Will CAI help with towing?

[SlimJim]

Probably gunna sound like a dummy, but will a CAI help me when im towing a camp trailer or a boat. As far as maintaining speed and acceleration without downshifting a bunch? Im not looking for a huge mpg or hp increases, just an extra boost when towing. If so what are some of your recomendations ? I currently have an Airaid MIT and a k&n drop in filter, but was thinking about investing in a volant or s&b cai.

 

[swathdiver]

Nope. Get a tune or a bigger engine. How much are you towing?

 

[Big Mama]

Agree on the tume it helps engine and transmission and can account for your bigger tires. May also be worth adding another trans cooler if you tow a lot.

 

[Sasquatch]

They are dyno proven to give a small horsepower increase but you will never feel the difference.

 

[Dlayne]

Ditto for the Tune.

I tow quite a bit and hands down the biggest improvement on my ‘07 was the Blackbear Tune. Had the Volant CAI too and upgraded exhaust. Tranny hunted a lot less while towing up hills. Power to pass while towing was great too. MPG suffered only to to lack of discipline of the right foot

 

[SlimJim]

Cool im planning on getting a BBP tune, and a vette servo before i get the tune. I just wondered if it would help climbing while towing. I was pretty sure that the airaid MIT would suufice but wanted to ask first.

 

[iamdub]

I'll echo everyone's input- get a tune. Between the MIT and drop-in filter, you already have the equivalent of a "CAI". Buying a full aftermarket CAI would only help with aesthetics.

 

[Jeremy05]

Did you get a specific BB tune for towing, or just a general tune? I have a general BB tune, but I find that my tow hull mode still does better than the stock BB tune. I am also looking for anything that I can do to boost my towing power. I have a boat and trailer that is around 6000l lbs and my yukon will tow okay, but I do get a lot of transmission hunting on the highway. Can BB reprogram the tow hull button with a custom tune?

 

[adriver]

A Used CAI is going to be about $100-200. A new one is $200-$350, and you MIGHT notice something. Going from a K&N drop in to a CAI, MIGHT ACTUALLY BE WORSE... For $250-$400- you can get a tune, and WILL DEFINITELY NOTICE AN IMPROVEMENT. The CAI will do maybe 5hp at most at peak.. A tune will do 20-25hp and ft lbs of tq and improve across the board. It will improve your trans shift points, it will correct your speedo (if you're not using factory tires), it will either give you another mpg or two, or it will increase your enjoyment of driving your vehicle a little. Most likely the latter.

If you really want a second thing to do next for towing, look into Electric fans/ e-fans, NNBS front brake upgrade, rear sway bar (go, stop, and side to side).

 

[01DenaliHiker]

Keep your MIT and K&N, if you avoid deep mud and water you could consider opening up the lower portion of your air box. (get a used one from a junkyard) and cut out an opening in the bottom of the mounting plate. (also helps to buy/find a junk one)

I noticed more of an improvement from that itself than the Spectre or AEM bruteforce. Plus it's cheaper and not quite as annoying. Although, I can't hear much of anything over my dual flowmaster 10 series and 15 in the back. If you're looking for some more umph I definitely suggest it, but there's no way to beat a good tune. That'll forever make the difference.