My Prius v (lowercase v) Mods

After installing an IJNEN Cold Air Intake I found the induction noise was a bit more than expected, even more than my previous tuned '95 V6 Maxima.

So I sent for an INJEN heat shield, lined it with Dynomat style sound deadener and covered that with aluminum muffler repair tape to try to protect the butyl rubbery in the mat from heat.

Today I drove it for about 20 miles and found that it seemed to cut about 1/2 the sound in moderate throttle application and maybe by 1/3 with WOT. The "ultimate judge", my wife, agreed it sounded much better.

BTW, The heat shield does not face the engine to protect it from heat but instead faces to the front to capture the sound better. I may have to rotate to the rear, facing the engine, for heat shield purposes in our 'Vegas 100 + F. summer temps. This will happen if my intake temp on my Scan Guage II shows intake temps to average more than 20 F. from the outside temperature when cruising above 40 mph. Cooler intake air = better gas mileage.

I'm happy now with the more muffled induction growl. Just enough to make nearby Prii drivers wonder what the he!! I have under my hood.

 

I installed an INJEN CAI on my 2013 Prius v and did get about 10 hp. more, maximum, something that wagon sorely needs.

And yes, I do get a bit better highway mileage than before by around 1.6 mpg. But I can't resist using the extra power in the city so I get only 37 mpg. around 'Vegas. That PWR button does get used!

Has anyone else installed this CAI? (Or any other CAI if another exists?)

 

Mike,

Look at the photo of this INJEN CAI at Juiced Hybrid (v pages) and you'll see the filter cone tucks down to the extreme right side of the engine bay. My heat shield blocks air from the radiator. I may try to use a plastic or rubber tube to bring air from the bottom through the plastic engine bay shield. This will take some work with bent and drilled 1" aluminum bar for struts as well as hose clamps to hold it in place. Done it before on my '95 tuned Maxima. I'll get degrees F. intake air temp from my steering column mounted Scan Gauge II readout so I can play with the new tube for best placement.

I can say that my CAI does actually give me more power by my "seat-of-the-pants accelerometer". That means if I can feel it then at the least I'm getting over 5 more hp. On the PWR setting and with WOT I definitely get about another 10 hp.

 

The MAF sensor works perfectly on the INJEN intake and NO check engine light comes on. My dealer and the smog check company is fine with it since no light is activated.

INJEN is the only CAI manufacturer to have patented a MAF-friendly intake pipe. The MAF just bolts to the special area midway down the pipe. The pipe diameter restriction in that area creates the faster air flow need to make the MAF work properly.

BTW, I got the CAI from Juiced Hybrid. Made just for the Gen III Prius and Prius v.

Photos on ALL my mods soon.

 

Easy Rider,

I've had some experience with testing cold air intakes on my tuned '95 Maxima and my '93 RX 7 on dynos. So I can tell approximate horsepower gain from stock air boxes.

As I said, from a standing start I likely got a 5 hp. gain and up to a 10 hp. gain at speeds of 50 mph or more. Had you driven my car with OEM air boxes and then the INJEN intake you would have definitely felt the difference. INJEN claims up to 10 hp. gain and so I can say that even if it averages 7 hp. gain across the RPM band I'll take it.

I agree it seems like a lot of hp. gain without a freer flowing exhaust but evidently the Prius v factory intake was more restricted than most non-hybrid cars.

Both the Maxima and the RX 7 had K&N intakes so no, this is not "marketing hype" for INJEN. I have absolutely no connection with INJEN or Juiced Hybrid other than being a satisfied customer.
You're free to doubt my statements but let's not begin casting aspersions on the reason I made the post.

 

So,
1.I have to dyno with the CAI,
2.re-install the OEM boxes
3. dyno with the stock setup
4. remove the stock boxes
5. re-install the CAI

I think not...
But I will inquire of INJEN if they have dyno charts for this vehicle.

Jimbo, "You can't have a cold air intake on an Atkinson cycle engine..."
Better tell that to Injen.
And BTW, an Atkinson cycle engine is about valve timing, specifically intake valves, at various rpms, not about intake air density. The computer reads the MAF sensor and determines timing and duration.
A CAI would work on an Otto cycle engine and an Atkinson cycle engine. The Atkinson cycle engine just will not draw as much air as an Otto cycle due to its intake volume to compression volume to power stroke volume differentials in the Atkinson cycle engine.

Apparently the "Atkinson effect" is achieved by Toyota only through valve timing, not a variable crankshaft. This permits some intake air to be pushed back out (into the intake manifold) before the intake valve closes, thus lowering the volume of air. and creating the effect of a shorter compression stroke, the initial requirement to have an "Atkinson effect" fuel savings.

My Scan Guage II has registered an average of around 10 F. lower intake air temps on days in the 70s F. than when I had the OEM air box on. So this is one result I've documented fully. Also the air intake temp drops much faster upon moving from a stop with the CAI than with the OEM boxes.