I litterally JUST installed a cold air intake I bought on eBay... and I have a few questions that concern me.

1. In some Catera pictures I'm seeing on here - the plastic tubing that the chrome part of my intake connects to is BENT. (So on MY Catera, my air intake is now hanging horizontal where OTHER Cateras on here have the air filter/intake curved down.) Is this bad, or is my part where my intake slides in different since mine is a 2000??? Hopefully you understand what I'm saying.

2. I didn't notice a huge difference in the sound of my engine, and that's what I was hoping for. You can tell I'm not a "car guy," - any advice? The intake I just bought was $55 off eBay - I mean is it not too great because it was cheap, or was it just not intended to be loud and obnoxious?

3. The FRONT "SNORKEL" as some of you called it, (behind the grill,) - I COULD NOT REMOVE. There's a star screw that I honest to god COULD NOT reach by any means, so I left the snorkel as is... but it's not connected to anything since I removed my filter box for the cold air intake. What is your advice for this? Should I leave it considering it's not functioning anyway, or should I saw off the screw I can't reach to pull it off??

*Thanks.

should look something like this when installed
http://todd.bluesubmarine.org/Cadillac/DSCN8363.jpg

you should notice a much different sound when you floor it. if you want more sound, consider removing your resonators.

jsut leave the snorkel. no point in sawing anything on the car off.

Thanks man - that's exactly what my intake's looking like now... One last question for you though. Is it ok for the intake itself to just 'hang' like that? Do you think I should make some kind of harness - or is it fine just tightened into the OEM hose? Also - what are the resonators and are they easy to remove? Are they harmful to remove? Thanks a ton -

yeah thats actually a old picture from when i had first installed it. i've since used some zip ties to secure it in place.
http://todd.bluesubmarine.org/Cadillac/DSCN9760.JPG
resonators are part of your exhaust system. there are 2 of them. they are right after the catalytic converters and before the muffler. if you go to any exhaust shop they will be able to cut them out and put in just straight pipes in their place.
http://todd.bluesubmarine.org/Cadillac/DSCN2053.jpg
http://todd.bluesubmarine.org/Cadillac/DSCN2368.jpg

that screw you cant get to (behind the bumper) i just pulled on the tube and the ring around the screw broke but i moded my air intake tube and its still on with 2 srews check out this link

http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/cadillac-catera-cimarron-forum/103578-new-mod-very-simple.html

todd2fst4u, something that has been bugging me for a while, what you refer to as the resonator, the shop manual says these are the actual mufflers... the resonator is actually at the rear of the car, before the tail pipes.

Sorry just trying to make sense of the shop manual and what we discuss here.

Yea i have heard that too Resilient whats the difference? muffler vs resonator?

Just looking I thought those where the mufflers to and the single resonator was the one in the back.

I have been looking at some of these cold air intakes. I was considering getting one for the 3.2L. It looks like it would work fine as far as the fit goes and it has a little housing to direct the air more around the filter.

Here is a picture of what I was talking about.

30394

I guess I thought it just looked a little cooler. In the end I may end up going the cheaper route.

http://todd.bluesubmarine.org/Cadillac/DSCN8363.jpg


*BRAINSTORM*

- Look at this picture above. The intake you put on, (with the filter,) - is hanging to the left like everybodys from the other hose. I brought up the concept of a harness because in my car anyway, I don't like how the intake just slumps over with nothing to support... so looking at THIS picture above, I had a simple idea I thought I'd share.

Step 1. ZIP TIE the radiator hose next to the intake to the side of your car. The perfect spot to connect the zip tie is a small hole where the ORIGINAL FILTER BOX once mounted. It's on the wheel-well - it's where the filterbox was held in place, no screw hole - it's just a small hole that the filterbox had notches for to position it level. You'll know what I'm refering to when you look. This takes care of the hose NEXT to the intake problem...

Step 2. ZIP TIE the lower portion of the intake to the hose BEHIND the intake itself. This is hard to explain, but if you look at the picture above again - you can follow me here. DON'T ZIP TIE ANYWHERE ON THE NEW CHROME PART OF THE INTAKE - just Zip Tie lower where the black original hose is... below the bend. You'll need a long zip tie - because my idea is to rap the other end of the tie around the black hose directly behind it. You know - the 2 big hoses in the engine itself, smack dab in the middle. I don't know the name lol - but it's an idea. Any problems with it?

Yea i have heard that too Resilient whats the difference? muffler vs resonator?

"Since a muffler cannot reduce the noise of the engine by itself, some exhaust systems also have a resonator. Resonators are like little mufflers, and are usually the "straight through" type. They are added at the end of the exhaust system to take care of any noise that has made it through the muffler. The muffler quiets the noise of the exhaust by "muffling" the sound waves created by the opening and closing of the exhaust valves."

http://www.innerauto.com/Automotive_Systems/Exhaust_System/Resonator/

good here also
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/muffler4.htm

Good stuff very interesting

Steinmetzcatera (a while back) had told he had mounted the following replacement resonator-muffler for the tail end.

http://www.magnaflow.com/02product/s...e=main&id=1080 (http://www.magnaflow.com/02product/s...e=main&id=1080)

If this helps...

link would not work

http://www.magnaflow.com/02product/shopexd.asp?zone=main&id=1080

This one does...