Any experience with MX5 factory CAI ?

[honki3rider]

As with toymx5, my exhaust (full SMB system) is way louder than the intake but with the bonnet up, you can clearly hear the intake.

[93_Clubman]

In relation to bumping the timing to 14 degrees unfortunately that only applies to NA's. I believe the only way you can advance the timimg on a NB is to have the engine management re-mapped/re-chipped which is quite expensive. I hope one day to look into that as that'll be my next mod. Hopefully there may be a 'tech head' out there in the forum that can advise on that.

As far as I know ChipTorque on the Gold Coast are the only folks in Australia to modify the OEM NB8B ECU, which they did for the 100 Australian MX5 SPs.
However, there's supposed to be a way of advancing the timing in NBs, although not as simple as NAs - see the very bottom of the following page for details: http://www.miata.net/garage/ignition.html

Here's a reference to it on our forum - in it Rotary in Sydney mentions he's done the mod & found it very worthwhile, & Rotary knows his stuff:
viewtopic.php?f=29&t=30568&p=532437
From samx5's post it sounds like there may also be an alternative.

I've read the associated articles and it has me thinking now ! I'll create a new post about the subject and see what the latest info is. I'm sure there must be something you do to reprogramme the ECU without spending $1,100 on a ChipTorque add on unit.

My understanding is ChipTorque did actually remap or rechip the OEM NB8B ECU & not add a piggyback. However, last time I checked a long ongoing Miata.net thread, remapping or rechipping the NB8 ECU chip was believed possible, but no one was owning up to actually doing it. In contrast, the '93-'95 NA8 ECU has been rechipped & remapped, but from '96 onwards the OEM ECU uses a different chip which at least initially complicated things.

[miatalim]

Its weird, It's like I'm talking to a mirror image of myself as everything you are saying applies to me ! I also use to have a NA and was surprized when I drove a NB that the motors weren't as 'sweet' or as happy to rev out ! As you've experienced the T & C system greatly improves the throttle response, mid range, and total power and you'll find the CAI adds to that making the throttle response even more sharp and giving just that little more pulling power in the mid range.

Regards,

toymx5[/quote]

Hey toymx5,

I bet you must be a good looking fella with great taste in cars ! )

Yes I think a lot of people who make a transition from NA to NB will miss some characteristic of NA. Personally, I don't think I will go back to an NA as age is dictating that I feel a little bit more comfortable. I actually feel quite a bit more secure in my NB compared to my NA. The NA was pure raw fun whilst I feel the NB is a tad more refined and stable. Both has its strength. One thing for sure is that the NB's 1.8 pulls significantly stronger in the mid range compared to my 1989 NA which was sweet but I was always squeezing everything I had from that engine. With the NB, I feel like I don't have to push the engine as hard to get to a certain speed which i am very pleased about.


Back to the CAI, DDM can get me a CAI delivered for $400 AUD which is not too bad for a nice piece of kit. Now I have to convince myself that there is actually cold air coming through the front left side of the headlight housing into the engine bay.
What the heck...I may as just order it now...I can't wait.

Hey, did you guys install it yourself or did you get it professionally done. I ain't no handy man so how difficult is it to install?

[miatalim]

hey guys,

i was just about to complete my transaction for the DDM CAI but curiosity got the better of me as I wanted to see how much cooler air could come through where the intake would be place. So I pop my hood up at 1.30am to check it out. There really isn't any visible inlet at the back of the left front headlights which would suggest that cold air from outside the engine bay is getting into the DDM scoop. I am happy for someone to tell me I am wrong.

In terms of scooping coolers air, it seems like the front cowl area seems to be the only place where the air would be isolated from the bay and is fresh from flowing down the windscreen.

Comments anyone?

[de Bounce]

Been watching this thread with interest

There are a couple of holes through the inner guard which lead down to the radiator mouth or in front of the wheel.
Regardless, the intake will create a vacuum which will be filled (the world hates a vacuum)

I think it would work well and avoids the issue of moving the ABS and brake lines to fit a cowl

[93_Clubman]

Similar to DDM, the Autoexe CAI also sits behind the NB headlight except on intake side of motor:

MX5 NB Autoexe CAI.jpg

Another alternative is the SMB CAI which draws air from the mouth or NB8B foglight areas:

MX5 NB SMB CAI.jpg

Matty, a forumite, authored the article Free-Flowing an MX5:
http://www.autospeed.com/A_110680/cms/article.html
It's NA centric as he owned an NA6 at the time, but worth a read if you've not already seen it.

I've not tried NB CAIs that are situated behind either headlight, so can't give you a definitive answer of their effectiveness.

[miatalim]

thanks for the feedback guys. its great to have a community like this one to canvas opinions before one parts with hard cash.

I guess the key question is how well do those units isolate the intake from the engine heat. My 99 NB does not have ABS so the cowl wall solution will be significantly less complicating. ABS can be a life saver so I would rather have ABS but decided to save a couple of grand...in hindsight I should have sprung for a model with ABS but I don't like the blue that the special edition miata comes in.

[miatalim]

wow this mx5 hobby is much cheaper than my audiophile/hifi hobby. Cheap to maintain, cheap to mod and drives and now sounds like a real sports car.

[miatalim]

I viewed a couple of Youtube clip of NB with Randal Cowl intake. I am now more inclined towards the DDM one as the cowl ones just sound too loud. My concern is its sound combination from the T&C exhaust at the back and the cowl intake sound in the front may just make the sound overbearing during my run from Melbourne to Geelong before heading to the holy grail, mother of all, greatest road on earth....the Great Ocean Road.

[toymx5]

Hey Lyndon,

On the NB8A's Mazda designed it so there's a 3 - 4 inch opening on the inner fender apron where it meets the radiator support panel, this is area from where the standard air cleaner snorkle is suppose to get its fresh air however because of the under bonnet temperatures the air it actually gets it warm if not hot which is bad What DDM have done is to enclose the whole area surrounding the opening in the aluminium box sealing it from the hot air under the bonnet and fitting a less restrictive intake pipe which allows the engine to suck in nice cool denser air whic means more power and better response

I don't believe NB8A's take in air from behind the headlights, when I fitted the DDM box I did actually check for this and I couldn't see any openings that allow air to flow thru, I'm sure it all comes in from the opening in the inner fender apron. It may be different on the NB8B's like de Bounces (which I've seen and love the colour !).

Once again I have to mirror what you said about the NA vs NB, although my NA was fitted with a heap of goodies on the engine including a chip so she went really hard, harder than the NB I think. At a dyno day for the MX-5 she was the most powerful normally aspirated NA there. When I was looking to get back into a MX-5 I toyed with the idea of getting another NA but like you I like my luxuries a bit too much and the dash on the NB's is so much nicer and more modern and the dual airbags are a great bonus. Wish I could get rid of the power steering though !

In regard to fitting the DDM, I did it myself, it's really easy, the only point is if you have air con you'll have to notch the box in two spots to clear the a/c lines, this only relates to 8A's I think, 8B's have the lines in a different position.

Hope I've convinced you to buy the DDM, you wont regret it

[miatalim]

Hey Lyndon,


In regard to fitting the DDM, I did it myself, it's really easy, the only point is if you have air con you'll have to notch the box in two spots to clear the a/c lines, this only relates to 8A's I think, 8B's have the lines in a different position.

Hope I've convinced you to buy the DDM, you wont regret it

Done deal. You've sold me on the DDM and the noise of the cowl intakes has pushed me toward moving the intake away from the cabin. I would like to keep some engine noise within the engine bay. : )

[miatalim]

Hey Lyndon,


In regard to fitting the DDM, I did it myself, it's really easy, the only point is if you have air con you'll have to notch the box in two spots to clear the a/c lines, this only relates to 8A's I think, 8B's have the lines in a different position.

Hope I've convinced you to buy the DDM, you wont regret it

if you say there is cold air coming in from the front then I believe you as you have tinkered with NA before so you guys have obviously done your homework.

[miatalim]

Similar to DDM, the Autoexe CAI also sits behind the NB headlight except on intake side of motor:

MX5 NB Autoexe CAI.jpg

Another alternative is the SMB CAI which draws air from the mouth or NB8B foglight areas:

MX5 NB SMB CAI.jpg

Matty, a forumite, authored the article Free-Flowing an MX5:
http://www.autospeed.com/A_110680/cms/article.html
It's NA centric as he owned an NA6 at the time, but worth a read if you've not already seen it.

I've not tried NB CAIs that are situated behind either headlight, so can't give you a definitive answer of their effectiveness.

wow...the smb CAI would be the ideal solution but at $1400 its 3.5 times the price of what is availoable.

[hks_kansei]

From the sounds of it you'll be happy with the DDM, I've dríven Toymx5's car and the DDM is really a brilliant match to the T&C exhaust, neither are obnoxious in volume, but both have a very nice smooth sound.

the cowl intakes are really VERY loud, my girlfirend's car has the MX5 Mania one and when the car is under load (accelerating etc) it has a really loud gurgle. If you can live with it, it sounds amazing! but it would completely overpower the T&C exhaust noise.

[miatalim]

From the sounds of it you'll be happy with the DDM, I've dríven Toymx5's car and the DDM is really a brilliant match to the T&C exhaust, neither are obnoxious in volume, but both have a very nice smooth sound.

the cowl intakes are really VERY loud, my girlfirend's car has the MX5 Mania one and when the car is under load (accelerating etc) it has a really loud gurgle. If you can live with it, it sounds amazing! but it would completely overpower the T&C exhaust noise.

Wow...thanks for the unbiased feedback. The T&C exhaust is not timid so for the CAI sound to overpower the exhaust sound...it must be freakin loud....but I can certainly see the appeal of more sound...especially after installing my exhaust...I am lovin the sound. And the best thing is that I can be travelling at 60kmh and I feel like I am going 120kmh !