Just Installed The New BBK Cold Air Intake...
01-28-2010, 07:59 PM
#41
I told Ford the same thing, and they are not charging me since I would not agree to it. They claimed the technician inspected the MAF and such, but they should have just told me it was running lean due to the CAI and left it at that.
I will say that the BBK tech responded within 5 minutes of me emailing them about the problem, which is pretty nice. They have some things for me to check out when I get home tonight.
And, unfortunately, I'm in big government California and about a year ago the idiots in Sacramento banned AutoZone from providing the code reader service. The CA govt says they are not a "licensed repair shop", so they are not allowed to provide "diagnostic services". Nothing worse than an overbearing government with regulatory fever run amok. Tax, spend, and tell people what to do...
I will say that the BBK tech responded within 5 minutes of me emailing them about the problem, which is pretty nice. They have some things for me to check out when I get home tonight.
And, unfortunately, I'm in big government California and about a year ago the idiots in Sacramento banned AutoZone from providing the code reader service. The CA govt says they are not a "licensed repair shop", so they are not allowed to provide "diagnostic services". Nothing worse than an overbearing government with regulatory fever run amok. Tax, spend, and tell people what to do...
Just the concept of an aftermarket CAI means you are pulling in more air than stock, which in turn means you are running lean to a certain degree. Will still be harmful in the long run, as to how long, I don't know but you may want to consider the tune.
01-28-2010, 08:47 PM
#42
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Georgia
Posts: 6
CA gov't gotta put their nose in everything. Oh well, you could always get tunes and tuner and read your own codes
Just the concept of an aftermarket CAI means you are pulling in more air than stock, which in turn means you are running lean to a certain degree. Will still be harmful in the long run, as to how long, I don't know but you may want to consider the tune.
Just the concept of an aftermarket CAI means you are pulling in more air than stock, which in turn means you are running lean to a certain degree. Will still be harmful in the long run, as to how long, I don't know but you may want to consider the tune.
01-28-2010, 09:12 PM
#43
02-04-2010, 07:41 PM
#44
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Athens, Georgia
Posts: 297
This makes me wonder a few things. Is the engine really running lean? and if so does that mean that most tunes for our cars are running lean? i doubt it. i think it will simply make the computer think it is lean. my guess is the default setting for the O2 sensor is sensitive only to the stock intake and exhaust and have only have two setting, on and off. this is why most tunes will simply turn off the o2 sensors all together
anyway, back to my original question. what did bbk say?
Last edited by MoneyShot; 02-04-2010 at 08:08 PM.
02-05-2010, 12:29 PM
#45
1st Gear Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Washington
Posts: 117
BBK CAI - CEL lean codes
An update on my BBK CAI issue... Since my car was running fine, it's a new car, and then all of sudden the CEL came on 6 months later, something obviously changed with the status quo -- but what?
I figured the most likely culprit on a new car would be a dirty MAF sensor, since there were no loose hoses and it's unlikely for the rubber fittings/hoses to have gone bad on a 2009. And since it was both banks showing lean, it had to be some issue common to both banks. BBK just had me inspect loose hoses and such.
So I pulled the MAF sensor off and -- I was sorta glad to see this -- it looked dirtier than I would think it should. So I pulled out my can of CRC Mass Air Flow Sensor Cleaner and gave it a good cleaning, and put it back on the CAI. I also disconnected the battery to reset the computer. Then I took it for a 50 mile test drive... no more CEL! I've put on about a 100 miles now, and no CEL. The Stang definitely runs smoother now, too. I had 19k on the car, and about 9K on the BBK CAI.
My analysis:
An oiled filter "can" foul the sensitivity of the MAF sensor, and that's why the problem showed up 6 months later. The MAF sensor no longer recognized precisely how much air was passing by, so the computer fed less fuel than needed. It may or may not happen in any given usage of an oiled filter. This seems to be a bit of a "dirty little secret" with the manufacturers. Now I can't say for sure it was even the BBK CAI filter, since before I put that on I dropped in a K&N filter for a while. So it could have been either filter, or the combination.
I figured the most likely culprit on a new car would be a dirty MAF sensor, since there were no loose hoses and it's unlikely for the rubber fittings/hoses to have gone bad on a 2009. And since it was both banks showing lean, it had to be some issue common to both banks. BBK just had me inspect loose hoses and such.
So I pulled the MAF sensor off and -- I was sorta glad to see this -- it looked dirtier than I would think it should. So I pulled out my can of CRC Mass Air Flow Sensor Cleaner and gave it a good cleaning, and put it back on the CAI. I also disconnected the battery to reset the computer. Then I took it for a 50 mile test drive... no more CEL! I've put on about a 100 miles now, and no CEL. The Stang definitely runs smoother now, too. I had 19k on the car, and about 9K on the BBK CAI.
My analysis:
An oiled filter "can" foul the sensitivity of the MAF sensor, and that's why the problem showed up 6 months later. The MAF sensor no longer recognized precisely how much air was passing by, so the computer fed less fuel than needed. It may or may not happen in any given usage of an oiled filter. This seems to be a bit of a "dirty little secret" with the manufacturers. Now I can't say for sure it was even the BBK CAI filter, since before I put that on I dropped in a K&N filter for a while. So it could have been either filter, or the combination.
Last edited by VistaBlue09; 02-05-2010 at 12:45 PM.
11-06-2010, 10:20 AM
#46
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location:
Posts: 327
An update on my BBK CAI issue... Since my car was running fine, it's a new car, and then all of sudden the CEL came on 6 months later, something obviously changed with the status quo -- but what?
I figured the most likely culprit on a new car would be a dirty MAF sensor, since there were no loose hoses and it's unlikely for the rubber fittings/hoses to have gone bad on a 2009. And since it was both banks showing lean, it had to be some issue common to both banks. BBK just had me inspect loose hoses and such.
So I pulled the MAF sensor off and -- I was sorta glad to see this -- it looked dirtier than I would think it should. So I pulled out my can of CRC Mass Air Flow Sensor Cleaner and gave it a good cleaning, and put it back on the CAI. I also disconnected the battery to reset the computer. Then I took it for a 50 mile test drive... no more CEL! I've put on about a 100 miles now, and no CEL. The Stang definitely runs smoother now, too. I had 19k on the car, and about 9K on the BBK CAI.
My analysis:
An oiled filter "can" foul the sensitivity of the MAF sensor, and that's why the problem showed up 6 months later. The MAF sensor no longer recognized precisely how much air was passing by, so the computer fed less fuel than needed. It may or may not happen in any given usage of an oiled filter. This seems to be a bit of a "dirty little secret" with the manufacturers. Now I can't say for sure it was even the BBK CAI filter, since before I put that on I dropped in a K&N filter for a while. So it could have been either filter, or the combination.
I figured the most likely culprit on a new car would be a dirty MAF sensor, since there were no loose hoses and it's unlikely for the rubber fittings/hoses to have gone bad on a 2009. And since it was both banks showing lean, it had to be some issue common to both banks. BBK just had me inspect loose hoses and such.
So I pulled the MAF sensor off and -- I was sorta glad to see this -- it looked dirtier than I would think it should. So I pulled out my can of CRC Mass Air Flow Sensor Cleaner and gave it a good cleaning, and put it back on the CAI. I also disconnected the battery to reset the computer. Then I took it for a 50 mile test drive... no more CEL! I've put on about a 100 miles now, and no CEL. The Stang definitely runs smoother now, too. I had 19k on the car, and about 9K on the BBK CAI.
My analysis:
An oiled filter "can" foul the sensitivity of the MAF sensor, and that's why the problem showed up 6 months later. The MAF sensor no longer recognized precisely how much air was passing by, so the computer fed less fuel than needed. It may or may not happen in any given usage of an oiled filter. This seems to be a bit of a "dirty little secret" with the manufacturers. Now I can't say for sure it was even the BBK CAI filter, since before I put that on I dropped in a K&N filter for a while. So it could have been either filter, or the combination.
Thanks for the post here, I also have a BBK that I have had for about 6 months. Up to now no codes this last week a trip to New Orleans and back home the CEL came on. Went to check codes at Autozone and I got the MAF/lean code. So I'm going to clean the MAF and check for air leaks today see if that helps the situation. I really cant afford a tuner, so I hope this fixes the problem.
11-06-2010, 04:55 PM
#47
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location:
Posts: 327
not sure what to think, I took off the BBK CAI and cleaned it checked the MAF sensor which looked good, resealed the entire system put everything back together, let it warm up went for a drive took it back home turned it off, turned it back on reved it to 3k 3 times and the light came back on again. I removed the BBK system again put on the stock bucket and an hour later still no CEL. Any guess what I can do or did i just throw 200$ in garbage?
11-06-2010, 05:14 PM
#48
I would just run the stock box until you can afford a tuner. My BBK CAI threw a code after a month. Gains are minimal with just the CAI, the tune provides the majority.
From the original post found here
From the original post found here
While I applaud BBK's effort, their cold air intake is far from designed for a stock MAF calibration. The car will run lean like crazy without recalibrating for the difference in volume with that cold air intake kit. The tune is not only 100% necessary to make sure that air/fuel ratio and fuel trims are within spec, but it will enhance the entire driving experience.
Before/after will be night and day difference. Throttle response, power throughout the entire curve, etc. We eliminate the annoying throttle hang, slop in the automatic transmission and other factory driving quirks!
Get a tune!
http://www.americanmuscle.com/sct-x3...ash-tuner.html
Before/after will be night and day difference. Throttle response, power throughout the entire curve, etc. We eliminate the annoying throttle hang, slop in the automatic transmission and other factory driving quirks!
Get a tune!
http://www.americanmuscle.com/sct-x3...ash-tuner.html
11-11-2010, 09:36 AM
#50
6th Gear Member
I believe that the case for a tune on a no-tune-required CAI is a case-by-case.
The air flow/volume from the CAI on the stock tune is probably on the nat's azz of going out of spec and all it takes is some minimal parameter change to trip the CEL
I look at running a CAI w/o a tune like having sex with a rubber... It can be SO much better.
The air flow/volume from the CAI on the stock tune is probably on the nat's azz of going out of spec and all it takes is some minimal parameter change to trip the CEL
I look at running a CAI w/o a tune like having sex with a rubber... It can be SO much better.