I bought an ABD Cold Air Intake for my 1st VW Rabbit a while back. It was a killer deal when the prices at the time were extremely high. When I installed it on my 2007 VW Rabbit, my “butt” dyno noticed that the throttle was responding easier. I also noticed that in the higher RPM’s it helped the car breathe more smoothly and it was easier to get to the higher speeds. Plus, it made the Rabbit sound more aggressive. Overall I was satisfied with my purchase. In a nutshell, let’s just say that I emptied a tank of gas pretty quickly once I installed it. Revving it up more than 3,000 RPM brought a smile to my face.

The 2007 Rabbit has 150 HP and 170 lbs of torque out of the box. The 2008 adds an additional 20 HP, bringing them to 170 HP and 170 lbs of torque. When I bought my 2008 Rabbit I installed the intake and still felt the same difference that I experienced in the 2007 Rabbit. So I knew the small gains from the intake were consistent for the Rabbits.

Of course the upgrade came with a price, my CEL (Check Engine Light) code lit up on my dash and the MAF (Mass Air Flow) sensor was being thrown because it was detecting more direct air flow to the throttle body. After I grew accustomed to the CEL on my dashboard I finally found a solution. In the 2.5 technical forum on VWVortex, a member was nice enough to contribute a design he made for the MAF sensor to disable the CEL without getting scanned or Vag-Com work. The MAF insert was then mass produced by 20squared.

If any Volkswagen Rabbit owners are reading this post, I suggest you guys getting an aftermarket intake if you’re interested in modding your cars. The air flow on the stock intake is ridiculous and isn’t direct. First it channels through the front, then it flows through your engine cover and down to the throttle body. If you guys already have the intake but still have the CEL I suggest getting the MAF insert. I’ve had the insert for about 15,000 miles and the CEL never came back up on the dashboard. It might seem a bit expensive but you get what you pay for. Plus, I’m sure you can probably find someone who is parting out their car since now there’s a small, but growing, used parts market for the MkV Rabbits.