Got my K&N CAI last week, installed it with no problems. drove the car to work and it started squeaking at idle. removed CAI last night and reinstalled the stock air box no problems. quiet as a mouse. re-installed the CAI tonite thought it might have been installation problem but noooooo, squeals like nobodys business as soon as the motor got hot :bang: . car born without HCT. Could that be the cause???? :scratch: does anybody have any idea :scratch:

 

Could you tell where the squeaking was coming from?

 

I haven't had any problems with mine. Do you have any metal-on-metal contact while the engine is running?

 

cnat pinpoint it but seems to be louder on the driver side of the motor. at one point i put my ear to the filter and it's really loud there. thought it might be an air leak but nope. i removed the filter with motor running and still have the squeal. it's really weird. the only metal on metal contact is with the mounting bracket but it's held down by the valve cover bolt and i made sure it does not move or rattle.

 

I would email K&N to see if they ever experienced such an occurance.

 

I would check to make sure everything is tight, heat shield brackets, hose clamps on the filter, hose clamp on the intake hose(mine made some noise there after a week, just went back and rechecked everything), did you put the spacer's in for the maf? If not it could be sitting too deep and hitting the other side of the intake pipe. Other than that I can't think of anything..... Do ya have all your wrenches? I've seen that happen before. I'm sure it's something simple. I've heard some people complain about the airfilter sitting too close, not positioned right also. Just things to check, hard to tell without actually seeing it or hearing it on my own. Good luck.

 

thanks, I need it. i checked and rechecked to make sure everything is tight. matter of fact i stripped the clamp on the tube bracket cuz i got it too tight. i have all the wrenches, screwdriver that i used. as far as the installation, i am sure that i have it right on. it's frustrating, i specifically bought the K&N cuz i didnt want to reflash and now i have this issue. i drove the car tonight and she purred, no weird noise or anything. wish i had that little bit more oomph that comes with the K&N but............sent email to K&N. not expecting reply til monday or tues.

 

my car has no HCT either but i dont think thats the issue...try maybe putting some oil on the bolts...maybe its the friction from the parts moving

 

The AEM CAI I has on my '02 SVT Focus used to squeal like a motha, especially during acceleration, but this was a normal by-product of the CAI. The squealing sound on my AEM was the rapid movement of air through the filter, sort of like sucking through a straw real hard. Is it possible you are just hearing the air passing through the filter and it's making the sound?

 

..ever hear the difference of a air-kit on a lightning? sound like a jet afterwards from the whistling rush of incoming air...

If it goes away w/ the swap back to OEM, then I would agree your probably hearing the air rush...my thought also.

Might sounds crazy since the squeal comes and goes with swap, but check your serp belt, might be slipping slightly.

 

i thought the same thing but i think it only does it when there is no load on the engine, idling or the clutch pushed in, maybe it does it all the time but i cant hear it when im on the road running. i just reinstalled it and went on a test drive and the squeal came back after about 5-6 miles. i even made sure there is nothing making contact with the motor by not installing the bracket. i got to a light and heard it and i parked in the garage and heard it. it's not air rushing thru the filter. it sounds metal to metal contact. it even does it with the filter off.
my son told me it might be my MAF squealing :scratch: possible???

 

You should be able to just open the hood and while idling, be able to pinpoint the source of the problem. There are no moving parts to this system so I would suggest that something is rubbing. Make sure all the gasket material is on the top properly and while the car is idling, you may be able to hold or move pieces a little. This will tell you exactly where the squeek is and give you the ability to correct it. Also, does the squeek disappear when you open the hood?

 

Well no load takes that out...

Im sure like mentioned with some time, U could probably track it down. I dont know the mounting for the CAI, but install a rubber washer between every bolt or nut it uses, and go from there, couldnt hurt...

 

Pete, I know exactly what it is and had to have my, uh, Ford dealer fix it, just today. If you have the instructions, look at step 20: there is a vent hose that runs between the valve cover on the left side of the engine (facing from front) to the K&N intake tube. That short piece that the tube connects to is wrong (it gets too narrow and the engine tries to suck air, creating the noise). The plastic has to be drilled so that the intake is a uniform diameter on the inside. Ford fixed it for me (for $109!) and so far, so good. Let us know how you make out.

 

wow, i did notice that piece was a little crimped when i received the tube but didnt think it would make a diff since the vent hose was going over it. do you have any idea what diameter they had to drill it out to?

 

Eric - Thanks for the tip. I went out and inspected the tube and lo and behold, the nipple hole is not drilled thru. Called K&N and asked how big the hole should be and they said just as big as on the nipple. Got me a 5/16" drill bit and drilled it thru. Re-installed the CAI, went on a test drive and NO SQUEAL I want to thank everybody who provided insight. Am I glad to be a TMS community member. Everybody here is so knowledgeable and helpful. Thanks again!!!!

 

Glad to hear it, Pete.
Thanks for helping out, Eric. You're obviously an assett to TMS.

 

I only know what it takes to fix what I screw up........lol

 

I had the same squealing issue, and thanks to your posts and this forum, I was able to fix it just fine! Thank you all!

Is there any possibility of damage caused by driving with this problem? I did maybe 5-10 miles of driving with that squeal (I didn't really hear it until I was around 5 miles from home) and then I promptly turned around and drove sedately the rest of the way home. Thanks again!