CAI & Lean Engine

Kelvin07 · Mar 7, 2011

I hope Im in the right spot here. I recently purchased a CAI from Spectre. It was suppose to be totally ready out of the box. No tune needed etc. I put on the CAI and all went well until the next day I got a lean engine code. (no probs before this) Called Spectre and they told me to take apart make sure the MAF sensor sleeve was in right spot. Well it only goes one way but sure... It was, they sent me a new and improved one. 25/30 miles down the road it threw the same warning. Since Im smart enough (maybe) to know the lean engine is not a good thing I put stock AI back on and NO lights are popping. Is it the car not wanting it, the part not any good, or am I gonna need a tune that I wasnt suppose to need.
Thanks
K

dcrevenge · Mar 7, 2011

I would go back to the stock air box or get a CAI and tune. If you flow too much air you need a tune to compensate. A tune and the stock airbox would make way more power than a CAI and no tune. Take it back and buy a tune or keep it and get the car tuned for it. Good luck but I think your money is better spent on the tune not the CAI

SkyRender · Mar 7, 2011

Your first mistake was purchasing anything made by Spectre.

Other than that, just about every intake on the market requires a computer tune.

streethorse · Mar 7, 2011

K&N drop in....... no tune needed.....

Kelvin07 · Mar 8, 2011

Thanks guys. I was afraid that would be the answer but none the less its an honest one. You guys are gonna have to get me up to speed. I grew up in the days of 4 brll carbs and such this computer crap is killing me.

Thanks again
K

SkyRender · Mar 8, 2011

Put the stock airbox back on and buy an intake from a company who will send you a tuner along with it.

arcwcb · Mar 8, 2011

Yeah, I'm sure you COULD use the one you bought, but it would probably cost just as much as buying a good intake with a tune from JLT, Steeda, C&L, etc...

astronut1885 · Mar 11, 2011

K+N drop in won't get you anything, trust me, I have a really nice AFE basket style filter drop in that does nothing more than filter air well because it is still limited by the factory inlet tract. The factory MAF restriction is where that power is to be gained when you up-size it with a CAI kit. Any CAI that "doesn't" require a tune isn't worth putting on the car as it probably pushes the motor to the edge of tolerable lean mixture parameters, as you have experienced, and on top of that, if it isn't pulling enough additional air over the factory box to warrant a tune, then why do it at all? A nice tune/CAI combo from someone like Brenspeed or Bama will really make you happy. Most of the gains come from the tune, but having the CAI does add that cherry to your tuned cake. And yeah, be prepared for anything you do to your car to require teaching the computer, from different size rims/tires to cold air intakes to exhaust. Just about the only thing other than appearance mods that doesn't bring the ECU into the equation is suspension mods. Gone are the days of timing lights and distributor turning, here are the days of reflashing and downloading entire tunes. Upside is that your car will run like it's factory with just about anything you throw at it.

streethorse · Mar 11, 2011

Nobody said a K&N would get you anything. Its just a high quality
filter and does out flow a paper filter. And wont set off a lean code.

astronut1885 · Mar 11, 2011

Well, I was guessing that since he tried to buy a CAI, that he wanted to improve performance. K+N does outflow the paper filter, but the paper filter isn't maxed out in it's capabilities by a stock motor anyway (as proven by the lack of gains in dyno testing with K+N style vs factory filters), so the rechargeable filters are really nothing more than a better filtering, reusable filter. I have the same idea in my car

mostly for the better filtering aspects. It's really no different than putting 3" exhaust with dumps on a stock motor, it won't do anything extra for you. So really, your post was a bit irrelevant to the thread, as he's talking about getting a CAI to work, not ways to avoid a lean engine light with a stock air box. I did not want him to think that a drop-in filter was as good as a decent CAI, which after reading his question and your answer, would be a reasonable conclusion.

Kelvin07 · Mar 19, 2011

Thanks for info on CAI

Thanks guys I appreciate all the info here. Ive got to be honest this is my 1st time to own a ford (other than my work truck f-150) Ill also be honest in saying Ive always been a chevy man but am really like the GT.

Im the kinda of guy who gives credit where it is due. I am by no mean the guy that should judge a part and it make and I will trust in you guys for that and i do thank you for all your help here. I also gotts give Guy Smith and Spectre some kudos to though. I bought this thing from Summit and as it turns out it was a re-called version that I was sold. Summit refused to turn the $ back to me cause "I had opened and put it on the car" Well, DUH I had to get it on there to see that it didnt work..... No biggy though Guy Smith HONESTLY bent over backwards to make everything right by me. CIA is now FINALLY after many weeks working correctly.

Did it give me more anything...IDK cant afford to put it on Dyno and to be honest i feel nothing more over the stock intake. However Guy Smith from Spectre and YOU guys on Stang net have been awesome to help me out and I just wanted to say thank you ALL very much.

So theres credit where its due for ALL involved now let go burn some tires away so we can better the economy by buying new ones THANKS

CAI & Lean Engine

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