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What is this part for?

BJJGTI

Ready to race!
Location
On The Mats
I was in my GTI airbox and there is this plastic grill type part that sits under the stock air filter. Does anyone know what this is for?
 

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vidman

Ready to race!
I had the same sort of thing in my Octavia and was told it was to create turbulence in the airflow. I tried driving with it taken out and left in and never noticed any difference so put it back in.
 

TheSwede

Ready to race!
Location
Sweden, Halmstad
Car(s)
Golf7 Alltrack/Cupra
:).

My guess - it's an air intake muffler. Had one on my R before I swaped to a CTS intake.

Skoda/Audi/VW/Seat has it, if they have the same airbox TSI 2.0.

/Peter
 

BJJGTI

Ready to race!
Location
On The Mats
Thanks. Could it be some kind of "snow guard"? I don't quite understand what it would do other than protect the air filter from the impact of larger debris? If not that then perhaps part of the resonator to reduce harmonics or perhaps to create turbulence. I don't want to remove it if there is some negative effect on performance. Anyone know for sure what this is for?
 

AdamSheikh

Autocross Champion
Location
FLL
Car(s)
15 GTI | 24 RS 3
It is a hemholtz resonator for the intake to quiet things down slightly and remove "unwanted" frequencies. I took this piece out of my intake and like the subtly louder intake and turbo spool. No harm in removing it.
 

JasonD_C

New member
It is a hemholtz resonator for the intake to quiet things down slightly and remove "unwanted" frequencies. I took this piece out of my intake and like the subtly louder intake and turbo spool. No harm in removing it.

I think you're mistaken. It was my understanding that a helmholtz resonator is a void cavity, which actually is the void near the back left of the bottom half of the air box.

I believe that plastic piece is a snow guard and also intended to prevent larger pieces of debris from clogging up the filter. I also think that based on the angles of the baffles that it's designed to create even air pressure across the entire surface of the air filter. The even air pressure would prevent the section that is closer to the intake pipe on the left side from getting clogged up quicker than the rest of the filter, therefore prolonging the life of the filter and reducing it's need to be replaced.

^That's my over-analyzed engineering perspective on it, but it's hard to know its true purpose without speaking with the engineer responsible for its design. Or an engineer that's at least done R&D on forced induction intakes.

P.S. Sorry for reviving this thread, I just removed that plastic grill piece and wanted to see what that the general consensus was on its purpose.
 

BJJGTI

Ready to race!
Location
On The Mats
I removed it and have not noticed any perceptible difference in performance, response, fuel economy or sound, although such difference may in fact exist but outside my ability to detect it. Logically I think your theory on its function is reasonable.
 

JasonD_C

New member
I just drove around trying to do some hard pulls and I think the intake is slightly louder, but perhaps not in a good way. The induction sound seems to be a little bit more high pitched than before, but then again it could just be a placebo effect.

I noticed it most when in regular drive mode (not sport), starting from a full stop, giving it enough gas to shift to second and pushing to 3/4 throttle which would force the rpms to ~3500 and then it'd automatically shift to third and release the excess boost (which also seemed to be a slightly higher pitch).

I highly doubt there are any measurable gains, but I'd be curious to see the data from a boost gauge for before and after.
 

The Fed

Old Guys Rule
Location
Florida
It's possible it gives you .01 more MPG. Carmakers will do anything for that extra little improvement because it helps their overall CAFE numbers.
 
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