# snorkel air intake on beetle?



## ralstonracing (May 10, 2002)

Does anyone wnow what the snow snorkel is on a new beetle?
I have heard this before but don't remember what it is.
Just picked up an 03 2.0 for the wife and looking to mod it, no surprise there!
Please help .
b


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## drdave (Dec 3, 2002)

*Re: snorkel air intake on beetle? (ralstonracing)*

The intake snorkel is referred to as the 'snowbox' and removal is fairly easy. It is a restricitve intake pipe that removing it may/may not allow an easier intake air flow. Log on to BUGMOD.COM and follow the instructions listed there in the NB mod section.


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## 13minutes (Sep 8, 2002)

*Re: snorkel air intake on beetle? (drdave)*

If it is "restrictive", then why is it unclear whether it is beneficial?
I still don't see what's wrong with leaving it in if people are going to make statements like that. 
Hell, it is drawing air from the cooler fender rather than the hot engine compartment...and that's without "spending money" on ducting from *the same place that recommends removing something that already does that * .


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## CK98Beeetle (Oct 19, 2002)

*Re: snorkel air intake on beetle? (13minutes)*

The snow box is poorly made. I took it out on mine. You can see through it where the two sides are snapped together. I think its just a little something extra VW put on to either help mpg or to protect the airbox. It comes with a thick screen in the snowbox. I had nothing in mine, but some people have taken them off to notice a leaf or something cought in it. The intake after the box is off, is actually closer to the front grill. Still pulling in moderately cold air. After taking mine off, I have noticed a little boost. But a K&N and exhaust does a lot more. Just check the airfilter every now and then to make sure it was pulling in just air. I've driven through a lot of snow lately with no problems. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## blubuga (Jun 13, 2000)

*Re: snorkel air intake on beetle? (CK98Beeetle)*

Some of the older snowboxes had screens in them, I have heard the newer ones don't. The factory uses the box as a way to get air from the fender liner area rather than under the hood and the design quiets down the intake charge. When I replaced my snowbox with the Bugmod 3" ducting I noticed a difference in the responsiveness of my car.


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## pixelnexus (Nov 22, 2001)

*Re: snorkel air intake on beetle? (blubuga)*

i had to take mine off when I put my stock bumper back on. I left it off once everything was put back together. Haven't really driven around much to notice a difference, but then again, i think my stock DV is dying now that I've gone APR.


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## searocko (May 18, 2001)

*Re: snorkel air intake on beetle? (pixelnexus)*

I pulled mine out but not before logging block 120 on VAG-COM. No noticeable difference before or after and I didn't notice any change in responsiveness. I left it off as I was too lazy to pull the liner and put it back in. 
My .02.


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## blubuga (Jun 13, 2000)

*Re: snorkel air intake on beetle? (searocko)*

When you took yours out did you remove the piping back to the air cleaner box? Is air being drawn from the opening of the air cleaner or is there still an extension to get it out of the engine bay?
Do you have a chip, larger exhaust, or downpipe? 
I had upgraded all of that before I removed the snow box and added the 3" ducting. I had always wondered if the snowbox and ducting were restricting the gains on the other mods. If your car is still stock it is possible that the factory system flows fine for the amount of air being moved. 
If you are not stock then....


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## searocko (May 18, 2001)

*Re: snorkel air intake on beetle? (blubuga)*

No, I kept the piping that ends right behind the blinker. At that time I was stock so your assessment may be correct as to piping size and flow. 
I've since been chipped. It would be interesting to run with it back in to see what kind of gains the mod gives. I may just do that if I have the time.


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## blubuga (Jun 13, 2000)

*Re: snorkel air intake on beetle? (searocko)*

That may answer some questions as to if the snowbox is really restrictive or not. I didn't have time to run any logs before I took mine off and don't really want to put it back on to do so. If you end up testing that post the results, I would be interested to see that


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## BlueSleeper (Nov 9, 2002)

*Re: snorkel air intake on beetle? (ralstonracing)*

It is very restrictive for high boost situations. I thought I had a serious boost problem, my car would loose all bost at 6k+ rpms. After weeks of diagnostics and replacing parts, it turned out that the stage3 turbo was pulling so much vac that it was collapsing the intake hose (the one between the airbox and the turbo inlet pipe) to the point it was almost completely closed. I pulled out the snorkel and cut a larger opening in the airbox and ran a 3" hose to the left small grill portion of the front facia. Problem completely went away and I have tons more power 4k rpms and up. I had and still use a k&n panel filter with the stock airbox for those that are wondering.


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## blubuga (Jun 13, 2000)

*Re: snorkel air intake on beetle? (BlueSleeper)*

That makes sense to me. I don't have a huge turbo on mine so I wasn't as affected as you. After adding mods and doing Vag-Com runs I never seemed to gain as much as I thought I would. I kept thinking that the ducting before the air cleaner housing was probably limiting the amount of air I could pull through. After I switched to the 3" ducting the car felt much better. The problem was I made that change in the fall and didn't have time to do another Vag-Com run to check the change


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## Brown E (Mar 19, 2001)

*Re: snorkel air intake on beetle? (blubuga)*

Well I have no room for the bugmod snorkle whatsoever due to the FMIC pipe which runs in place where the airbox is. The only room there is is for the loose filter which sits there. IM thinking of going with what the beetle porsche has done..that hood vent.


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