Help! COLD AIR INTAKE CAUSING CODES

[JW7]

Hi All ...Been checking previous threads about this much talked about topic but have not found a similar situation..Had a Volent Cold Air Intake Unit installed ...Problem is I'm getting a Check Engine Light ..My baby does not have a rough idle..does not stutter or shut off ..actually rides beautiful...codes coming up are P0171 and P0174..Bank 1 and 2 lean..once the codes are cleared..CEL stays off for about 20 miles then comes on again..
Went back to my Mechanic and he cleaned the MAS and did a Smoke Check...Told me connections are tight but that the Throttle Body showed some smoke...Probably need a new one..
As I am not familiar with all this, I am somewhat confused....If there was no CEL or any issue with the factory installed Air intake , why now would it need to be replaced... .....I may have missed it, but I have not seen any mention of Throttle Body Replacement in similar threads..
Appreciate any imput ....

 

[mickeytee]

too much air

your engine is getting too much air or you have a leak in the hose to throttle body. Did he check to see if the intake manifold was tight. Almost every car I work on they are loose and I just got into the habit of checking them all. Some people say they have driven it a while till it relearns and then turned off the light and it stays off. Did you leave the plenum on? thats the wide plastic piece that goes right over the radiator?

 

[JW7]

Help! COLD AIR INTAKE CAUSING CODES

i did not do the install but have since had it checked out by another mechanic and by visual all was done correctly..Tight connections ..all parts where they need to be...I did read that some had the codes disappear after continuous driving...Truthfully, That has not happened yet due to the weather ..
Will suggest taking a look at the intake manifold..
What is puzzling me here is that it is the not the Throttle Body hose that was mentioned but the Throttle Body itself....I'm not that knowledagable, I'm learning, but I'm puzzled by it...No problem with old intake system...Now that I did the CAI ..Throttle Body itself needs to be replaced..Coincidental to this install?...That what brought me to start this thread
As usual...Thank you for sharing the knowledge....

 

[mickeytee]

I have hardly ever seen a throttle body fail. They are aluminum and just have the butterfly in them. Unless its cracked which I don't see how it could. The Mass air flow meter being plastic could be broken I would want to know where he saw smoke from the throttle body if not from the hose connection.

 

[Fireduck69]

Are the new air filters oiled? Like the k&n filters? If so, there has been talk of the oil fowling the MAS thus giving error messages. Just something else to think about.

 

[mickeytee]

good point

that's why you should not use k and N and these should not be oiled. I think if yo u block off a little of area right in front of the filter with a piece of cardboard you will find that they just flow too much air. if you send me some photos I may spot a problem.

 

[JW7]

It just seems that there is a variable here that Is not being seen to get this right..Some enthusiasts here installed the same units and did not or are not having a problem ..
My other thought is that if the filters are olied .wouldn't that actually let less air in because of the viscosity of the oil....I may be wrong on this..
It is Volent, not K & N...but still oiled..Had the MAS cleaned..
Thanks everyone and yes Mickeytee ..will send you some pix as soon as I can...
Always appreciate all the insight..J

 

[David_B]

I thought I read

Volent​

had a problem early on? Maybe you got old-new stock.
I'd try calling Volent.

 

[mickeytee]

spoke with company

they said that of course you should not have a problem, Must clean and use their oil, I Will do a little research to find out what type it is, Must let it completely run off the filters and dry for 24 hours before installing them . otherwise they said the mass air flow ill get coated and set off codes. here's a link they sent

YouTube

 

[JW7]

Thanks Mickeytee for checking into that...However, the unit is new ...came oiled ..I did not do a thing but have it installed..
Today I emailed Volent tech support/Warrantee Dept and gave them the entire scenario..
Figured they would say should not have a problem...And I agree So why is there ..
Will keep you posted
Thank you much again...J

 

[JW7]

Spoke to Volent Tech Support and it just so happens that I was able to speak to a tech that had experience with the XLR'S....He is aware of all the quirkiness of theses beauties...Went thru what I have done so far ..he even asked me about when and If I changed the coolant..He stated that even though it is supposed to last, I believe 100,000 miles before being changed, it has the possibility of creating a very small amount of electrical charge that may also throw things off...
I changed all fluids when purchased her in June 2016
If MAS cleaned ..working and put in properly ..if O2 sensor working and systems checked out..then bottom line is that the Battery needs to be disconnected so the computer clears the codes and has the ability to relearn..Just clearing the codes will not allow a relearn , especially with the amount of driving that I do..
If I do this, then a relearn will have to be performed for the top and I guess everything else.....I am hesitant because of that...
May just put the old unit back in even though looks great..rides great....Bothered by the CEL....

 

[JW7]

Follow up to install of CAI....Did everything that was suggested by Volent to stop throwing lean codes/CEL but nothing seems to work..
Battery needed to be changed which I did....caused a relearn ..was suppose to clear the old codes and give the engine a chance to relearn.....had a smoke test done ..no Vacuum/air leak ..even installed a new MAS..
Thinking problem solved..drove my baby and after about 20 miles..CEL on again..
She rides great..sounds great...no rough idle.no difficulty of any sorts...
I just don't get it....Is it that this aftermarket unit should just not be installed ...I read on the forum that other enthusiasts have installed this unit and not having any issues..I really am trying to understand what could be the difference..

 

[JW7]

Hi all ...been away from the forum for awhile but back with a follow up to what happened with the Volent install..
Did it all to get the unit to work properly and stop causing lean codes....New Battery and new Mas as well..
After clearing the codes..driving about 20 miles ...CEL came back on..But she drove beautifully thru it all...
Volent, unable to figure out the problem, requested my Build Date which was June, 07...
Felt that it was possible by the date that some parts were interchanged with the '08 model in building the vehicle,which were not compatible with their Air Intake System...Had no other answer..
I took the unit off..put back the factory installed Air Intake and no more CEL..
Issued full credit even after install of about 4 months...
As new to all this ..I can only assume their assumptions was correct...

 

[David_B]

Interesting. I wonder what's the difference?
It really seems like GM had quite a few running changes on the XLR in it's 6 year life.

Probably due to the V, trying to make more parts compatible between V and non-V.

Hi all ...been away from the forum for awhile but back with a follow up to what happened with the Volent install..
Did it all to get the unit to work properly and stop causing lean codes....New Battery and new Mas as well..
After clearing the codes..driving about 20 miles ...CEL came back on..But she drove beautifully thru it all...
Volent, unable to figure out the problem, requested my Build Date which was June, 07...
Felt that it was possible by the date that some parts were interchanged with the '08 model in building the vehicle,which were not compatible with their Air Intake System...Had no other answer..
I took the unit off..put back the factory installed Air Intake and no more CEL..
Issued full credit even after install of about 4 months...
As new to all this ..I can only assume their assumptions was correct...

 

[RDwilkerson]

Hi All ...Been checking previous threads about this much talked about topic but have not found a similar situation..Had a Volent Cold Air Intake Unit installed ...Problem is I'm getting a Check Engine Light ..My baby does not have a rough idle..does not stutter or shut off ..actually rides beautiful...codes coming up are P0171 and P0174..Bank 1 and 2 lean..once the codes are cleared..CEL stays off for about 20 miles then comes on again..
Went back to my Mechanic and he cleaned the MAS and did a Smoke Check...Told me connections are tight but that the Throttle Body showed some smoke...Probably need a new one..
As I am not familiar with all this, I am somewhat confused....If there was no CEL or any issue with the factory installed Air intake , why now would it need to be replaced... .....I may have missed it, but I have not seen any mention of Throttle Body Replacement in similar threads..
Appreciate any imput ....

I have gone completly though everything from filters to throttle body, rubber connections, fuel injector seals, plenum seals and retorqed. None of that corrected the problem. After $800.00 my mechanic used some electrical tape on the MAF screen to get the codes to respond. He reported to me has something to do with the turbulence (in theory) how big of piece who knows give it a try.