CIA Bypass Valve

[SoCal Redline]

Anyone out there with a CIA have a bypass valve? I decided in Febuary of this year that I would never install a CIA on another vehicle without a bypass.... would you like to hear why? You asked for it.
The following is a tale of just plain stupidity.
An '03 Jetta. My girls first brand new car. Nothing special...2.0, n/a, automatic. For christmas I get her a matrix dual out muffler and an AEM CIA. It sounded nice and the mileage improved.
Then comes the rain. There is a drainage channel near our house that floods over the surface street in heavy rain. In the center it can get 18-24" deep. I know this because I drive my lifted F150 through there whenever it rains. Anyway, she leaves in the morning for work and I thought to myself "she wouldn't go that way it the rain", I was wrong. Two minutes later my mobile rings..."theres something wrong with my car".
Yup.. you guessed it... HYDRO-LOCKED!!!
After 4 oil changes and the plugs out for about 15 minutes worth of cranking the starter, the car came through unscathed.
Untill I decided to drive it one stormy night.
I took the car to a friends for a party. You know, your on empty and it kill you stop for gas, so you take the old ladies car... horrible solution. I left the party around 2 am and immediatly found a lowered eclipse to harrass, cuz thats what you do when you are full of liquid courage while driving a Jetta. I followed him through many watercrossings at the south flowing streets. Then cough, cough, dead. I didn't even try to turn the motor over... I knew what had happened.
Four hours, my grumpy ass old lady, and a grumpier tow truck driver later the car was home. I repeated my oil and plug routine from the first dive.
Something was different. Way different. Lots of steam in the exhaust. Very rough and an engine light. At the dealer for two weeks, They had all kinds of reasons it was messed up, granted I failed to mention that it had doubled as a submarine, twice! Finally, they blame the CIA and water. $3000 worth of headwork and various other work was needed.
I took it home. Disconnected the battery to reset the engine light, which surprisingly enough stayed off after that, and drove it to the closest Saturn dealer. By that time the steam was only noticable on start up from outside the car and as far as it running rough... you would never know unless you drove the car on a regular basis. They gave us what we owed no questions asked and we drove home in an '05 RL.
So the moral.... its only 50 bucks, but I was looking at alot more.

[pclear9061]

where does this bypass valve go?

[Vita]

you'll basically be turning the bypass valve into your new filter. with the K&N, the filter is up so high that you'd pretty much have to get into water above the wheel to hydrolock.

bypass valves aren't for boosted applications.

[pclear9061]

thats what i thought but i wasnt sure?

[Kirtsky]

So, I went to the Saturn dealer to look around and there was this great looking '03 Jetta...

Yeah, from what i could tell looking at the placement of the CAI on the K&N unit, you would have to go pretty deep or be ruinning through some pretty deep puddles at speed to get it in there...

[TXRLU]

I thought EVERYONE knew not to drive in DEEP water??? I wouldn't blame the CAI for your girlfriend driving through deep water. The car is only going to treat you the same way as you treat it. If you abuse it then expect it to fail no ifs, ands, or buts.

[zfactor]

those dont always work i have seen many cars come in here with them on and thier motors were shot from water and they said i dont know hoe it happened i have the bypass valve??? trust me they dont always work. and yes the k&n is WAY UP IN THERE you would literally have to go in water that is almost above your front tire to get it in there. i have it on mine no problems whatsoever!!!

[cavingman]

yea, driving through that much water with a cai isnt the cai's fault...

[dazednconfused75]

Damn, the Central Intelligence Agency makes bypass valves now! j/k

[XeroState]

haha, nice dazed. But yea, now some of the blame could be placed on the location of the CAI but most should go to the driver (no offence). I mean, I know a guy who had a focus and thought he could make it through a HUGE puddle. Needless to say it was deeper than he thought (it was literally about 6 inches below his window line where he got stuck) and yea, that was the end for that motor.