specialty high-performance cold air intake kits designed for performance vehicles that require a specific tune, such as the JLT Tune Required Intake Kit for 2018-2023 Mustang GT, which works with the JLT Tuner for 2018-2023 Mustang GT.

No. Under the Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act, a dealer must prove the intake caused the issue to deny coverage, and cannot deny a warranty claim simply due to the presence of an aftermarket intake.

Choose a well-engineered, emissions-compliant kit and proper installation. Trusted suppliers back products with strong warranties, such as S&B’s Million Mile Warranty.

Use the supplier’s vehicle selector, like S&B’s fitment tool, to confirm your vehicle's year/make/model/engine. From there, you'll be able to see each available product's emissions/CARB EO status. All S&B Cold Air Intake Kits come with all necessary installation hardware and detailed step-by-step instructions, and often a helpful installation video. This avoids unwanted Check Engine Lights and installation surprises.

For daily driving, towing, and consistent performance, choose a closed-box (sealed) cold air intake. It helps control heat soak and stabilize intake air temps. Reputable brands publish CAI airflow vs. stock (ISO 5011 results) so you can compare before you buy. S&B, for example, reports:

• Silverado/Sierra 1500 (2021–2025): +51.69% flow vs. stock (ISO 5011 results)

• F-150 2.7/3.5L EcoBoost (2018–2025): +43.10% flow vs. stock (ISO 5011 results)

• Powerstroke 6.7L (2017–2019): +57.30% flow vs. stock (ISO 5011 results)

(Figures are brand-published and vehicle-specific; use them as a directional comparison.)

In a cold air intake, the air filter is the heart of the system. It controls airflow, filtration efficiency, and service intervals. Pick based on your preferred maintenance style and driving environment.

• Dry (no oil) filter: blow out with compressed air up to 10x for extended life, MAF Sensor friendly, ideal for dusty conditions.

• Cotton cleanable (oiled) filter: Maximum airflow with extremely long service life – just wash and re-oil regularly for many years of use.

Brands like S&B publish ISO 5011 test data (airflow, efficiency, capacity) for both media, so you can compare apples to apples. You can also compare S&B filter media side by side before deciding.

If you want a sealed, heat-managed intake that installs cleanly and performs consistently, S&B is a proven choice and here’s why:

• Sealed, closed-box design: Smooth, high-flow ducting and enclosed airboxes reduce restriction and keep heat out, ideal for daily driving, off-roading and towing.
  

• Lab-verified performance: ISO 5011 testing for airflow, filtration efficiency, and dust capture capacity so you know exactly what you’re getting.
  

• Stock-tune friendly: Engineered around factory sensors; typically no tune required and will not trigger a check engine light (CEL) when installed correctly.
  

• Strong warranty coverage: Million Mile Warranty on intake kits plus an Engine Protection Limited Warranty for added confidence.
  

CARB compliance support: Many applications are CARB-legal with Executive Order (EO) numbers, and S&B can provide EO labels for smog checks.

If you want a first mod that delivers results on day one, a sealed cold air intake is a smart move. It feeds cooler, denser air through a smoother path to cut restriction, which translates into quicker throttle response and credible power gains on many platforms. 

Start here: Shop S&B Cold Air Intakes to find a vehicle-specific kit.

Read S&B’s in-depth Cold Air Intakes Performance Guide to learn more.

Yes. If you value a snappier throttle response and a fuller intake sound, choose a vehicle-specific cold air intake kit. Actual horsepower gains depend on a multitude of factors, including platform, engine, tune, fuel, etc. Please see the HP gains range above. 

Not reliably. A CAI alone rarely delivers noticeable MPG gains. City traffic, short trips, and frequent heavy throttle often erase any small MPG gains from a cold air intake. Upgrade to a cold air intake for more horsepower, quicker throttle response, and a richer intake sound, not for MPG gains. However, S&B has many customers that say their S&B Cold Air Intake Kits do improve their MPG. Your experience may vary.

For street use, a sealed/closed-box CAI is typically more consistent because it manages heat; short-rams can pull hot under-hood air as well as become dirty and clogged faster due to being exposed. 

Hydrolock isn’t caused by the intake itself. It happens when the inlet ingests liquid water. The risk goes up if the filter sits low and unshielded, and you drive through deep water or heavy splash. A closed-box intake that keeps the filter high and feeds from a grille, fender or hoodscoop reduces exposure but isn’t waterproof. Bottom line: avoid deep standing water, keep splash shields/liners installed, and slow down through puddles.

Reputable kits are designed for the stock tune and should not trigger a CEL in everyday use when installed correctly. 

Similar performance; pick based on maintenance preference. Dry media reduces the chance of over-oiling near MAF sensors.

Learn more about how to select the best engine air filter for your intake setup.