Product FAQs

How does this snorkel differ from the first generation?

The most notable change between the two generations is the larger, 4” air inlet pipe diameter. The second generation Snorkel provides substantially more airflow than our previous generation Snorkel. 

Is the AEV Snorkel just for deep water crossings?

That’s the popular perception, but snorkels actually do much more. In dry or dusty areas like the Southwest, dust is actually a bigger hazard to your air intake than water or at the very least a more persistent issue. Dusty conditions can wreak havoc on your air filter, choking your engine and reducing performance. 

What water depth can I safely cross using the AEV Snorkel?

Jeep’s official testing and marketing materials state that the JK can slowly traverse water up to 30-inches deep. If you lift your vehicle and install larger tires, you can effectively increase that number by the size of the lift plus half of the change in tire size. For example, if you went from a stock 32-inch tire to a 37-inch tire with 4.5-inces of lift, you could safely go through water 37-inches deep and still be within Jeep’s recommended limits. While the snorkel will provide plenty of dry fresh air for the engine, there are other things (electronics, axles, transmission, etc.) that will need to be protected from water if you intend to use the Jeep for deeper-than-recommended water crossings.

Why does the AEV Snorkel run outside of the vehicle and then go through a cutout in the hood? What’s the purpose of this design?

We took a bit of Jeep Heritage when designing the AEV Heat Reduction Hood and AEV Snorkel. The early M38A1 came with a small knock out panel in the side of the hood for a deep water fording kit that was used is some theaters of war. We took design inspiration from that and decided to have a notch in the hood and to run the snorkel body down the outside of the vehicle.

This not only gives it a purposeful, industrial aesthetic, but the design has many inherent advantages. Other snorkels first go down the fender to a hose and then back up to the air box. This creates at least two leak-prone joints that are often actually lower than the stock intake was to begin with. The AEV Snorkel has no seams, no hoses, and no areas to leak. The other advantage of this design is that it is compatible all models of Wranglers – Gas, Diesel, Hemi, LHD or RHD.

Doesn’t rain get into the engine?

Not really. The Air-Ram is designed so that incoming rain will hit the back wall of the Ram and then get channeled into carefully designed drains. This is a critical design feature and one that shouldn’t be ignored. Should a small amount of water ever make it through the snorkel, it will collect harmlessly in the bottom of the air box.

I’ve heard plastic snorkels won’t take a beating off-road, is that true?

Nothing could be further from the truth. Cross-linked polyethylene is virtually indestructible. It’s what whitewater kayaks, bulldozer bushings, and cutting boards are all made out of.

Do I need AEV’s Hood to install the Snorkel?

No, the AEV Snorkel is designed to be installed with either the stock hood or the AEV Heat Reduction Hood. When installing a Snorkel with the stock hood, the hood will need to be trimmed. A trimming template is provided and it is a relatively simple operation.

When installing with an AEV Hood, the side vent on the hood was designed to accommodate the Snorkel and no trimming is required.

What models will the AEV Snorkel work with?

AEV’s Snorkel is now available for ALL models of 2007+ Jeep JK Wranglers – domestic or export, 3.6L gas, 3.8L gas or 2.8L diesel, left or right hand drive.

Will the AEV Snorkel work with aftermarket fender flares or fenders?

The AEV Snorkel was designed to be used with factory fenders and factory fender flares. While the AEV Snorkel seems to work with most aftermarket fender flares, we have seen fitment issues with some of the oversized flares that sit higher on the body, such as Bushwacker "Pocket Style" fender flares. Some customers have successfully trimmed these flares to make that combination work, but we strongly encourage doing some independent research before purchasing.

What’s the installation time?

If you have the AEV Heat Reduction Hood, the install will take approximately 45 minutes. With the stock hood, you should budget about 2 hours, allowing extra time to trim the stock hood.

Where is the AEV Snorkel manufactured?

The AEV Snorkel is proudly manufactured in Detroit, MI.

I have seen AEV Snorkel cheap online, are these legit?

If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Our Snorkel has been copied by unscrupulous manufacturers in Indonesia, Puerto Rico and China, but you get what you pay for. While our molds are CNC cut from math data, the counterfeits use one of our parts as a pattern or plug to create their mold. The problem with that is that our mold takes into account part shrinkage during the cooling process, and so our mold is slightly larger than the part needs to be. By using a finished part as the basis for their mold, they will end up with a dimensionally imperfect part. It’s also a sloppier manufacturing process that will lead to a sloppier part.

The authentic AEV parts use only high density, cross-linked polyethylene which is UV stable and very strong. The copies are typically either made from a low density linear polyethylene, which is not UV stable and not nearly as strong, or from cheap fiberglass, basically a movie prop with lots of Bondo.

And then of course there are the legal and moral issues involved in stealing and copying someone else’s design. When you buy genuine AEV parts, you help buck the offshore manufacturing trend and support American jobs and American workers.