Reply to “AEM intake = engine fire” Post

[AEMTech]

When installing ANY aftermarket equipment, a great deal of responsibility falls upon the shoulders of the installer. Improperly installed equipment may not only cause damage to the vehicle, but in extreme cases may compromise the safety of the vehicle’s occupants. It has always been AEM’s recommendation to refer the installation to a qualified professional in cases where the vehicle owner is not qualified to perform the installation personally.

When properly installed, AEM p/n 21-425 cold air intake kit for the Dodge SRT-4 will outperform the competition in looks, durability, and performance for the life of your vehicle.

When this incident was brought to AEM’s attention, we were obviously concerned. An SRT-4 was brought in immediately and a kit was installed to see how likely it is for such an accident could occur (if at all). Our findings reinforced our belief that when properly installed, AEM p/n 21-425 poses little to no threat of coming into contact with the positive battery terminal and causing a short circuit. The installation instructions included with the intake kit clearly state in step 2h, “Make sure neoprene rubber adhesive clears the positive battery terminal. Make sure the (+) post protector on the battery is not damaged, cracked, or melted. If any of the conditions exist, you must replace before installation. You should have at least 1” of clearance.” (Fig. 1)


Fig. 1) Step 2h on page 6 of AEM installation instruction manual p/n 10-7025 for 21-425 Dodge SRT-4 Cold Air Intake Kit.

During our test fit on a 2003 Dodge SRT-4, we performed both a worst-case and a best-case scenario. There is approximately 1” of side-to-side adjustment in the battery tray once the battery tie-down is loosened. All of the SRT-4’s that have come through AEM have had the positive battery terminal bolt installed from the passenger side, facing towards the driver’s side. We flipped the bolt around for the worst-case scenario. We also pushed the battery all the way towards the passenger side of the vehicle to minimize clearance. As illustrated in Fig. 2, even at worst–case conditions, there was still approximately ½” of clearance. Note: Battery terminal cover and adhesive backed neoprene pipe insulation have been removed for illustration purposes ONLY.


Fig. 2) Worst-case clearance. Battery pushed to passenger side, terminal bolt flipped backwards. Approximately ½” of clearance remains.

To simulate engine movement, we shook the pipe by hand with more force than would ever be generated during normal (or abnormal) driving conditions. We moved the intake transversely across the engine bay (opposite normal engine movement), trying to make the intake touch the battery terminal. We could not make them touch even at worst-case clearance.

View the video here: aem_srt02.mpg


To simulate a proper installation and best-case clearance scenario, the battery terminal bolt was flipped back around to come in from the passenger side. The battery was also pushed all the way to the driver’s side to maximize clearance. This installation left over 1 3/8” clearance between the battery terminal and the intake pipe. (Fig. 3)


Fig. 3) Best-case clearance. (Proper installation) Battery pushed to driver side, terminal bolt installed as received from Dodge. Approximately 1 1/4” of clearance remains.

This configuration was then tested to see if the battery terminal and intake pipe would touch during engine movement. As expected, there was no contact.

View the video here: aem_srt01.mpg

AEM has and always will stand behind our products 100%. We have determined that this unfortunate incident was caused by improper installation, and have no plans to revise the p/n 21-425 Dodge SRT-4 cold air intake kit. We are in the process of sending both our neoprene insulating material and factory Dodge battery terminal covers to an independent testing lab to determine exactly how much force is required to break through both. We will keep everyone updated on the results. Thank you to our customers for their continued support. Please take a moment to check that your intake is properly installed.