CaptainMike

Damp filter=probably OK
wet filter=not OK IMO
do a search on 'HYDROLOCK'

S2KenC

Wet filter is not okay. Hydrolock is not a good thing.

jal3lee

from what i read though, just driving in the rain will not cause hydrolock as it happens when driving through a puddle and the cone gets submerged. So splashing from from the rain on the road shouldn't not be a problem.. this is not to say that i don't worry about it.. this is why i'm having such a hard time deciding on intake or not.. i dont what a short ram because of heat soak, so a cai is the way i want to go, but if you go cai and worry about hydro, then put a bypass on.. but then for those that worry about hp's, the bypass eliminates any gains you get from a cai .. which is what? 2-3 hp at best... in NY and an everyday driver, i guess putting the bypass is the way to go and just use the cai for looks and the sound that it produces.

billmesh

The only way a car is going to get hydrolock is if the entire filter is COMPLETELY submerged in water.

If your filter is just damp you have nothing to worry about

CaptainMike

By my last count there have been 4 members of the S. Florida forum who have suffered major damage from hydrolocking, and to my knowledge none of them SUBMERGED their filters. For me personally, the slight gains are not worth the increased risks- water is simply not very compressable (about the same as mild steel) If you think about the tiny volume inside one of our cylinders at the top of the stroke you can understand how just a small amount of water can cause damage. That said lots of people have run a lot of hours with CAI's and no problems whatsoever. If I lived somewhere that it didn't frequently rain at 2" per hour I'd definitely consider installing a CAI. To each his own.
Cheers, Mike

Billmesh, careful what you post. Some people take things written in here as the gospel and I'm pretty sure you don't want to buy an engine for anyone.

PS there are over 75 threads that show up on searching 'hydrolock' in this forum ALONE.

hirev

i have a stock car and have never had a water related problem. sure after i wash the car some water gets in under the hood on the sides...and some can come from underneath...but the car is made to drive in the rain...not a worry unless the intake is under water while the engine is running,then you get problems. kinda hard to run the engine with no air!

Slows2k

Many engines have been hydrolocked without having the filter submerged. The AEM V2 intake pipe points "up" and can have H20 fill the pipe, from the fender drain hole.

DrCloud

You think the S is bad? When I had an STi, this was a really major concern -- mostly, of course, to newbies who believed the rest of us when we told them to be sure and get a hood scoop plug for when it rained, or for carwashes. Sheesh. HPH

ExOdy

It is a good idea to tape up the hood vents when it rains to protect that intake filter of yours.

sleeper_s2k

well i ran through some light rain today and the intake gets a little damp but seems ok. still, i don't think it would be good for the life of the car to do it often. taping it seems like a mess...i'm gonna have to figure out a way to block just the left vent without having to take off the mesh every time. i drove with a lead foot just to be safe. (more speed = less wet?)