[Jon]

Hi everyone! Just wanted to share my thoughts on the EC V4 intake after having it installed for almost a week now. If you aren't familiar with it, here's what we're talking about: EUROCOMPULSION® FIAT 124 SPIDER/ABARTH V4 AIR INDUCTION KIT

Install
Install was about as easy as you'd imagine with it being right at the front of the engine bay. I'm 6'3" with decent sized hands, so there was one part that had me nervous that involves reaching down behind the ECU to remove a hose clip, but a long flat head screwdriver made it easy once the big, stupid stock airbox is out of the way.
EDIT 6/17/21: This was written five years ago. EC has updated the design of their EVAP hose connection system for easier installation and some of my notes no longer apply. Please contact EC directly with any questions.

I ran in to one non-issue during install, and the EC team was quick to follow up with me.

Driving Experience
It works! I've generally been dismissive of the value of intake systems in the past, but Fiat has managed to design a system that absolutely warrants an upgrade. The stock system is very restricted, and EC seems to have gone the other way by using the widest silicone pieces they could. I was surprised how big the air filter was when I first opened the box. This thing looks like it can move some serious air and is very high quality.

When I first installed it, I went for a top-down drive to listen for any changes. Driving at or near full-throttle, there's now a nice, subtle turbo whistle as RPMs climb and a light flutter as you let off. It's definitely not loud, since it's still a closed intake system as opposed to their V2, but it's a nice change on top-down days listening to the engine. With the top up or any music on, I haven't noticed it.

However, I bought it for its functionality. The car feels like it's more confidently able to get going at low RPM's (driving in my parking garage, traffic), and it definitely breathes better wringing the engine out. It's not a crazy gain of course, but the butt dyno absolutely says it works. I also think that this intake is a fantastic foundation for further modifying the car in terms of higher boost levels down the road, but that this intake alone, or this with an exhaust system would be great mods to do together. I would also bet the V2 sounds amazing!

Overall, I'm totally happy that I got this. I'm happy to answer any questions. I attached a photo of the engine bay after install.

 

[ItsyBitsy]

Don't suppose you have the dyno chart after the intake install?

 

[GarchingS54]

And it looks d.a.m.n good.

 

[Jon]

Don't suppose you have the dyno chart after the intake install?

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to perform any measurements myself, given the nature of how these cars act on dynos. I've attached a dyno chart directly from EC that, if my memory serves, has the best runs for each of their intake systems lined up against the best stock run.

I didn't get a photo of inside the stock piece that runs from the air box to the turbo, but if you've never taken it off to look inside of, it's a f***ing joke what it constricts down to and how many plastic pieces are sticking out inside that tube to disrupt air flow. If anyone has ever had surgery on a deviated septum, imagine how much better you could breathe after, but for your car.

 

[Greg]

I really suggest than anyone serious about upgrades and measuring power purchase Auterra. It's not too expensive and it allows you to accurately measure power and do a lot of other things as well. For example it can read and reset codes, and you can use it to monitor any specific sensor on the engine.

In the case of our intakes, the V1, V2, and V4 give increases of about 5,7, and 10hp respectively. The actual numbers are a bit higher at some points in the curve, but those number I mentioned are pretty representative of what they do throughout most of the rpm range.

Ten horsepower is enough to feel. Thus you do feel a big more power with the V4 and with the top or windows down, and certainly at full throttle you can hear some intake sounds. The V1 really doesn't given enough to feel, but the extra power is there, and it's a good product. The V2 is really aimed at people who want more noise, it's a good intake, but it's not really my cup of tea. I run the V4.

Greg

 

[GuidoVeloce]

...the V1, V2, and V4 give increases of about 5,7, and 10hp respectively. Greg

If you are going to be that exact about the performance of each intake based only on your dyno chart, I wish that you re-plotted it to remove the inconsistencies that I mentioned before. To be more precise, the chart seems to indicate 1) that V1 has more power than stock in region A - but that's impossible if the torques are the same at those RPM; and 2) that V3 and V4 are better than V1 because they provide more torque in B - which would be impossible if the power is the same at that RPM.
I am not doubting your claims or the quality of your products, I just wish for more consistency.

 

[Greg]

Hi Guido,

You are correct, but it's not my lack of consistency, those are the actual plots from the software. The data gets downloaded from Auterra and put directly into an Excel spreadsheet. Sometimes is does odd things with smoothing and rounding. We don't know why, but I do have an email into them to ask about it. It's also possible it has something to do with small amounts of slippage in the automatic causing up and down spikes that get averaged differently for hp and torque.

Greg

 

[[email protected]]

I believe it is due to slippage caused by the linkage with the Auto transmission. The software has sometimes done this when we've worked on the DDCT in the Dart and 500L (the Alfa Romeo 4C didn't seem to give this issue). The data is exported directly from Auterra, and there is no smoothing option or control on the scaling, it has its own formula for doing so. Perhaps with assistance from Auterra this is something we can fix in the settings for the dyno setup files, whatever calibration it is using as is doesn't seem to be as mathematically consistent as it is with the other cars (I suspect it may have to do with polling speed for the FWD cars vs. the RWD cars).

 

[Greg]

Guido,

I did hear back from Auterra on this question. Here is the test from the email.

"Hi,

​

It could be the smoothing algorithm at work. The noise from the vehicle sensors can be quite large and thus some math was applied to help smooth out spikes in the data. I implemented the algorithm so long ago I don't recall exactly how it works not without looking at the source code.​

​

Dave"


​

 

[purpledread]

Does using this void the warranty?

/Chris

 

[JFernald]

Does using this void the warranty?

/Chris

No.

 

[sl_austin]

No.

Care to elaborate what your response (opinion?) is based on?

I am considering the V4 upgrade myself, and warranty considerations play into it.

Thx, S

 

[Greg]

I can help some. First of all, warranty issues are covered by the "Magnuson Moss Warranty Act" (MMWA). You can google it for detailed information.

The short version is this. In the old days, if you changed anything on a car, the dealer could use that as an excuse to deny any warranty claim. They would do ridiculous stuff, like claim your aftermarket wheels on your Olds 442 caused your differential to fail. Or claim that your ball joints failed because you were running radial tires (I have actually seen that one!).

The MMWA changed that. Now they can only deny the claim if they can show that the mod cause the issue. For example if your aftermarket wheels have more offset and your wheel bearings fail they can deny the claim because those two things are clearly related. However if your radio fails, they can't blame that on the wheels and thus will have to honor the claim.

In the case of a intakes I haven't heard of any denied claims in the Fiat world, and certainly not with any of our intakes. The intake actually makes things easier on the engine and turbocharger so even if something did break, which just about never happens on these engines, it really couldn't be blamed on the intake.

A big part of this is avoiding problems in the first place. For the most part, Eurocompulsion products are designed with warranty preservation in mind. Now of course there are some exceptions. If you bolt up our big 1752 turbo, camshaft and fully exploit those with supporting mods, the dealer is not going to honor a warranty claim relating to engine operation. However with things like intakes, exhaust and most typical mods, it's not an issue.

Greg

 

[Drew]

Greg, thank you for stating what you believe to be the issues with warranty. i plan to take a conservative approach to tune my Abarth with a flash option that does not leave a physical foot print. When do you think that EC will have a product for my Abarth? I'm still waiting, I have a VIN and expecting it to arrive in Maryland any day now and then a couple weeks by rail to Minnesota.

 

[RBH58]

I know of a couple of people in Aus that had warranty claims denied due to chip tunes. One with Subaru on a WRX breaking a gearbox (eventually negotiated down to covering 80% of the cost) and another with a dropped valve on an Alfa (that required a full rebuild) that went nearly got to court before Alfa relented and "acted in good faith"..but the car was off the road for 6 months whilst they argued. Neither car was appreciably modified beyond being chipped and intake mods. So you take some chances with mods.

 

[JFernald]

I know of a couple of people in Aus that had warranty claims denied due to chip tunes. One with Subaru on a WRX breaking a gearbox (eventually negotiated down to covering 80% of the cost) and another with a dropped valve on an Alfa (that required a full rebuild) that went nearly got to court before Alfa relented and "acted in good faith"..but the car was off the road for 6 months whilst they argued. Neither car was appreciably modified beyond being chipped and intake mods. So you take some chances with mods in Australia.

fify

 

[RBH58]

I'm sure you can do what you like in the "Land of the Free" with no problems.

 

[JFernald]

I'm sure you can do what you like in the "Land of the Free" with no problems.

"Innocent until proven guilty" is what gives us more freedom to modify our cars in anyway we want as long as we don't cause the car to be inherently dangerous to the public when driven on public roads. Each state has different requirement, but very few impose the kind of restrictions you seem to have.

 

[RBH58]

Car manufacturers just try to apply the letter of the law to weasel out of whatever they can. They don't always get away with it, but they'll try it on.

 

[kpoling]

Car manufacturers just try to apply the letter of the law to weasel out of whatever they can. They don't always get away with it, but they'll try it on.

On intakes, before I bought the V1 I asked the service people at the dealer her if there were warranty issues and they stated with intakes there were none and, in fact, a number of techs there had modified their 500s (mostly with stuff from 500madness). On the subject of piggy back systems and chips they said it was more of a grey area but there would "probably" not be a problem if it was a quality product.