I just installed a CAI about a week ago and my check engine light just decided to come on now. I checked it and it says system is too lean. I went back and checked all the couplings to make sure everything is tight and cleaned the MAF with crc electric cleaner. The check engine light isn't coming back on yet but it's idling odd and it feels as if im losing power at higher rpm's. So im a little stuck here and was wondering if anyone might now what my problem could be. Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

 

search.......theres a lot of threads about this problem. from what ive heard(ive never had this problem)you should unplug your battery for like 15min. and then drive the car normal so that the ecu can reset itself with the cai. if im wrong, someone please correct me. it sounds like the ecu just has to learn for the cai to work properly. did you unplug the MAF sensor when you installed it?

 

yeah, i unplugged the maf and put it down on a sheet while i was installing, so i assumed it got dirty from that or from the oil in the filter. So i cleaned the maf today and then let the car idle for 15 minutes, and drove it under 3k for 15 minutes. So far the check engine light has yet to come back on but its still idling odd, and if i rev it, the rpm's drop to about 500 after and the car seems as if it wants to stall. Plus i get a lot of shake in the motor when starting or turning off. I assume new motor mounts could help with that problem.

 

Yeah, disconnect your battery for 10 minutes so the ECU resets and relearns with the new intake. Once you reconnect it, let the car sit and idle for 10 minutes, then take it out for a drive. That'll most likely take care of your issue.

 

reset the ECU, the car isn't used to having a CAI on it so you need to clear the ECU and it'll relearn with the given changes.

 

^ Glad were all on the same page!

 

i love the thread title..
not co-operating!!

 

thanks for the advice, i reset everything and let it sit, and it seems to be alright. Still a slight idle problem when starting, seems as if it wants to stall but once it warms up, its fine. And i read in some other threads that people found their ra idling odd after cai so im not too worried about it.

 

keep in mind you should drive roughly 50 miles or more for your ECU to "finish learning" and that's when you'll be able to tell how it'll run.

 

well it looks like im going for a drive today, need to go get some winter tires anyways. Thanks for the tip.

 

I had da same problems but i driven 84 miles on it and does idle like it use too before when I first installed it was horrible like it was about to stall on me but my check engine light is on but its b cause da same day I installed my CAI I when to my friends muffler shop and did a Straight pipe in 2.5 with a resonator thats all.

 

Huuuuuhhhhhhwwwwhhhhaaaaat? English please...

 

sounds like punkskalar needs to take a course in ebonics lol

 

Thats weird,i've never had this problem and i've had my cai on for about 30k.

 

ok What I meant to say was that my CEL came one a couple of hours after I installed my CAI, but I dont know for a fact if its turning on because I got a full exhaust that day or cause of my CAI. But i have like 2 Spark Plug non foulers and the light turned off. BUT todAY for some apparent reason it turned on but my cousin told me I should clean the the MAS just to be sure.

BTW what do I use to clean the MAF with?