i have a CAI and i put it in but now it smells like my car is running rich now. i have tried to relearn the ecu but i dont think it is working. what i dont get is that if it is running rich it means the ecu thinks there is more air coming in then there really is. there is no holes or gaps in the pipes anyone have any idea what might be going on? or how to fix it

 

All lancers run rich, very rich, from the factory. You have more air coming in but there's also a sensor that detects the amount of air coming in, called a MAF or Mass Airflow sensor that tells the ECU how much air is coming in. The ECU is probably just adding more fuel since it can sense more air coming in, hence why you are still rich. You could get either a piggyback or an Airfuel controller if you were serious about tuning and pull some of the gas going to your engine.

 

Your car will always run rich. Get a piggyback if you want to avoid that.

 

You may try to unscrew the bolt that's under the maf. It's covered by some sort of gel crap... Remove the gel, and take the screw out. If you have access to a wideband, see how much leaner you're running and let us know.

 

Little adjustments on that screw make big differences on the narrow band.

 

What Screw are we talking about. I have a A/F Meter and if i play with this screw my reading becomes alittle more accurate

 

it's not that your gauge is more accurate... it changes the amount of air that goes into the engine, and that air is unacounted for by the maf

 

Flip the MAS over and there is a blob of RTV on the bottom and you dig that out and there is a srcew/slug with a phillips head on it. It controls airflow in a channel that the MAS does not count.

 

do u completely unscrew it, as in remove it. or just loosen it?
is it easy to do?
(im a noob. lol)

 

Yes it's really easy to do. Since it requires a somewhat big phillips, you may find it easier to unscrew it with a flat head. Start by unscrewing it little by little and monitor your air/fuel. At some point before the piggyback I had it completely out but got a funky idle.

 

ok i will have a bash at it. I only got a stock intake right now, so its prob gonna be a hassel. I will only unscrew it a little bit and see how it runs. I will do as you say and do a little at a time, i wont unscrew it all the way though i dont think.

and this will let more air in right?

 

so if we're running rich from stock, that means we're getting poor Gas mileage? And by unscrewing this adjustable screw underneath the MAF it's going to lean us out just a bit? help fuel consumption? I'm about to put in a PIggyVer1....

 

Since you're a noob I think this would be a great opportunity for you yo learn a little more about your car. That the intake assy appart and look inside the maf. You'll see the screw we're talking about and you'll see how much more air you'll be letting in. It will also allow you to see howcome the maf won't be reading that air.

 

ok thanks. i appreciate the help. I def want to learn more about my car. Im waiting for my next few paychecks so i can start working on it. im getting a new intake, pully, muffler, strut bars, piggy back, rear sway bar....and the list goes on. Im gonna be doing all this over a long period of time obviously. lol.

but this is a good start for me.

 

awesome people thank you so much i didnt even know there was a screw there haha this is a great thing cuz i have not ever seen anything about this little screw on any forums i have looked at for intake stuff. hopefully it will help with the richness and also maybe get a hp out of it as well thanks everyone