AEM Cai whistling/humming sound???

chomorro21 · Feb 24, 2007

I am curious, i bought my 98 accord coupe 4cy 5spd with aem cai already installed on it. When at idle the car makes a loud humming sounds that is very noticable in a drive through or just letting it idle in front of the house. It is the version one cold air intake. Does any one else have this problem? If so what did you do to fix it?

FallenAngelHIM · Feb 24, 2007

i think the CAI are supposed to have a humming sound. does it sound like a whistle.

xluben · Feb 24, 2007

i have an ebay CAI that i just put on.

it's really loud and the noise peaks at about 4k. i can deal with that, but...

it makes a "whistling" type noise at moderate throttle from around 2k-3k (ie. normal driving).

it kind a whistles on and off at during normal driving. it does not whistle at idle, though.

i am pretty sure it's the cheap-o cone filter causing the whistle. once the weather gets better i'll throw on a k&n and see if it helps.

EDIT: i was planning on doing a vid with sound this weekend but it's snowing non-stop for 3 days or so. i don't even think i could get my car onto the road

i'll get a vid up whenever the roads are cleared and i have time, then you can hear what mine sounds like.

chomorro21 · Feb 24, 2007

Yea mine doesnt make the humming sound when driving, or if it does i can not hear it. Just at idle it hums, i called aem and they said that if i put down 50 bucks for their new improved air filter the sound "should" go away. But i dont want to spend money on something that may not fix the problem. I will try and see if i can record it.

S-spec · Feb 24, 2007

Its just the filter. Sounds sorta ALMOST kinda like you have a turbo for a few seconds under light load throttle and low rpm.

Its normal. Most people I speak to like it though. lol. I had a K&N filter, no whistle here. But it depends.

FallenAngelHIM · Feb 24, 2007

i have an AEM SRI with the red oil filter that came with it.
**** their brand new filter, they just want to sell product. it's cool only cause it doesn't need oiling.

anyway, yes. my SRI does the same thing. air swirls inside the pipe and it sounds like a whistling sound on idle. when you drive, you hear your engine more than you hear the whistling sound, but it's still there if you pay close enough attention.

everything you are experiencing sounds normal to me.

Neight · Feb 24, 2007

mine makes that same sound as well. I have both an AEM short ram and a V2, i swap between the seasons.

ryan s · Feb 24, 2007

omg my cut open stock airbox whistles louder than when i had the aem on

xluben · Feb 25, 2007

when i had my modded airbox setup is would not whistle at all, ever.

with the ebay CAI it doesn't whistle at idle or WOT, but under moderate throttle from 2-3k it will.

i'm def. going for a new filter if it will get rid of the whistle. i also might try the SRI config and see how that affects the sound (whistle and overall noise).