Simota Cai Issues

[ZoomVT]

I need some help guys. here is the detailed situation.
-Simota CAI installed Saturday 5/13.
-I have 1 question about my installation. There was a 3rd sensor that was hooked up to the stock box, but this sensor was connected to a very small 1 or 1 2/2 inches hose that went nowehere and it was just hanging. This was connected to the stock airbox by a small bolt. I forgot about that sensor and when i started the car i got a CEL. I remembered that sensor, unhooked it from the stock box and connected it to the sensor; Since it was hanging, i just place it in the flange on the intake pipe in the meantime as i was trying to find a better place for it. Anyone can tell me for sure what this sensor is for? ALso, what is the other sensor (not the MAF, the other)?
-Yes, i pulled the cables off the battery box so there are not being pulled or tight.
-Yes, i cleared the CEL after properly installed

Here are the issues im having:
-Tuesday 5/16, i am starting from a dead stop; i got a little heavy on the gas so it was sort of a launch. I got a CEL. I wasnt sure what happened since this specific time i was turning left and hit a small bump and got some wheel hop when this happened. At that point i though maybe a cable was loose (heard all this stories about the MAF). Pulled over right away and nothing was loose or disconnected. I was away from home so i got home and disconnected the battery to clear the CEL.

-Friday 5/19. I am at a light, and get a little heavy on the gas again. this time i am going straight. Again, it is sort of a small launch, and i get a CEL but i also experienced no power at all, so instead of a launch it ended up being a slow start off the line. I cleared the CEL and no problem after.

-Today, Monday 5/22. I go to my garage, get in my car (dome lights are on, dash is illuminated). Tried to turn the key, all usual lights go on (Battery, oil, seatbelt, etc) and then nothing, car is dead. lights dont go on, ignition doesnt click. there is absolutely no power going into the car. I open the hood and i was going to check the battery connection (i thought maybe it was loose? very doubtful but no clue what else it could be). So i get the plastic cover off and everything looks fine. I get into my car and there is power again, everything like normal. I try to turn the key and the car starts like nothing happened. I drive a block until a stop sign, at that point i try to down shift and as soon as i press the clutch the RPMs drop wicked fast to like around 500 (so the car almost stalled). After that everytime i am at idle the car drops RPMs to barely 600 when the normal is 750.
Now i had this similar expereince last summer when i put in HIDs, most people todl me it was ok to experience this when the ECU was reset.
SO i ignored it and it fixed itself after a while. The question now, is how come this didnt happen that first 2 times i reset it, and how come the car didnt start.

OTHER:
It has been raining here for at least 8 days. I have been extremely careful not to go in puddles or anything so i am 99.9% sure water is not my problem.

Please any help you can provide it would be great. If you had similar expereince with a CAI please chime in.
Thanks!

 

[kmfdMZ3]

well, cali is about to have some rain so i'll find out if i'm going to have the same problems as you. i don't know though, some of your problems sound like it wasn't cause by water being sucked in (mainly the part about your car not starting?) did you check your filter, since the stupid thing is so close to the vents, it might be soaked already and when you are launching a little, it might be sucking in the water? i tried to duct tape my vent, didn't really work =( gotta find another cheaper alternative.

 

[Solo2Protege]

There should only be 2 sensors, the MAF and the Barrometer sensor (thats the one with the small 1-1.5" hose)

If you cleared the CEL after plugging in the Barro sensor, then you may have another issue. You may need to scan the CEL and figure what exactly has tripped it.

I just helped install one last week and it all went just fine. Double check all clamps are tight and all pipes are inserted properly into the couplers.

 

[kmfdMZ3]

hey darryl, how close was the filter to the wheel well? zoom and i have ours almost touching the vents. i talked to another guy with a 3 with the same intake and his is like 4 inches or so away from his vents. im gonna take a look at the 2nd pipe again and figure out where i can bolt it so it isn't so close.

 

[ZoomVT]

ok this is where im confused.
you say and i thought there should only be 2 sensors but there are 3.
The MAF
The second one is where you have to use the hose to connect the piece from the pipe to the sensor using the stock plastic tip.
The thirs is this other sensro that wasnt connected to anything to begin with, it was just hanging off the stock box.
If i dont connect it i would have a wire hanging there not connected to anything.

 

[ZoomVT]

Yeah mine is at most 2 inches away from the vent.
I can check the clamps and hoses but i would have that CEL come up all the time if i had a leak.

 

[kmfdMZ3]

hmm...you have a pic of that third sensor zoom? i think that would help out a lot.

 

[ZoomVT]

yeah i wish i did.
i may go out with my phone and take a quick pic in a little while when work dies down a bit.

I would think its fairly easy for Mz3 owners to knwo what im talking about.
If you look at the engine, there are 2 wires with sensors coming from the side of it. one is the barometer, and the other one is the one im talking about.
to remove the stock box you had to also disconnect this sensor.
cause it was connected to the plastic hose coming right out of the TB

 

[kmfdMZ3]

hmm..i don't remember that third sensor, i have my stock intake in my trunk. i'll take a look at it and the tb to see if i have anything hanging around. hopefully it's not raining hard

 

[ZoomVT]

you dont have a wire loose next to the engine?
i do even with the sensor hooked up.
i may be going crazy. if it wasnt raining i would go take pics right now.

 

[kmfdMZ3]

hmm..i'll do the same. the only things hooked up to the intake is the maf and the white plug with the blue base. i'll take pics when i get home weather permitting. 10dler was supposed to post pics on how his intake is setup with his filter being 4 inches or so away from his vents. i'm gonna ask him to email me the pics so i can post em.

 

[kmfdMZ3]

ok, here are my pics. all thats connected is the breather hose and MAF onto the intake. I don't know what the third one is supposed to be or what it looks like. You can also see how close my filter is too. The U bracket on the first pipe is being used to hold a hose in place. We took off that bronze piece and attached it to the bracket and attached it to the original hose it was holding. I dunno what else to say except I need to find a way to get my filter away from that vent.

 

[goldwing2000]

Pic 1: That's your throttle body. The wires going to it are what controls the opening and closing of your throttle plates. Not a sensor.

Pic 2: That's your PCV fresh air hose. Also not a sensor.

Pic 3: That's your MAF sensor.

Pic 4: Air filter (but I'm sure you knew that).

Pic 5: Not exactly sure what's being pictured here. If it's the sensor with the "hose to nowhere", then that's your baro sensor.

As far as the poor running, if you installed the intake without disconnecting the battery, it's possible that you zapped the MAF. More likely is that you just confused it and it may straighten out.
And yes, the low RPM after ECU reset is normal. Mine does it for almost exactly 100 miles every time I disconnect the batt.
Why didn't it do it the first couple times? No idea. See if it clears up now, though.

 

[ZoomVT]

Kmfd, my filter is defnitely not as close as yours. i have a lot more room between the vent and the filter. You have to just adjust the angle you are using for the bracket.

Goldwing, thanks for looking at this.
I guess i was referring to the barosensor, thats the one that goes nowhere. And i guess thats what the bracket is for in the pipe.
As far as the idling yeah i figured it would do that after reset the ECU, i was just confused why it didnt do it before. Also, i did not disconnect the battery when i did the change so you may be right and hopefully i didnt damage the MAF. Since the last CEL cleared it hasnt come up again but i have been very careful of not launching. Do you have any idea why the CEL came up those 2 times? What could be changing at that time? Does the fresh air hose have any effect? I wonder if it does since the hose is so long and i didnt want to cut it it may be flexing too much, buit i checked it and its fine.
Whats the baro for?

 

[kmfdMZ3]

yeah, it sucks. if i angle it away, the piping isn't straight anymore but oh well.

 

[goldwing2000]

Do you have any idea why the CEL came up those 2 times? What could be changing at that time? Does the fresh air hose have any effect? I wonder if it does since the hose is so long and i didnt want to cut it it may be flexing too much, buit i checked it and its fine.
Whats the baro for?

No idea about the CEL. If you didn't pull the code, there's no way to tell what caused it.

The fresh air hose shouldn't have any effect but that doesn't mean it doesn't. Sometimes things go strange when cars are involved.

The baro senses atmospheric pressure to help determine fuel mixture.

 

[Solo2Protege]

I would think all ya would need is to make a bracket to extend the already present bracket to move the filter away from the vents. The hose couplers will flex, but don't stress them too much or you'll lose that smooth airflow.

OR

K&N has some univeral filters with 90* mounting ends, so the filter would point straight forward. Just an idea, Hard to say if that could have any negative effect on performance....

 

[ZoomVT]

Im gonna check the hoses and clamps, as well as the fresh air hose.
Hopefully that ugly CEL doesnt show again.

 

[Kodiac 3]

http://www.msprotege.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=80135

^^^^^^^ how does that bracket part attach!!!!!???? the top of my intake just kinda hangs since there was nothing to screw it down to

 

[kmfdMZ3]

http://www.msprotege.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=80135

^^^^^^^ how does that bracket part attach!!!!!???? the top of my intake just kinda hangs since there was nothing to screw it down to

the kit came with a the bolt and nut. i just took that bronze piece off the stock airbox and attached it to the bracket and hooked it up to the original hose it was holding down.