CNL idle problem is p**sing me off!!

T

TruthSeeker

New Member

Apr 21, 2004

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Apr 21, 2004

#1

• Apr 21, 2004

• #1

I have the cobra listed below. The guy I bought it from gave me a CNL 80mm mass air meter with a blue calibration tube. I installed it as per the instruction on CNL's website and ran a tank of gas through it, but I still have idle problems. Today was the last straw, I was coming off the freeway and when I pushed in the clustch to brake my engine cut off do to this idle issue. Well I had to use the emergency brake because I didnt have enough time to pop the clutch to restart the engine before ramming the SUV in front of me. Anyway I stopped about ten feet from the SUV. I am assuming that the calibration tube is the tube that the air meters set in. Mine has blue magic marker on the front of it. Can you tell me if I have the correct tube? Also if it is do you have any suggestions as to how to fix the idle problem? My engine is stock except for the mods listed in my sig. Thanks!!

 

Vic_Ferrari

New Member

Sep 25, 2003

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lake mary, FL

Apr 21, 2004

#2

• Apr 21, 2004

• #2

...

What is the mass air calibrated for?
Did you get a custom program/chip to match it?
It's not the size of the mass air as much as it is the calibration that's important.
You sound like you need a custom tune.

I've had great luck with C&L, but to run optimally, I need to retune after installing.

 

J

John98-4v

New Member

Mar 25, 2004

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just south of Pittsburgh

Apr 21, 2004

#3

• Apr 21, 2004

• #3

TruthSeeker said:

I have the cobra listed below. The guy I bought it from gave me a CNL 80mm mass air meter with a blue calibration tube. I installed it as per the instruction on CNL's website and ran a tank of gas through it, but I still have idle problems. Today was the last straw, I was coming off the freeway and when I pushed in the clustch to brake my engine cut off do to this idle issue. Well I had to use the emergency brake because I didnt have enough time to pop the clutch to restart the engine before ramming the SUV in front of me. Anyway I stopped about ten feet from the SUV. I am assuming that the calibration tube is the tube that the air meters set in. Mine has blue magic marker on the front of it. Can you tell me if I have the correct tube? Also if it is do you have any suggestions as to how to fix the idle problem? My engine is stock except for the mods listed in my sig. Thanks!!

Click to expand...

98's do not take c&l's for *****! I put one on my car, and tried many things to get it running right, no luck, go with a pro-m!! Oh, as far as the sample tube goes, it sounds like you have the right one, my 24# tube has a blue dot on it, I even tried swapping tubes with one I had laying around

 

SVT32VDOHC

waiting for the next hack atta

Founding Member

Nov 22, 2001

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Motor City

Apr 21, 2004

#4

• Apr 21, 2004

• #4

I'm not saying this to be a jerk, but get rid of that peice of crap meter. I have not heard anything good about those, and I have heard all over that they cause unstable idle. They can't add that much, aren't the 99-01 Cobra stock MAF 80mm? I know that 96-98's were. 0-10 ponies isn't worth smashing your baby.

 

C

chevysRslow

Founding Member

Apr 23, 2002

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Apr 21, 2004

#5

• Apr 21, 2004

• #5

Why did you need to use the e-brake???

 

T

TruthSeeker

New Member

Apr 21, 2004

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Apr 22, 2004

#6

• Apr 22, 2004

• #6

I had to use the e-brake because power brakes do not slow down that much without the engine running. As for the CNL it was given to me by the guy who I bought the car from. He told me that it would have a "slight" idle problem, but that the computer would resolve the issue after running about 200 miles in order for the computer to relearn, hence the tank of gas. Anyway the stock airbox has a K&N filter in it so I put that back on and it ryns fine. But I just find it hard to beleive that a company like CNL would sell a product that they say increases HP when it does not work well in the 1998 cobra. Oh well off to e-bay to sell it if I cannot find a way to make it work properly. Thanks!!

 

20th turbo

Member

May 14, 2003

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Rhode Island Lucky 13!!

Apr 22, 2004

#7

• Apr 22, 2004

• #7

Give this a try: Disconnect your battery. If you still have the factory Maf screen, remove the rubber trim. Look into your conical K&N, there should be a small lip or step where when the screen is placed in front of fits very nicely. now push the screen in down to the step snug. Reinstall the filter. After twenty minutes reconnect your battery. I ran into the same problem with my 99 Gt with the 80mm and putting the screen back in cured all. If this doesnt help check the factory meter connection for leaks as well as the sensor (may need cleaning with an electric spray cleaner.)

Good luck! Let us know how you made out

P.S. after putting the screen back in I trapped @ 101.88 for what its worth.

 

Vic_Ferrari

New Member

Sep 25, 2003

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lake mary, FL

Apr 23, 2004

#8

• Apr 23, 2004

• #8

C&L meters work fine.
As I was saying before in another thread, it's the tuner that's defective.

 

H

hobra

New Member

Apr 6, 2004

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Apr 24, 2004

#9

• Apr 24, 2004

• #9

well the tuner did nothing wrong....98's with any sort of aftermarket exuhast need a BLACK calibration tube...stock for the 99+'s.

I spent hours on the phone with Lee from C&L performance on a check engine light and idle issues on my 98, and we came to this conclusion.

The 98's need a black calibration because of the slight differences in factory ecu's calibration.

I yanked that blue tube and replaced it with the black one.....ZERO problems and ran better than it ever had before.

Get ahold of c&l performance....ask for Lee. He's a HELLA cool guy and will tell you EXACTLY what is going on, why it's happening, and how to fix it.

Good luck!

 

H

hobra

New Member

Apr 6, 2004

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Apr 24, 2004

#10

• Apr 24, 2004

• #10

.

 

103

Founding Member

Dec 30, 2000

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Orange Park, FL

Apr 24, 2004

#11

• Apr 24, 2004

• #11

C&L is not the best in the world for MAFs, just ask anyone at SCT. But they can be made to run just fine on mild cars. I'm using one for the time being just to get around until I can figure something out with the stock MAF in terms of fitting in the friggin bay... Be careful putting the screen in, I don't know if it will stay securely.

 

H

hobra

New Member

Apr 6, 2004

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Apr 24, 2004

#12

• Apr 24, 2004

• #12

I was also told to ditch my screen, and it worked great.

I finally got rid of my c&l and swtiched to a pro-m....a great piece, kinda had to though for the vortech

 

J

John98-4v

New Member

Mar 25, 2004

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just south of Pittsburgh

Apr 25, 2004

#13

• Apr 25, 2004

• #13

Vic_Ferrari said:

C&L meters work fine.
As I was saying before in another thread, it's the tuner that's defective.

Click to expand...

Oh yea? You need a custom tune for a MAF? It's bullchit that c&l knows how to fix the problem, yet still has not, LMAO. 98's ARE different in ways, egr lines route differently, and they do not take increased airflow as easy as 96-97 models.

 

103

Founding Member

Dec 30, 2000

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Orange Park, FL

Apr 25, 2004

#14

• Apr 25, 2004

• #14

Most people would simply be better off getting their car tuned with the stock maf anyway. The C&L simply tries to trick the computer with incorrect readings. Save yourself time and money and get an SCT tune...

 

Vic_Ferrari

New Member

Sep 25, 2003

273

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lake mary, FL

Apr 26, 2004

#15

• Apr 26, 2004

• #15

Sometimes you *need* a mass air upgrade. If you are pegging the stock unit (and you've already raised counts, yadda yadda as much as you can), you will need an upgrade if you want to tune it 'correctly'.

Regardless...if you upgrade a mass air on a stock or non stock car and want it to run optinmally, you will need to tune the MAF transfer accordingly.
There are a few instances where you can just throw it on and go, but even those cases will benefit most if a retune is done. The best way to do this is through a scan tool or some type of data acquisition on the dyno that shows maf voltage or counts.
This will allow you to properly tune the MAF transfer.