Why Does My Camaro Cold Air Intake Whistle?

We’ve seen feedback on some of the Camaro forums about a whistle people have noticed after installing a cold air intake. As the first company to develop and market a cold air intake for the Camaro, we wanted to clear the air on this issue.

The bottom line is this: Some cars, including the Camaro, have a whistle that occurs under moderate engine load. On the Camaro, the engine’s factory intake manifold is the cause of the whistle, not the air box, filter, or air tube from the cold air intake.

But we don’t want you to just take our word for it, so we’ve provided the video below.

2016 Camaro Air Intake Whistle

This video shows the testing we did on the Camaro to find the source of the air intake whistle. We put the car on our rear-wheel dyno, and with the factory air box in place, we removed the air filter and recorded the sound. At partial throttle, 38 percent to be exact, the whistle occurred. We then removed the factory air box and re-recorded the sound. In both cases, you can hear the whistle – either with the factory air box in place or without any air box installed.

The Whistle Is Less Noticeable With A More Restrictive Intake

You may wonder why you didn’t hear the whistling before installing a cold-air intake. It was there, but because the factory air intake is more restrictive, it reduces the volume of the whistle. Additionally, the air intake for the factory air box is mounted below the air box and draws air from low in the grille. The whistle will be more noticeable if you listen to the airflow near the factory air inlet.

Our cold air intake systems remove the airflow restrictions, allowing air and sound to travel better. That means any sound from the engine is much less restricted and more noticeable.

Selecting An Air Intake From Cold Air Inductions

At Cold Air Inductions, we build the best cold air intakes in the business. We take quality very seriously and thoroughly test every aspect of our cold air intake systems to ensure the best fit, finish, and performance. That’s why we could quickly and conclusively demonstrate that the factory intake manifold causes the Camaro’s whistle, not our cold-air intake system.

Our cold-air induction systems are designed to work for your specific vehicle, optimizing airflow with minimal turbulence. We focus on delivering a quality system that gives you more power, better fuel economy, and a good performance air-intake sound when you really lean into the throttle. Since 2004 we have manufactured the highest-quality air intakes in the industry, delivering real, measurable power increases. Check out our testimonials and customer reviews to see what people say about our intakes.

If you have questions about our cold air intake for the Camaro or any of our other products, you can contact us through the info on this link.