mia748•1d ago

Swapped my stock air intake for a S&B cold air kit and holy cow what a difference on my 2018 3.5 eco

I used to run the factory box (even with a drop-in K&N) and thought it was fine for towing my 6,000lb camper to Lake Havasu last summer. After installing the S&B (about 3 months ago) I noticed the turbo spool sounds way quicker and I actually picked up 1.5 mpg on the highway. Any of you guys running a CAI on a 3.5 eco - did you need a tune to really unlock it or is the intake enough on its own?

2 comments

2 Comments

wright.lisa1d ago

You won't really get the full potential without a tune to adjust the fuel trims and turbo mapping.

murphy.linda1d ago

Honestly, I used to think tunes were just for people chasing big numbers. But the part about "fuel trims and turbo mapping" got me thinking differently. I had an old WRX that just felt sluggish after a few bolt-ons, never really drove right. After reading stuff like this I took it to a shop for a proper tune. It drove completely different, way smoother and actually felt like the parts were working together. That changed my mind completely. Now I tell everyone the same thing, a tune is not optional if you want the car to actually run right.