Any of you guys that have installed an aftermarket intake on your 2004 F150 such as airraid or K&N had any problems? I have been told you have to buy a programmer if you install an after market intake, some say that have had a check engine light come on cause being too lean, is this true? thanks for the help, I'm debating on installing a K&n or air raid system on my 04' with dual exhaust.

 

Not more than a couple of days ago there was a post about this. If you search for it I'm sure you can find it.

 

You do not need a programmer.
A programmer will give you better results than an intake.
There is a modest power gain from the best intakes. Only one or two models have thrown CELs. Mostly the AF1 and only on some models. It is not likely that you will have the problem, but faintly possible.

Buy a good programer and then, if you have lots of excess cash, get the intake.
Chris

 

what motor do you have? the 4.6 will be fine but the new three vavle is the one that has been leaning out.

 

I installed the Airaid and I like it. You really don't notice it until you stomp into it. I had the CEL come on, but that was with the original intake tube. I called Airaid and they sent out the updated tube and everything was fine.

 

Cool, I have the 4.6 liter V8 engine. Aren't those programmers pretty expensive?

 

I've bought and sold them for around 200 bucks. I have used the Superchips and the Diablo. Both are solid. You can buy them new or used. On e-bay, the classifieds here, even local recycler/pennysaver/greensheet type places.
You will get a lot more bang for the buck with any of the popular tuners than with any of the intakes.

On intakes, I have seen very little improvement with 4.6 engines with intake changes. There is more gain on the 5.4.

The tuner changes the whole feel of the truck. The intake makes minor changes, usually at full throttle.
The biggest improvements from tuners are in the shift settings. You can improve the shift 'feel' with ease.
If you choose to use the premium setting on a tuner there is a substantial power improvement.

Chris

 

I installed an Airaid on my 04' 5.4 about 4 months ago. It takes some getting used to. It is kind of loud at full throttle. The truck really seems to come on at 3500 rpm. It is kind of hard to tell as my last vehicle was a 02' lightning. The kit is fairly expensive for the performance gain. I just make sure to clean the filter more often than recommended. Usually every other time I change the oil. I am also thinking of getting a programmer or a supercharger.