SRI OR CAI for ZRE182

[Wokstar86]

Hey errybody, I'm currently wanting an intake system for my 2013 zre182 manual. I took a look around and it looks like there is minimal out there. The only one I found is a K&N one for 700+usd not including shipping.

I was wondering if anyone know of any other or other options for a SRI or CAI for this car.

Helpful input is muchly appreciated.

Thanks peeps.

[Kanmuri79]

Hey man. My only personal experience is with the k&n short ram, no issues, great sound compared to stock.

It took me a little while to get better at finding onlines prices, luckily before I started buying car stuff.

http://m.ebay.com.au/itm/131003258677?nav=SEARCH

Heres the same product alot cheaper I paid around $400 or so for my camry one. make sure u 'make an offer' and not just 'buy it now'. you normally get 3 offers before being locked out from that item.

[trentmeyer23]

For $400-$700, the value is not there, you really only gain noise and looks. The stock airbox is just as good in most cases.

[Wokstar86]

Taking out the power figures. Would you say the an aftermarket cold air or short ram would increase throttle response also?

I'm not looking for "big" numbers in power gains as nice as that would be. We all know that they give small gains but it all adds up in the end.

[trentmeyer23]

You may or may not gain any performance or response gains. It will vary greatly depending on the vehicle and the OEM airbox/filter design. Just remember in QLD that it needs to be secured by a bracket in order be classed as a legal modification.

[Wokstar86]

Parts in sourcing use factory mounting points so I'm covered. I may get a little tricky and get a ram pipe leading to it too.

[Rattle Rattleson]

You may or may not gain any performance or response gains. It will vary greatly depending on the vehicle and the OEM airbox/filter design. Just remember in QLD that it needs to be secured by a bracket in order be classed as a legal modification.

Actually unfortunately the overzealous laws for these late model cars go even worse than that. Not only does the filter have to be secure, but it needs to be enclosed and the induction sound levels cannot increase over stock. Which pretty much means we are stuffed as every single aftermarket intake for the ZRE fails on at least one of those three criteria.

The only thing we can really do that won't risk a defect notice is to change the panel filter to something like an Apexi or Blitz whilst retaining all the other stock intake components.

Edited December 3, 2014 by Rattle Rattleson

[trentmeyer23]

You may or may not gain any performance or response gains. It will vary greatly depending on the vehicle and the OEM airbox/filter design. Just remember in QLD that it needs to be secured by a bracket in order be classed as a legal modification.

Actually unfortunately the overzealous laws for these late model cars go even worse than that. Not only does the filter have to be secure, but it needs to be enclosed and the induction sound levels cannot increase over stock. Which pretty much means we are stuffed as every single aftermarket intake for the ZRE fails on at least one of those three criteria.

The only thing we can really do that won't risk a defect notice is to change the panel filter to something like an Apexi or Blitz whilst retaining all the other stock intake components.

In QLD, it does not have to be enclosed, it may be required, the other things do apply though. See link below, click on Minor Modifications publication (PDF, 1.31 MB), reference air filters:

http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Safety/Vehicle-standards-and-modifications/Vehicle-modifications/Light-vehicle-modifications.aspx

[Rattle Rattleson]

Yes, I'd seen that previously and I think the rules are consistent from state to state. My reasoning about it being enclosed was not just because these government papers make reference to it, but also because I just can't see how an aftermarket intake without an enclosed filter is going to produce the same noise level as the stock intake. Most of the point with these intakes is ironically the very reason they represent a somewhat grey area depending on who you talk to. Not only that, but in my own research, I can't even see absolute consistency between these papers produced by the various road authorities and the ADRs themselves.

The "rules" (such as the pdf you mention) seem pretty cut and dried in one sense as they are a "plain English" layman's sort of guide), but I don't even see where the intake noise level stuff is written into any ADRs. The ADRs only state a maximum noise level the car can produce during two tests - a stationary one (ZRE182 cannot measure more than 78 dBA + 5 dBA = 83 dBA for that one) and the drive-by one (cannot measure more than 74 dBA for that one). And if, for example, the stock car only measures 68 dBA on the ADR drive-by test (for arguments sake - I don't know what the drive-by noise level is), who is to say the K&N intake still won't exceed that 74 dBA ADR requirement anyway. Yes, it would definitely be louder but it may or may not meet that ADR requirement for drive-by noise. That being the case I think these rules are quite unfair to be honest.

I've seen other members here fit the K&N intake which would likely be one on my own shortlist as I love the sound and it looks like a quality piece of kit. Then there is the argument about whether the filter is enclosed, since this appears to be designed to seal the filter when the bonnet is fully closed (otherwise there is no point to the sealing rubber around the heat shield), but naturally not when it is opened.

It is really frustrating because there is some excellently designed kit out there and most of them make a great sound (you can pretty much buy to suit your aural taste). I'd put one on my own car tomorrow but the fear of being caught for a random check during a breath test and have to argue subtle legal points on the road side to a policeman who is just going to get ****** off doesn't seem very enticing (and I've been breath tested about 10 times this year and I've only done 5,000 kms so far!). Then there is the rego check but I'm too lazy to go removing stuff just for a rego then putting it back on every year. And that is the other problem with the ZRE182 - no owner has needed to have a rego check yet as the oldest cars are only 2 years old now.

Although we could talk to a qualified rego inspector I've just heard too many stories about a conflict of opinion between the Police, the "real" rules and what passes a rego. It's a real pain in the butt. I understand the intent of the rules but the execution of them leaves a lot to be desired.

But one last thing to think about. 95% of what you get with any sort of aftermarket intake is the change to the induction sound as compared to a high quality aftermarket panel filter. For example, an overseas car magazine tested the drop-in Apexi and Blitz panel filters and they both gave about 3 - 4 kW extra at the wheels on a stock Toyota 86. Changing the entire intake barely added much at all compared to just changing the actual panel filter. So personally, although I would love to go with an entire aftermarket intake, the panel filter option is a completely "safe" one if you are chasing improved throttle response more than you are induction sound (though I want both).

Edited December 3, 2014 by Rattle Rattleson

[trentmeyer23]

The safe bet is to run a standard airbox which has been designed by engineers and is generally very good at the task.

[Rattle Rattleson]

Agreed and dyno tests tend to show that most of the power increases are derived from changing the panel filter rather than the whole intake. TRD do make intakes that I am certain would be fully compliant here in Australia but only for limited models unfortunately (from what I can see, mainly Scion FR-S / 86 and Scion tC). I'd still probably buy one if they did one for the US Corolla since I have a lot of respect for TRD's engineering and the resultant improvements from fitting those parts. But I think the chances of a TRD intake appearing for a 2ZR-FE engine Corolla are somewhere between next to nothing and none. As an aside, I am a bit baffled why TRD North America utilise oiled filters whereas TRD Japan have dry filters.

I have an Apexi panel filter in my own ZRE182 (the one they market for the Scion xD) and that's the only change to the intake system. I thought the change was surprisingly worthwhile and it even actually made the car a tad quieter - possibly because the edges of the filter more effectively seal the airbox than the material Toyota use for their OEM filter (some sort of rubberised seal versus the highly compressed "egg carton" sort of edge material the OEM filter uses.

I'd honestly recommend anyone just buy the Apexi filter first, save themselves several hundred dollars, not have to worry about rego inspections, the police, the EPA and just see if they notice the difference. It's actually noticeable and as I say I was pleasantly surprised by this. It's about 90% what you'd get if you put in a whole bespoke, highly engineered aftermarket intake system. when they tested a Scion FR-S in the States, they got about 5 hp with an Apexi panel filter over the OEM filter, so I don't think it is too much of a stretch to say we might get up to around 2 kW just with the Apexi in our 2ZRE-FE cars. But it is more about reducing that drive by wire feeling and making the car feel like it actually has a mechanical interface between driver and drivetrain.

You can read my thread where I describe the Apexi panel filter and TRD axleback fitted to my ZRE182. I couldn't be happier (unless TRD cough up an enclosed system) and would spend the money again in a heartbeat. Although the Blitz filters are apparently even better in terms of power gains, they likely don't have the excellent filtering of the Apexis. I'll take half a kW power loss over much better filtration :)

Edited December 4, 2014 by Rattle Rattleson