I have done some searching around and have not found anything about what happened to me this past weekend, so I thought I would post a thread on it to save even one person making the mistake I did.

My story begins - There was a huge meet (400+ cars) this past weekend C7performance fall tour up here in Toronto, Canada. A bunch of my fellow RX8Club members where coming. I was pumped for it, but I wanted my car a little cleaner than it currently was. Well I got gas, and then went to a touchless car wash. This is where the problems began. I left the car wash on the way to meet fellow 8 guys just down the street, when my car started to bog down. Rpms drop from 4000 - 750 almost stalled before I took my foot off the gas, then again when I hit the gas. Just made it to the parking lot where I was meeting everyone. I left my car running in the mean time while waiting. I decided to try revin the engine to get her hot and evaporate any water. Well doing this stalled my engine :banghead:

Fellow 8's showed up and to work we went. Took off the filter sock and it was soaked, water on the inside of it. The filter was soaked. WTF!!! The sock is supposed to keep the filter dry. We tried to boost it, the pop the clutch start, (cause my battery was dying from trying to start it) anything to get her going again. Nothing worked.

One of the members took off my MAF and it was soaked. Unreal!! dried it out, tried our best to dry out the air filter and put it back together. Tried to start again and nothing. Did the deflooding procedure nothing, but it was getting stronger. We could see water coming out of the exhaust tips. :icon_no2: A couple more times of taking off the MAF and checking it, letting the car sit between turning it over she finally went. HURRAY!! But she was rough as hell. I didn't touch the throttle at all. Eventually 5 - 10 min later she was running smoother again. Took her for a lap around the parking lot and she was good. Went to the meet, and no more problems. She seems golden now!! :) (knock on wood)

Long story short

MS CAI with sock installed DON'T TAKE IT THRU A CAR WASH!!!!

I thought you could since the sock was on. My very bad!!

In the touchless wash do they keep the car running as they drive it through? Someone there must have just blasted your lower grill with water for that much to get on the filter and up the intake to the MAF.

I'd also suggest getting some MAF cleaner, there's a DIY thread about cleaning it.

touchless car wash you drive in yourself, and the spray goes around the entire car. I did leave my car running the whole time, was a bit worried about it, but never thought anything like that would happen.

Think I still need the MAF cleaner? it was just cleaned with all that water lol

Another reason why I still love my K&N more than the MS CAI.

I never machine wash my car...last time was back in 2002...

I have the proper CRC MAF cleaner stuff (not the brake cleaner)

Stay away from big puddles too!!!
MX5 drivers have the same problem....very similar CAI.

Look at it this way.... You just flushed out all the carbon build-up and in the longrun may even improve longevity and performance!

Some carwashes do underbody sprays. the sprayer underneath the car probably soaked the front end when you went in and with the car running it sucked up some water even though it was just idling. Do you have the cover at the bottom of the engine? I don't know what it's called.

I never machine wash my car...last time was back in 2002...

I wish I had the time and energy to wash it by hand all the time. I need to figure something out for the winter, since last year I was at the car wash once a week to get the salt off. That was before the CAI

Look at it this way.... You just flushed out all the carbon build-up and in the longrun may even improve longevity and performance!

U serious?? :lol2:

Some carwashes do underbody sprays. the sprayer underneath the car probably soaked the front end when you went in and with the car running it sucked up some water even though it was just idling. Do you have the cover at the bottom of the engine? I don't know what it's called.

Ya that is what another member that day asked me. I did the full wash and didn't see it washing the underside. Ya I have it, u mean the plastic cover attached to the front bumper?

yeah, water through the engine is OK.

Once a year I run distilled water through the intake manifold. About half a gallon, while keeping the rpm at around 2500.

It cleans out the carbon.

yeah, water through the engine is OK.

Once a year I run distilled water through the intake manifold. About half a gallon, while keeping the rpm at around 2500.

It cleans out the carbon.

NO SHIT!! That makes me feel better! Doesn't it ever bog down to the point you can't start it?

I've reported this problem a couple times here.
Here is what I quoted in another thread:
The sock will NOT prevent water from soaking the filter.
It will help with little droplets, but if it gets drenched (like if you spray it with a garden hose while washing the car) the filter WILL get soaked.
The water will then collect at the bottom of the pipe and when you turn/accelerate hard, the water will rush up the intake pipe and into the engine.
Driving in the rain shouldn't hurt, but don't go through automatic car washes or directly spray water at the filter.
I had multiple misfires because of this and I changed out my AEM intake for the Racing Beat with the ram air duct.

Its best to remove all the piping and dry it out, especially the couplings because I noticed that the water likes to collect there.
The filter will need to be air dried which will take a while in the sun (overnight in my house didn't help at all).
Don't be like me and think the filter will dry itself while driving, condensation will collect inside the filter and you'll be back to square one.

gotta love fellow rotorheads helping you out in your time of need.
Glad to hear the car is all better now.

I've reported this problem a couple times here.
Here is what I quoted in another thread:


Its best to remove all the piping and dry it out, especially the couplings because I noticed that the water likes to collect there.
The filter will need to be air dried which will take a while in the sun (overnight in my house didn't help at all).
Don't be like me and think the filter will dry itself while driving, condensation will collect inside the filter and you'll be back to square one.

I never new this happened to you. I must've missed your thread.

I never new this happened to you. I must've missed your thread.

Yeah... kinda difficult sifting through all the AEM/MS intake threads! :)
Luckily I am able to search through only intake threads I replied to.
But even then, there were quite a few.

Cool thx Jon316G, she was all good once we finally got her going. I really didn't want to take the front bumper off again :)

You don't need to take the front bumper off.
Just remove the lower black under-tray and drop the filter straight down.

Thumper, try my winter routine, which I did last year and has had no problems with MS CAI.

Once a month, use railless/touchless car wash at Sunoco (cleans the best). Not all railless/touchless are created equal. I have tried Esso's, Petro Canada's and Shell's, and I can say Sunoco's ultimate wash is the best one. You will be inclined to feel bad and a waste of money because you know it'll snow tomorrow, or is already snowing like crazy, but don't think that way. The point of this is to wash your car even in the winter to clean the shit off.

Approximately, at the end of each week, go to a gas station with self-wash bays that allow you to wash your own car. DO NOT wash the car there, but simply, use $2 spray rinse from top to bottom the car with hot water. When spraying, spray at 45 deg angles. Try not to spray perpendicular to the paint surface. Then spend another $2 if you're slow, and dedicate that time to spray the wheel wells and under car.

Areas to watch for when spraying are exactly the areas where you see rust develop on RX8's.. i.e. the lip portion of the wheel well, and the front side of the rear wheel well. The section along the sides of the car under belly.

Don't forget once a year to crawl underneath your car and apply a coat of BLUE MAGIC to your ENTIRE CAT-BACK EXHAUST. That coat should last you a year of protection as I have done.

Look at it this way.... You just flushed out all the carbon build-up and in the longrun may even improve longevity and performance!


thanks- saved me some typing:)

yeah, water through the engine is OK.

Once a year I run distilled water through the intake manifold. About half a gallon, while keeping the rpm at around 2500.

It cleans out the carbon.

How do you do that?? How do you pour water into intake manifold? Besides I thought you had to use special solution or something. ...not water.

I'm with Jon316G on this one (as we usually seem to be on responding to threads on water exposure and the CAI system). If you run your car through a wash with a CAI, expect the filter to be water-logged for some period of time (environmental factors, etc determining that length of time). During that drying period, go easy on the throttle and do not expose the air intake to a heavy draw of air.

One question to Thumper on the initial post, did you throw a CEL when you water-logged the MAF? You should have, but I didn't see that mentioned in your post.

I'm with Jon316G on this one (as we usually seem to be on responding to threads on water exposure and the CAI system).
Many people have gotten lucky or just very cautious (maybe from hearing us rant).
I've taken it through a car wash many times with no problems.
Even heavy rain was never an issue.
It wasn't until the dealer washed my car and must have sprayed directly at the filter.
Leaving the dealer's parking lot, it was clear what occurred.
I had to turn around and let it sit in their lot for the weekend (luckily I was leaving town that weekend anyway).

How do you do that?? How do you pour water into intake manifold? Besides I thought you had to use special solution or something. ...not water.

use a tube.

I'm with Jon316G on this one (as we usually seem to be on responding to threads on water exposure and the CAI system). If you run your car through a wash with a CAI, expect the filter to be water-logged for some period of time (environmental factors, etc determining that length of time). During that drying period, go easy on the throttle and do not expose the air intake to a heavy draw of air.

One question to Thumper on the initial post, did you throw a CEL when you water-logged the MAF? You should have, but I didn't see that mentioned in your post.

I want to figure away of keeping it more dry.

Yes, i did get a CEL at 3700rpm. A member (footman) was kind enough to use his scanning device to get the readings and clear the CEL. It has not come back on :)

You don't need to take the front bumper off.
Just remove the lower black under-tray and drop the filter straight down.

I always wondered about doing it that way! Thx!

Thumper, try my winter routine, which I did last year and has had no problems with MS CAI.

Once a month, use railless/touchless car wash at Sunoco (cleans the best). Not all railless/touchless are created equal. I have tried Esso's, Petro Canada's and Shell's, and I can say Sunoco's ultimate wash is the best one. You will be inclined to feel bad and a waste of money because you know it'll snow tomorrow, or is already snowing like crazy, but don't think that way. The point of this is to wash your car even in the winter to clean the shit off.

Approximately, at the end of each week, go to a gas station with self-wash bays that allow you to wash your own car. DO NOT wash the car there, but simply, use $2 spray rinse from top to bottom the car with hot water. When spraying, spray at 45 deg angles. Try not to spray perpendicular to the paint surface. Then spend another $2 if you're slow, and dedicate that time to spray the wheel wells and under car.

Areas to watch for when spraying are exactly the areas where you see rust develop on RX8's.. i.e. the lip portion of the wheel well, and the front side of the rear wheel well. The section along the sides of the car under belly.

Don't forget once a year to crawl underneath your car and apply a coat of BLUE MAGIC to your ENTIRE CAT-BACK EXHAUST. That coat should last you a year of protection as I have done.

Thx footman, I will have to try again...eeee

Thanks for the heads up

Even though I dont bring my car out to wash, they scratch cars.

Leave the de-carboning to high RPMs/seafoam/directly injecting water into the tb/manifold...

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=150717&highlight=aem+intake+water+MAF

I didn't read this thread, just decided to link to a similar topic with good info.

Fried MAF -> Fried Cat -> Low Compression motor -> New motor -> (possible) Headaches

notice if the computer does not sense the same code for 2 drive cycles. it will switch the light off, then another 3-4 cycles, it will be off from the memory.

so you dont really need to reset it, but ahh whatever :)

all cold air intakes that sit that low can have this problem..

this is also why there is a specific warning in the MS installation manual about driving the car in the rain/puddles/ etc.. this is why.

It's touchless they don't scratch and great way to get the salt off in the winter.

I'm gonna try a pizza box to put over it, to shield it before washing it next time. See if that works :)

yeah, water through the engine is OK.

Once a year I run distilled water through the intake manifold. About half a gallon, while keeping the rpm at around 2500.

It cleans out the carbon.


I really wouldn't recommend doing this. If you get too much water in the combustion chamber at once, your engine will not be happy about it. I've heard some people claim a rotary can't by hydrolocked, but frankly that's a load of crap; the engine might not stop turning entirely like a piston engine, but the additional force on the apex seals, E-shaft bearings, etc. should not be dismissed.

yeah, water through the engine is OK.

Once a year I run distilled water through the intake manifold. About half a gallon, while keeping the rpm at around 2500.

It cleans out the carbon.

did you just pull a vacuum line and stick it in a container with the water in it? specific vacuum line or just any one?

I havent tried this before, but considering its an 04 should i notice some improvements with idle or acceleration?

Use seafoam. The whole distilled water technique sounds a bit iffy on the seals, since water doesnt compress in the engine.

my son washed his aem cai filter didnt let it dry sprayed oil on it then reinstalled and started car, after a few seconds it missed then backfired really loud and stalled.:icon_no2:

plugs were soaked and fouled, i took all 4 out threw em away and told him to let it sit and dry out. figured he could suffer a day and learn from his mistakes. New plugs and it fired right up. His AEM is on a na Talon (didnt want to get him a fast 1st car to kill himself with) and sits right where a fog light should sit, way too low imo. I told him to hacksaw it off where it turns down out of the bay. Hydrolock is alot ruffer on a piston engine