installed cai.... what now?

Any topics related to 2005-2012 R51

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eieio
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Postby eieio » Sun Nov 01, 2015 5:30 pm

ValleyWalker wrote:Ok, does anyone have a recommended solution/fix ?
Keep your negative comments to yourself ladies and gentleman your cunning linguistics won't impress me.
My goal is to solve the problem, not quit and go back to stock.

EIEIO.... your name was in caps to stand out, not a denotation of spelling.
oooooohhhhh.........such thin skin! :shock:


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smj999smj
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Postby smj999smj » Sun Nov 01, 2015 6:14 pm

I first questioned the kit when it didn't have an airbox. It shouldn't take much work to re-install the factory air box for diagnostic purposed to help determine if the issue is due to the aftermarket air intake or if there is another issue causing the problem. When switching to a different air intake, going to an aftermarket setup or back to stock, I suggest erasing the ECM self-learning control to put the engine management back to its base settings. If it does turn out that the aftermarket intake is the cause of the problems, I would try and return it and get a cold air intake that has been used by others on the forums and is really, in fact, a "cold" air intake. Volant, Nismo and Airaid are all pretty popular and the first two have been used by many here at these forums.

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ValleyWalker
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Postby ValleyWalker » Sun Nov 01, 2015 6:30 pm

Got it. I've rebuilt the OEM setup slightly. I'll upload links when I'm finished, but I'm either going to use the oem airbox or an extended airhose type thing. Either way, I can't put the stock parts back together b/c they are slightly cut up into pieces... see here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/hflnh7f51s2kk ... 6.jpg?dl=0

I should still be able to put it back together to at least see if it puts out the code.

I've been clearing the ecm by going through the magic gas pedal pumping sequences. Is there a different way I should be clearing? I'd rather not remove the negative on my battery terminal (don't want to reprogram my radio channels, lolz)

I'll try to get most of this done in the next day or two and update soon.
Does the maf air flow sensor ever go bad?

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SETI20
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Postby SETI20 » Sun Nov 01, 2015 9:05 pm

I haven't messed with my pathfinder before, but I did spend a good 15 years or more "improving" automobiles. So all my experience is anecdotal.

Anyway. You seem to be running in limp home mode. That's basically the safest setting the engine has, and it just dumps in stupid amounts of fuel to make sure it isn't running lean. So there's your code and your mileage. MAF sensors suck. They're way too finicky, and changes in air flow can mess up the readings. Some cheaper air intakes simply set off the sensor. So there is a possibility that this combo of filter/tube/sensor just won't work.

But, relearning an ECU almost always involves taking the power off completely, then letting the car idle and drive it. It's possible that the pathfinder has some convoluted method of doing this. Nissan likes messing with our heads. I can tell you stories about working on a 240SX.

Start with double and triple checking all the connections, and look for leaks. For instance, the ports you're not using, all closed off? Those will throw the MAF off for sure. Then relearn the ECU and try again.

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smj999smj
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Postby smj999smj » Sun Nov 01, 2015 9:13 pm

I've always had access to a scantool to clear the self-learning; disconnecting the battery doesn't always do it. I've heard of the gas pedal method, but never tried it or looked into it, so I can't say whether it works or not. The service manual would likely have the procedure if there is a non-scantool method.

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ValleyWalker
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ok....

Postby ValleyWalker » Thu Nov 05, 2015 10:28 am

Ok I've got to apologize first. I should have had this information before I started this line of asking for help.
The error code: "P0103 MAF Range Performance"
I did a basic google search for "2012 Nissan Pathfinder P0103" and this is what came up: http://www.engine-codes.com/p0103_2012_ ... inder.html

So, first and foremost, I removed the neg. battery cable and put it back on the next morning. Drove to the parts store and the engine light had come on before I even got there. I went home and used the oem part shown here to set this up:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/juxztfqvdkf17 ... 3.jpg?dl=0

Furthermore (like a retard) I only put on 1 hose clamp per black rubber coupling on my air pipe. So I added the 2 hose clamps and tightened everything down nicely. Sprayed with soapy water and there are no air leaks. So I can rule that out.

Since then, I have removed the Neg. battery terminal again and have reset the ecm.
Waiting now...

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ValleyWalker
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Well...

Postby ValleyWalker » Fri Nov 06, 2015 7:03 am

the engine light has not yet come on lol. But my gas mileage is still shitty! (12-14 mpg)
I have a 5hr. road trip to VA coming up Sunday so I'd sure like to get good mileage :oops:

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disallow
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Postby disallow » Fri Nov 06, 2015 9:16 am

is the 12-14 mpg you are reporting based on your instant fuel economy read out? Or based on the actual gallons you put into your truck?

I could see the instant readout being wrong now that the airflow is different. Its a theoretical number derived from several inputs from the engine including MAF lbs/minute of air.

t

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ValleyWalker
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mpg

Postby ValleyWalker » Fri Nov 06, 2015 9:29 am

VERY excellent point, thank you. Those #'s are coming from the onboard computer and not actual number crunching.
To that point, I'll keep track myself on my VA hunting trip!

And now to add just one more potential problem... should I add one of those spacer lift kits as well as a bully dog?
Opinions?
Bueller?... Bueller?... Bueller?

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disallow
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Postby disallow » Fri Nov 06, 2015 10:04 am

do you mean an intake spacer?

I've always thought these were snake oil, but then I saw that SMJ was thinking about putting one on so now its got me thinking...

t

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ValleyWalker
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Postby ValleyWalker » Fri Nov 06, 2015 10:20 am

no... I mean a lift kit. You know... with spacers.

I already bought the XTP manifold spacer.

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smj999smj
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Postby smj999smj » Fri Nov 06, 2015 12:34 pm

I still don't think the design of have an intake with no box around it and having it suck in the hot, engine compartment air, is going to give you any performance gain and make actually hinder it. I think the stock air box would be a better design than an intake that sucks in hot air. If you can't find a way to box it off so it can be fed cold air, I would ditch it and get another air intake---a "true" cold air intake---like those offered by Volant, Injen, AEM, etc.
Last night I spent reading a thread on CAI's at ClubTitan's forums, which I'll link to below. A member had a Titan with some substantial mods to it and access to a buddy's dyno and also took the vehicle to the track to get some real #'s. Now, I know Pathfinders to Titans are apples and oranges to some extent, and that the Titan had mods to it also may have different results compared to a bone stock Titan, but the results were interesting and he really put a lot of time to give a fair and impartial comparison of multiple cold air intake systems, including a stock air box with the so-called "Titan mod." His testing pretty much found, more or less, that most of the aftermarket systems were pretty close as far as gains (all of them were sealed off from the hot air of the engine compartment) and the biggest differences were in the level of noise. It seems the best system was from S&B Intake systems, which, unfortunately, only make one for the V8 Pathfinder, not the V6. Volant and Injen were pretty neck and neck for second place, with the Volant being a little nosier, but the Injen gave him a slight benefit in track time over the Volant. Here's the thread:

http://www.clubtitan.org/forums/showthread.php?t=13697

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ValleyWalker
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hot air

Postby ValleyWalker » Sat Nov 07, 2015 7:07 am

The guy at the parts store sold me the parts to make this happen..
https://www.dropbox.com/s/juxztfqvdkf17 ... 3.jpg?dl=0

... but I thought air came into the filter from all around it, not just in the center. But this setup would imply the filter only sucks air from the center leaving the outside filter area unused? This setup has turned off my engine light, but my mpg still needs to be figured out. I still have the box to build around it so I may still do that.

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disallow
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Postby disallow » Sat Nov 07, 2015 7:32 am

Not sure what you've done there. I would switch back to stock.

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ValleyWalker
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Postby ValleyWalker » Sat Nov 07, 2015 7:42 am

What I've done there is create a TEMP fix so that I can try to solve one problem at a time.
But again like I said, I'm not sure this is the setup that'll work. I'll be jury-rigging my old air-box next.


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