Allright got my Injen CAI installed, lovin it for a couple hundred miles and now.... CEL... What can I do here and why might I be getting one? Everyone was saying that the Injen intakes dont cause CELs but, I randomly got one today and its not goin away... I dont want to go into the dealership with the intake and have them see it, blame it on that and screw with my warranty, and try to charge me for the diagnosis. I also dont really want to pull it out put the stock back in either to take it in.... What can I do guys, help!

 

Don't worry about it, it's just a lean CEL nothing to worry about just ride it out and it will come and go on it's own Just annoy's the **** out of ya

 

Plain and simple : Whatever the design will be on a CAI for the Cobalt SS/SC, if the CAI filter is flowing more than the stock restrictive one, than the car see it. Very simple to understand don't it ? It's not even the MAF location, oil on the MAF, bla bla.

 

So why do 99.9% of people NEVER get them and one or two get them and can't get them to go away? Mine randomly came on, just regular cruising...

 

if you're concerned about taking it to the dealer, take it to an autozone, if there are any around you. they'll hook it up to an obd reader for free, and give you the code. at least that way you know you have a problem, if it happens to be something other than P0171. if its the lean code, it will go away if it runs a set number of times ok (i think it was 6 or 7).

 

your not the only one that got a cel from that intake. my car's codes from the injen intake are:
P0068 THROTTLE BODY AIR FLOW PERFORMANCE
P1182.1183 SUPERCHARGER INLET PRESSURE SENSOR PERFORMANCE
P0101 MASS AIRFLOW SENSOR PERFORMANCE

being retarded i went to the dealership with this and they charged me 85$ to check because the intake voided my warrenty. im hoping this will go away if i buy the intense or rev it up kits.

 

Will disconnecting the battery or popping any fuses reset the computer and make the CEL go away? If its just a Lean code or something dumb like that, that's not an actual problem?

 

So I guess my Injen is flowing less or equall to stock? Also my previous Airbow mod was too? No, it is not the location or oil on the MAF, it is the size of the pipe AT the MAF. It needs to be very close to the same diameter as the stock size to properly measure the density of the intake air charge in relevance to the precalibrated setting in the PCM.

 

The intake piping size isn't the problem ...

The PCM knows how fuel it need at all RPM's to achieve the ideal 14.7:1 AFR when cruising. But with a less restrictive CAI, the PCM need to add more fuel to keep the AFR to 14.7:1; so BANG a CEL.

For those who didn't had yet a CEL with a CAI, it's just a matter of time ...

 

If you had all of thoughs DTC's, you screwed something up!. Performance codes, such as yours, usually relate to something not working at all. I have yet to see anyone else with those DTC's. As far as the dealer charging you $85 to check your car out, that you modified and most likely didn't tell them you did, A Tech, (who is paid on Flat Rate), spent his time on your vehicle to check out a problem that you created from the modification, does not have the right to charge you? No, the CAI, did not "void" your warranty, your CAI is not covered under warrany,nor are any problems it may create. Your CAI was not factory installed and GM should not fork over the bill to fix any problems from it!
Look, I appoligize if I sound harsh, but as a Tech I am getting sick of people saying things like, "Voided Warranty" or "the dealer charged me this" or "charged me that"! I know there are some bad dealerships out there, but everyday my shop attempts to do the best job they can and we take pride in that! I just feel like I need to step up and defend my profession and the "Good Dealerships" that are out there!

 

Good luck with that. So many are shady. Mine is the very few that isn't.

 

Do you think the stage 2 reflash will help with this?

 

im sorry i didnt mean to sound like an ass. i dont mind paying them the money because now i know exactly whats wrong with my car and my dealership is very honest and trustworthy. i also understand techs having to take their time to check my car for my problems.i respect that.

 

Sorry, but you are incorrect on this. The PCM only can read the air temp, humidity, and speed via the MAF sensor do to the way it works. I'm sure you are familiar with the "Hot wire" if not I will explaine, The PCM sends a specific amount of amprage through the "hot wire" of the sensor. As the air rushes over this wire, it will be cooled by the air. The colder the air, the faster it moves(wind chill) and the humidity(moisture, cools) causes the the amprage to decrease, which in turn the PCM does not see the "expected" amprage return and increases the voltage on that curcuit. (understanding Ohms law will help in this theory). This will then increase the amprage feed back to the PCM. The PCM will see this as increased air flow and increase fuel delivery. Now, the one thing missing that the "hot wire" cannot detect is the size of the orifice that the air is traveling through. That must be a predetermand value. The size of the tube. OK, it's like a flow meter, If you have 2 hoses and 2 flow meters(both meters being the same, as a constant, just like the MAF sensor), and place one in a hose that is 1 inch in dia,. and the other in a hose the is 5 inches in dia., they will both read the same. But in reality the 5 inch dia. hose is flowing way more. Why?, because water is getting by the meter in relevance to the 1 inch hose, there is a large area that is being missed, hence the extra air that is entering the engine that is unmetered by the MAF sensor. The O2 sensor then pickes up this extra air(oxygen) and sees this as a lean condition. Exessive turbulance at the MAF will also cause this condition do to the rapid flucuations in air movement that the PCM can not keep up with. I know you want to say the injectors max out near redline and your right. The problem is that the conditions for p0171 are not monitored at that time.

 

I know it's like a never ending battle. You know it seems like one bad apple does spoil the basket sometimes.

 

It's cool! It's good to have a dealership your confident with and one you can trust. Believe me, I know your frustration, I see it everyday.

 

I wish more people realized that , it is a pipe dream ...but still .


Another thing for you guys asking why some cars get CEL's and some dont , the climate and the elevation in which you live ... both of which greatly affect air density and the way the PCM fuels your car will also affect is sensitivity to having to compensate for greater airflow . A car @ say 3000 ft elevation in a cool climate is not gonna have the same fueling needs as a car basking down in florida in 85* heat with near 100% humidity . The scenario's are completely endless !

 

we've reset someone's CEL at our shop that came on from a similar instance on a different vehicle. he then went to get his inspection sticker and was rejected because the PCM had logged less than 40 start cycles.

i have the airbox mod and a CEL and i've reset mine at the shop 3 times now and it always comes back on at just about the same time on the way home.

FWIW

 

certainly true.
i run at 7,000ft and very, very low humidity. plus, the temp is about -20 to 35f in the winter.

we have custom shops up here for the the climate and altitude.
so you make a very good point Silver

 

How long does it usually take to "go" on its own AND I've asked this b4 without much of a response from anybody... Do you think the stage 2 reflash will eliminate this 0171 lean code issue from CAIs?

 

my mechanic told me yes that it should. he was like you need to upgrade your comp for your mods. since he put my mods on he knows. i have the injen cai and corsa exhaust. guessing too much airflow but yes they should clear it up if not IM GUNNA BE PISSED.

 

Im hoping, but do you think I'll run into any problems going to the dealer to get the stage 2 installed and the reflash with a cel?

 

what can they possibly say. O ur CEL is on. FU lol. jus get a scan gage to clear it before u go in if you are that worried.

 

i really hope someone finds a fix for the lean code

 

Anyone contacted INJEN about the cels? This was a problem on one of my old SE-Rs, we contacted HOTSHOT and they modded the design to eliminate the cel problem?