What Is An Air Intake Resonator?

Your air intake resonator reduces the noise from your engine and increases your car’s horsepower and RPMs.
Written by Patrick Price
Reviewed by Melanie Reiff
background
An engine air intake resonator is a critical component in your car’s intake system. It reduces air pressure in your engine, improves RPMs, and muffles the noise caused by your engine. 
A lot of people believe that the air intake resonator’s only purpose is to reduce the noise made by your car while it’s running. While this is one function of the resonator, it’s far from its only purpose. 
Here to explain what an air intake resonator is, what it does, and how it works is
Jerry
, the
trustworthy super app
for
car insurance
savings. Read on for everything you need to know about your car’s air intake resonator—and how to find the best car insurance to keep your car running smoothly.  
Don't get ripped off!
Estimate repairs near you with GarageGuard™ for free so you KNOW the fair price
No spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms
No spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms · No fees
icon4.717k Ratings
5M+Drivers Joined
7M+Cars Garaged

What is an air intake resonator?

In the simplest terms, an air intake resonator or “air intake resonator box” is a chamber or opening built into a car’s intake pipe. Essentially, it's not much more than a wide spot along the intake pipe that creates an opening or expansion chamber to reduce the air pressure in the engine.
Car resonators come in two typesin-line resonators and side-branch resonators. In-line resonators are part of the main track of intake piping, and they look like a sudden bulge or bellying of the pipe. Side-branch resonators, by contrast, are slight divergences in the main track of the intake pipe. 
The two types of resonators may look a bit different, but their functions are exactly the same

What does an air intake resonator do?

An air intake resonator’s box is meant to reduce pressure wave harmonics in your engine. While that may seem like a lot of industry lingo, it’s actually very simple. 
Basically, when air enters through your cylinder head’s intake port, excess air is let loose to bounce back and forth through your car’s internal systems. This creates sound waves called harmonics. These waves put pressure on various engine components, reduce RPMs, and inhibit your horsepower.
The air intake resonator serves to ensure that your car’s engine still works at capacity. It gives those pressure waves a place to expand and partially dissipate, resulting in a quieter, but significantly more powerful, engine. 
A lot of car owners assume that the resonator reduces horsepower and acts as a muffling tool, but as explained above, it actually does the opposite. While it does make the car quieter, it actually maximizes the horsepower and efficiency of your vehicle. 
MORE: What’s the difference between horsepower and torque?

How to save money on your car insurance

Your air intake resonator box helps you get the most out of your car’s performance, so why not make sure you get the most out of your
car insurance
policy as well. 
Shopping for car insurance and comparing quotes is the best way to save money on the coverage you need, but shopping for quotes can be a major hassle. Luckily,
Jerry
, the car owner’s super app, is here to do it for you. 
Jerry will pull and compare customized quotes from the nation’s top name-brand insurance providers. From those, the very best deals will be sent directly to your phone
All you have to do is choose the policy that works best for you! Jerry will handle all the paperwork and hassle of getting your new coverage set up and your old insurance canceled! 
The whole process only takes a few minutes but it saves drivers an average of $800+ per year
“As a young person who owns a sports car and a high-end sedan, I couldn’t find quotes below a certain threshold. By using
Jerry
, I managed to find full comprehensive coverage on both vehicles and saved $150 a month!” —Channing Y.
Are you overpaying for your car insurance?
Compare quotes and find out in 45 seconds.
No spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms
No spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms · No fees
icon4.717k Ratings
5M+Drivers Joined
7M+Cars Garaged

FAQs

No—that’s a common misconception. Actually, the opposite is true. The air intake manifold improves your horsepower by reducing pressure on your engine and increasing RPMs.
No—removing your air intake manifold would cause numerous performance issues and drastically reduce your horsepower.
Estimate your repair costs for free with GarageGuard™
Simplify your car maintenance with Jerry.
Try GarageGuard™

Easiest way to compare and buy car insurance

√
No long forms
√
No spam or unwanted phone calls
√
Quotes from top insurance companies
Find insurance savings