Looking for a good CAI. I live in california and the only ones I can find is the k&n one. I can't do the diy methods I've read up on because california smog doesn't allow that. Just looking for any recommendations... thankyou!

 

The stock factory setup is a good cold air intake system. It takes it's air from behind the headlight area.

The vast majority of aftermarket cold air intakes really just pull in warm air from the engine bay and are really just for looks.

 

It's not worth to do any upgrades to the 3vze. Just maintain it and save your money for rainy days.

 

I have tried CAI on my 3vze and got rid of it after 2 weeks.

Only mod that truly got me difference-making power and torque are the DT aftermarket headers. They are CARB approved so no issue passing CA smog. By all means the 3VZE is still slow AF but at least I can hold 4th gear while going up some hills. So worth the cash if like me you rather not go too low on gearing and keep 33" tires.

By the way I also tried putting back CAI after I installed the new headers, and still felt no difference, beside increased intake noise. So went back to stock again. That proved to me what Yotatech preaches,, the stock intake feeds enough air to the engine, even after opening up the headers. More intake air ain't gonna help making any significant more power. Turbo has been tried and failed miserably. Engine vacuum system makes it very difficult, super complex...not worth it.

 

I never saw a 3vze mod that i felt made a huge difference. Sometimes they sounded faster, though. And bitd I had customers who spent thousands at performance shops trying to help that engine. We typically wouldn't sell or install any of the products offered, knowing that most likely the customer wouldn't be impressed with the final product.

 

Deck plate mod?

 

One thing that might help with 3vze power is to clean the carbon build up out of the intake runners. I’ve never seen more crap than was built up in the intake on mine when I took it apart. With the runners cleaned out and with long tube headers, it’s not terrible. It’s faster than the four cylinder anyway.