Welcome to the forum!

I've never heard of that brand of intake. Generally a tune adjustment is required to use a CAI on the Cruze. I have an Injen intake and it doesn't come close to rubbing. Do you have the piping oriented correctly?

 

Im sure I have the pipe oriented correctly, I followed the instructions very clearly. Trifecta told me to double check the cold air and reflash the tune in response to my CEL.

 

Umm. Ok. I'll take the bullet and say it. I'd try to return it, immediately.
The "CPT" intakes are about $100 cheaper than the known brand intakes. So ya...there you go

 

Im in the works of returning it, I should have simply bought the spectre cold air. Any chance the cheap short ram would work well?

 

And without a tune, even the cold air intake isn't going to do anything. Likewise with a short-ram intake. The engine wants to make a certain amount of power, it'll do so either way.

 

That's a good point. A lot of people don't understand that cars in the past 10 years or so are torque limited.

 

I'm running a K&N CAI on mine without a tune for over a year now thus far...love the sound...acceleration is quick & smooth...I ran K&N stock replacement air filters on my 2 previous Cruzes...never had a problem for more than 100,000 miles with oil spray or check engine codes....

 

Your running a K&N Short Ram Intake. K&N doesn't make a CAI for the Cruze. Your not getting a check engine light because the K&N intake doesn't move the location of the MAF sensor or change the velocity of the air going through it. I had a K&N for awhile. It sounds good but mine leaked at the factory elbow because it had a pinhole in it. So I just swapped the entire setup out for an Injen.