44U2NV

I installed a cold air intake on 2013 47 convertible an the check engine light comes on. Have clean Mas air flow sensor and checked to make sure all fittings are tight. Reset codes and it still comes up saying both banks are lean. Reinstalled factory air filter , reset codes and everything is fine. Reinstalled cold air intake and put a fine mesh over bottom half of filter to restrict air flow. Check engine comes back on. Any ideas?

BlindSpot

You must have an air leak at or past the MAF in the aftermarket. Look at the tube for splits or cracks, make sure you have a good gasket/seal on the MAF and a good seal around the TB. Don't waste time trying to modify air flow at the filter. You are NOT suddenly flowing too much air unless it has no filter at all. Also, assume you have the MAF installed in the correct direction in the aftermarket?

Dcasole

What kind of CAI did you install and there are many that will trip a CEL ....

449er

I agree that you have a leak at or around the MAF, that will trip a CEL

Pit Now

Might be a bad plug setting off the code, I had that happen years ago.These current day engines are SO computer sensitive to any changes from factory that I stopped doing any bolt ons several cars ago. The power gains are also so minimal without the entire package i.e. heads, cam, rockers etc.

44U2NV

Thanks. Will go back, double check and try to seal up everything. Maf is installed in direction of air flow.

BlindSpot

If you are getting a P0171/0174 you are drawing air past the MAF. Since it doesn't happen w/stock it is coming in somewhere w/the cai setup up to the TB. Only other likely possibility is turbulence around the MAF from a bad CAI flow design, but you might get TPS P-Codes. If it's 171/174, almost dead certain an air leak up to the TB.

Dcasole

What type of CAI did you install ??

Dave

evanft

How about you uninstall the part and see what happens? A CAI has little to no effect on a C6 besides noise and making your wallet lighter.

BlindSpot

OP said he did that in his first post. And, I agree, CIA is the worst C6/LS3 investment in performance return for the $ of any mod. I've personally done several datalogs of the stock vs. aftermarket CAI and no, I just don't get why people do this mod for $400/$500.

On an NA breather LS3, the air volume/flow is not the gate, and I didn't see the claims some make the aftermarket CAIs lower the air charge temps. I did not see that in the logs I did, certainly neither option impacted air charge temps enough to pull timing in different air temps, unless you're getting ridiculous Phoenix air temps over 100*, then nothing will help until air temps change.

Some member on here (forgot who) suggests the 25 cent bolt spacer opening up a gap at the base of the plastic housing where the air filter breathes. This is far better and has more impact than any CAI and works for the stock air filter as well. Search it and will probably come up.

This is nothing more than a "feel good" mod.

Dcasole

Now that is just not true ......Not all CAI are useless ....i really hate internet urban legends ......i read it on the internet so it must be true....

The point of a Cold Air Intake is to lower Intake air temps which will stop the ECM from pulling timing which in turn will allow the motor to make more HP consistently

It really depends on the brand of CAI that you buy ... or make ....

I have before and after data for my VARARAM proving that the IAT dropped to ambient air temps and the ECM was not pulling timing any more in the hot Georgia weather we experience here

my car runs much more consistant 1/4 mile times . Some don't like the VARARAM because if the possibility of hydrolock or build quality but that has nothing to do with it's performance

But the LS2/3 is very sensitive to turbulent airflow and will set a code and possibly start surging . This is the reason the LS3 has a HEMHOLTZ resonator built in to the air bridge .

This is why I keep asking the OP what type did he install but he does not answer so .......

Dave

BlindSpot

I would love to see DLs that show that. Can you post?

Every DL I've done with a completely stock air filter shows IATs and Ambient ATs within 2* to 5*. The tests I've done with an aftermarket actually increased IATs by 2*.

But, even if there is an IAT out there that can improve on the 2* to 5*, that is only going to be a benefit under a very narrow window - if the ambient air temps are right around 86*F on a factory IAT tune table as the first 3* of timing is pulled at mid to WOT at 86*. If the air temps are 90*, then timing is being pulled regardless of the CAI, unless somehow the CAI can lower IATs below ambient air temps.

Dcasole

Blindspot , I have to see if I can figure out how to do it as I was using my Diablo log , maybe I can post screen shots but I have to find the old logs first.

My comment was not directed towards you at all , it was directed to the general comment that all cold air solutions are junk , yes they are costly but if you are trying to wring out every last bit of HP out of a NA motor ...the same could be said for small cams, valve springs, intake manifolds , headers etc but when you add them all up you get a bolt on motor that is making close to 500 very streetable HP....
you blower guys don't have to worry about this stuff

I feel that the only CAI that is worth the crazy money they want are the solutions that actually pull the air from the front grille area

What I was seeing was high IAT temps , I assumed that this was caused by drawing in the hot under the hood air which as you know can get pretty hot . Once I installed the VARARAM , what ever the outside air temp was at time was the temps I was seeing on the logs .

Now as far as actual temps ... Naturally if its 100 degrees out nothing is going to help but what i found is when i was waiting in the long staging lane lines on a moderately warm night with my car running as we had to keep moving up in line and the under the hood temps started to climb really high but the IAT temps were staying at ambient air temp and there was no request to pull timing during the run ....

I do have one knock request but it was at the 1st to 2nd gear shift point that I think was fuel related or false knock.

Dave

86SC

when i bought my c6 it had a hurricane intake on it and i would get the CEL saying both banks were lean, i checked over everything and there were no leaks, i had to scale the MAF table with HPTuners

Dcasole

That is one of the brands that I am taking about , there are others that set the lean bank code also

Dave

BlindSpot

No problem, wasn't trying to challenge your info, or catch you off guard, just as a data junkie I'd like to see what you DLed for my own info.

I went nuts with DLs on a stock factory LS3 setup including the stock air filter. Then I dled an aftermarket CAI. But after all that data, what was obvious to me is that I couldn't record an IAT problem with the stock filter setup.

So, before anything, there needs to be a problem to correct on the stock air filter. At best (worst)I found a 2 to 5 degree difference in ambient air temps and recorded IATs, so my point was, that's all the opportunity a supposed CAI has to improve. The stock factory air filter is a pretty darned good CAI already.

I have strings of DLs that show 1* difference in IAT/AAT. It only separates more than that when I get to 100* AAT and WOT for several runs that I see close to a 10* difference, but it also showed more (12*) with the aftermarket CAI that I tested. Also, puchsing it really hard where the 10* difference showed, coolant temps were 215*, not sure how badly heat soak of the IAT was playing a role;and, of course, at 215* ECTs more timing is pulled on top of the IATs.

Again, anything over an 86* AAT and timing is pulled regardless of the intake, unless you're doing something artificial such as meth injection. But correspondingly, the tests I ran on a stock filter all the way up to 95* AAT only mostly showed a 1* temp difference, with only 5* at WOT and 95* AAT.

BTW, I am stock NA, not blown and completely factory configured.

diyguy

After 5 years of running a CAI on my 97 LS2, it has had no issues at all. Then just out of nowhere, I start it up and won't even idle, and depressing gas pedal does nothing. It eventually just seems like it's at full choke and it quits.

Since it obviously won't run, I can't take it to get a Tech 2 to run for codes. So, flatbed off to my trusted dealership. They can't even get a good reading as too much air is coming past MAF. Then they see the aftermarket COI and say they will not even attempt to fix it until a stock airbox is re-installed. I found one on the E auction site and it's on the way.

Question is... why would it run perfectly for years, then out of nowhere it won't even hardly start, much less run? I've cleaned and maintained the COI like clockwork, last done about 3 months ago. MAF cleaned carefully as well on a schedule just like the COI

I talked to several custom tune shops, all of which have said, YES... the COI will affect the ECU, but that they can tune the COI for that modification, but $700 for a tune?

Going back to stock intake box.

jaybee924

I'm having the same problems P0171 and P0174 both banks to lean. Which I did some recent mods. I first added the intake shroud (poor mans CIA) and an AFE dry air filter that flows more than stock. The last of my upgrades was a ported throttle body and now recently started throwing codes almost every time at the end of the drive. I'm just waiting on my catted X-pipe from a vendor so I can have all of this put on. Maybe he can find out what it is. Before I did that Ported TB it seems all was fine.

bucwheat

Mine caused the cil ,I just reset the codes and it happened maybe three times and it's been fine for over a year now.

ls1121

I'm curious also as to what type of CAI he installed, is it a True CAI or just a replacement filter type.

on another note I made my own CAI and cut out the radiator cover and have had No issues except a little more power especially in the colder months whereas I get real cold air.

So guys can we not argue about personal opinions as to whether a CAI works and is worth it and just try to Help the OP out??? I know this goes against the grain but really?