CAI Problem

[SuPeRioN81]

I've had a CAI in my Vibe GT for a little over a year. Yesterday I changed my air filter, fairly routine job. I have done it before. Anyways, now my check enging light is on, the car fluctuates revs from .5 to 2, and while I am driving at around 3000 rpms, the car starts to jerk, kinda like it's going to stall, but it doesn't. And sometimes when I get to a stop light, the car just shuts off or comes really close to shutting off until I give it a bit of gas and then it's ok. I checked everything, I didn't disconnect anything, all I did was change the filter. I am really bummed out because of this. Any ideas on what the problem could be?

[Vibealicious]

I am assuming since this is a CAI that you are using a reusable cone-type of filter. If that is the case, then you must have to oil the filter, correct? Since you didn't do anything else mechanically I would think that you just have way too much oil on the filter and it is impeding the airflow to the engine. Do you think that this is happened? If so, you can just clean the filter with the K&N recharge kit and reapply a less amount of oil.Hope that helps...and that's all I can think of.

[ragingfish]

Might be too little oil too...I'd say, as vibealicious said, reclean with the kit and reoil...If dirt got in there and is clogging the MAF, perhaps that's screwing you up...

[MadBill]

It's also possible for excess filter oil to get carried through the system and contaminate the MAF sensor. (or for the sensor wiring or a vacuum hose getting dislodged during service.)

[SuPeRioN81]

so I should just clean the filter and recharge it? Where do I get a K & N recharge kit from?

[Raven]

Most auto supply stores should have them for about 15 bucks. Pep Boys, Autozone etc.

[Vibealicious]

Madbill and ragingfish make a good points. If you did have too much oil on the filter it is possible that it got sucked into the tube and got on the MAF sensor. If that happens you would have to clean that as well. Now, don't take me at face value on this, but I believe that you can use a carb cleaner to clean it. Do a search first on here and make sure that is correct.So - what I would do is go to any auto store and get the K&N recharge kit. Clean the filter correctly, let it dry fully, and then reapply the oil. Get the kit with the aerosol type of oil as opposed to the kind you swab on. You only need to do one pass and the K&N oil is colored red so you can see where you have already applied it to on the filter. If the problem persists after the reclean, then take out the MAF sensor and clean that. Just make sure you get good advice on what to clean it with as I do not know for sure if you can use carb cleaner. And be CAREFUL with that thing. It is fragile and if you break it I believe a new one is like $175 and I doubt it will be warrantied.

[SuPeRioN81]

Okay, so I did all that you guys suggested to do except for trying to clean the MAF sensor but the problem was still happening. By the way, I REALLY appreciate all of your input. I took the car to a mechanic and he was checking to see if all my hoses were connected. He would touch the part that the vacuum tube running from the CAI is connected to and it would shut off. I took the car home and was messing with that same part, but nothing was happening. Then by accident, I touched the MAF on the CAI and it shut off. Do you think that I would have to buy a new one now?

[drayday55]

when you removed or replaced the batery terminals carefull not to touch the wrench to the cai while tightening the + terminal cuz you can fry the sensor!!

[SuPeRioN81]

Damn!!! I might have done that... I guess I'm out 175 bucks. I feel like an idiot lol... but hopefully that solves the problem.

[AKLGT]

do you have the stock airbox still? if so, remove the cai, replace the stock air box and take it to the dealer. they will need to run some tests on it to see if it is indeed the MAF. they may or may not cover it under warranty, but i wouldn't volunteer letting them know you had a cai in there.

[SuPeRioN81]

yeah, that's a good idea, my stock airbox is 60 miles away and either at my moms or my gf's... I have no idea where it all is. I don't think my car is under warranty anymore though either. But I'm sure the MAF is bad because I don't remember how it happened but there was a FAT spark from the battery and the CAI had a little burn mark on it. I just feel stupdi that I didn't think anything of it.

[AKLGT]

can you even get over 3000 rpms? when mavrik and others (satur9 recently) killed their MAF, the car seemed like it was dying at about 3K. sounds like the MAF is toast though. best bet is to buy the part at toyota, probably cheaper!picked up a lug this weekend for my vibe at toyota for $4, in stock. GM dealer wanted $12 for the same one and had to order it!

[SuPeRioN81]

It would Rev over 3000, but after I went into neutral and stopped the car it would just shut off. Also, it seemed like the RPMs would go up really easily without the car accelerating much, then it would die after that. Is the MAF something the dealer would have to special order?

[SuPeRioN81]

I bought the part at Toyota and it was 15 dollars cheaper so thanks for the tip on that. When the other's MAF sensor went out, how did the car act?

[AKLGT]

have you installed the part yet? did it work?

[SuPeRioN81]

no I haven't yet. The Toyota dealership I called said they had one in stock, then I went there and they didn't. It's coming in the morning but I will post it right when I do.

[AKLGT]

did they test the code yet? cause i'd have them double check first to make sure you don't waste a bunch of money. folks say autozone will do it for free. we don't have any up here, but you might where you are.

[SuPeRioN81]

The Vibe is working fine now. I looked at the sensor, and it looks horrible. Replaced it and it looks fine.

[AKLGT]

good to hear that was the prob.