Testing

RSX on the Dyno

Let's cut right to the chase. This intake allowed the car to gain about 13 horsepower and 6 ft./lbs. of torque at the wheels. I purchased the intake for roughly $230 shipped to my door, so that equates to around $18 per additional horse. That's quite a bargain in the world of Hondas!

The baseline dyno for this car was done with approximately 5000 miles on the odometer. With a track event and several autocrosses included in this mileage, I wouldn't think the engine was very tight at this point, so it was most likely producing the correct amount of power. The conditons for the dyno on this day were low to mid 90 degrees Farenheit, tires at 34 PSI cold, 5W-30 oil level between the two dots on the dipstick, a 4th gear run, no fan blowing on the car, hood opened, and the engine and coolant completely warmed up. The values for it were 165.6 HP/122.6 torque, corrected for atmospheric conditions.

The current dyno for this car was done with approximately 17,500 miles on the odometer. The conditions were low to mid 60 degrees, same tire pressure and oil level as before, 4th gear run (except run #3, which was 5th gear), fan blowing on the car, hood opened, and everything at normal operating temperature. These dyno numbers are also corrected. An air/fuel ratio monitor was placed in the exhaust exit. It is a small diameter (less than 0.5 inches) probe, so it should not have noticeably impacted the dyno results.

Current Dyno Chart & Air/Fuel Measurements

A few brief comments about the dyno and air/fuel plots. The third run, done in 5th gear, has a substantially richer A/F ratio than the previous two runs in 4th gear, but only after the 5800 RPM VTEC crossover. It is theorized that since the coolant and overall engine temperatures would be their highest on this third run, that at the 5800 RPM switch, detonation occured, causing the ECU to pull timing and/or add excess fuel. Also, since the A/F metering was done at the exhaust exit, it is not quite as accurate as if it were measured farther upstream at one of the O2 sensors.

Conclusion

In short, I like this intake. The installation was not very difficult, taking 3 hours including taking pictures and documenting. The performance per dollar benefits are outstanding. Intakes are also nice in that they are virtually indistinguishable as far as sound goes, until heavy throttle application is called in. With the loud pedal on the floor, low RPM noise is relatively subdued and deep, although certainly louder than stock. The angry bees' nest doesn't come alive until the VTEC crossover at 5800 RPM, where the intake becomes quite loud, especially with the windows down (you quickly realize how well the cabin is insulated from outside noise with the windows up). Is it a "bad loud"? I don't think so, but I certainly cannot speak for everyone. Let's just say that I find myself crossing the 5800 RPM threshold a bit more often these days. It's also noteworthy to say that the car pulls more strongly both below and above the VTEC crossover points.

There are a few disadvantages to this intake. First would be the difficult cleaning of the air filter. Although one would only need to clean it about every 15,000 miles, the front driver's side wheel and all wheel well lining needs to be removed to gain access to the filter. Second is the risk of ingesting water into the engine. This is only a risk if you are driving through some seriously deep water (over 6 inches). Also, it seems that my gas mileage has dropped by a little over 0.5 MPG. This could be due to my tendancy to bring the revs up with more frequency, but I don't think so; I haven't changed my driving style that much. Aside from these minor issues, I think the pros certainly outweigh the cons. Unless you live in an area prone to flooding (if you do, I doubt you would own an RSX), I'd certainly recommend this piece to enhance the performance of the RSX Type S. Now I just need to find something to fill the void where the gigantic factory airbox used to be...

Dealer Information
Adventon Concepts
(866) ADVENTON (238-3686)
647 East Bonita Avenue
San Dimas, California 91773

Copyright 2003, Temple of VTEC