My xB started idling like sh*t and would't rev over 3000 rpm last week...

Extensive forum searching lead to a variety of suggested causes, including a toasted MAF sensor.

My dealer checked my box and told me they couldn't confirm that the Injen CAI was to blame until I restored the intake to the factory airbox setup. They won't investigate any further until I do so. Codes P0101 and P0103 pointed to high airflow volume errors present.

The service writer did tell me that the AEM intake is the only intake approved because it has proven compatible with Toyota's _____-sensitive MAFs (my opinion not his.)

So why does Injen sell an intake that will inevitably cook your MAF? I spend $250 for what I think is the best CAI out there only to find that it is harmful to my engine (and wallet) if installed and used as instructed??

Is frequent MAF replacement an unadvertised side effect of Injen intakes? I had it on the car for less than 200 miles - are their products THAT effective in ruining MAFs?

Comments anyone?

I've never heard of this problem before due to an Injen intake.

Let us know what happens and what caused this.

-Steve 8)

This is what happens when you start replacing parts on cars. I know with my older 1990 mustang, even installing a cone intake filter system can wreak havoc with the MAF and require a MAF calibration. Don't let the kiddies fool you, swaping parts like fuel injectors, MAFs, headers, etc... can require retuning or will cause driveablity issues if the stock ecu can't compensate. With a car on a warranty it's best to just play by their rules until the warranty is up...

I've never heard of this problem before due to an Injen intake.

Let us know what happens and what caused this.

-Steve 8)


My 05 XB ran fine after installing it. But 1 day after the check engine light came on. Also the VSC & tracking control lights are on. Can anyone Help me out. OH my XB has only 780 miles on it. Thanks Nick

Maybe it's just me and poor Nick...

sorry i put the cai injen intake on my car without a inline filter defuser and i think i blew my maf sensor then cleaned it wit brake cleaner ( non chlorinated? as suggested by a fellow member but still no luck goez in tuesday for checkup it cost like 170.00 for the maf hopefully they cover it under the warranty i put my stock box bak on welll seee imapquested the distance its like 2 hour drive to much for the box i cant go over sixty mph or the cars starts bucking anything under 3 rpm's is good sorry

^^^Oh and "juicy"...

I think these forums deserve the credit ... back when the intake first came out, some people here kept pestering Injen with questions about MAF sensor contamination from crankcase blowby.

and a another reference from sithscripter...

wow that's crazy my xb has an injen sri and i've had no problems what so ever. did you leave it running for ten minutes after you installed it so that your mafs can recallibrate with the new intake?

I have had mi injen on there for atleast 2k miles and havn't had a problem. I drive it hard alot and it works fine. I am not sure what is wrong with yours. You may just have a deff. maf.
I have a few friends that have injen intakes on all sorts of cars and they have never had problems. I am pretty sure that a respectable man. like injen would do a lot of R&D before they sold a product. Why risk the lawsuits?
My 2cents
Dan

It's not the intake that's messing up the MAF Sensor, it's the filter oil you put on the filter when you installed the filter. Many cars with the MAF right behind the filter, such as a SRI on an xB, or a SRI on Nissan SR20DET or Miata have the same problem - you need to either be VERY careful when you clean/re-oil the filter, or use a filter that doesn't require oiling, such as a Blitz style mesh filter or a foam filter (I don't think weapon R needs filter oil). When you re-oil, just remove the filter, apply the oil, and then let it dry so there's not just excess oil dripping around that can possibly coat the MAF sensor & mess it up.

Like I said, installed correctly and as the product was shipped. No extra oiling or modifications... installed the Injen air filter as it was sent.

I have the true Injen CAI - with about two feet of tube following roller coaster routing for the airflow from the filter to the MAF... what I thought was plenty of length for any "oil" to settle before collecting on my oh-so-sensitive MAF... NOT the short-ram which must just COAT the MAF with oil residue if my CAI manages to foul it from a filter located at the bottom of my fender.

I removed the MAF and swabbed out the area immediately around the MAF mounting area... no oil residue, just aluminum dust from the tube.

Yes one would think that Injen did some R & D before releasing the CAI... but then again how much real world testing could've been done on such a new car AND a new part. I've only had my car for 950-1000 miles and the intake has been on for only 200!

Keep the comments coming - at least this topic might help save some MAFs out there!

Trouble like that at 1000 miles ... it hurts to hear stories like this :cry:

I've met any number of xA and xB owners, probably half of whom had an Injen intake of one flavor or another, and I've never seen this happen to anyone else. But I don't doubt that it does happen to some people, such as yourself.

I think it's reasonable to assume that every now and then a filter gets over-oiled at the factory. Another wild guess -- maybe your piston rings haven't fully seated yet and you got contamination from engine oil via the breather hose.

See what the dealer says, save the parts and try to give Injen a call. Maybe they'll cover part or all of it under warranty.

On the bright side, if the xB MAF sensor really costs only $170 you're in pretty good shape. I've heard of Lexus dealers charging $1000 for the same thing. But at least the Lexus dealer will give you a free soy latte while you wait.

Re-thinking that engine mod I was planning. Gonna wait and see what happens on this thread.

Good info .......

Injen makes a very good product but you might have prblems with the maf some mafs are more sensitive than others within the same car lines. i wouldn't say the air tube is at fault, it may be oiled to much or could have a bad filter or a bad sensor. i have aslo heard of mafs that where bad when the car left the factory but it didn't affect anything untill a change was made. maf's don't just die and an air intake will not cause the maf to die, they get dirty pretty easy from to much oil or a dirty air filter but you can clean it and it will work fine agin. the only time you have a recalibrate a sensor is if you change the injectors to largerones or soemthing like that, air intakes and headers and things will not affect it

Purchased electrical contact cleaner, cleaned the MAF, reset the ECU with the whole battery disconnect/EFI fuse pull and STILL no improvement. I did all this before I went to the dealer...

I would have thought a thorough cleaning would've done the trick, but not so far... I even disconnected the MAF while the engine was running... the rough idle didn't change at all - leading me to believe that the MAF isn't sending ANY info to the ECU if disconnecting it makes no difference to the way the engine idles.

Next theory?

you can't reset the ecm by pulling the fuse or disconecting the battery it has mem unit in it that will store all the infomation for up too 5 days on toyota's. you should not ever unplug a sensor with the engine running or the key on. take the car to the dealer and let the pro's mess with it. they can't tell you to take a part off the car for warenty work unless they have found the part to have caused the fault. the an cold air intake will not hurt that sensor in way. a car with that few miles shouldn't have any problems take it to the dealer and make them fix it.

Claiming warranty should solve everything is a grey area:

That Magnusson Moss Act is far too vague and open to interpretation. Even on the SEMA website is states, “Disputes in this area usually boil down to arguments over facts and technical opinions, rather than arguments over interpretations of the law”. Meaning that if I install an intake and exhaust from Injen or any aftermarket company other then TRD that can void my warranty for a number of reasons if my Scion dealer feels that it directly affected the vehicles performance; i.e. engine failure, transmission failure, drivetrain failure. They can state that the aftermarket parts installed directly affected the listed components which is does. I had a customer who was declined a transmission repair under his extended warranty because of an ECU re-program. I don’t want anyone (or Injen) to think that I am saying not to do any alterations to their vehicle just wondering what the consumer can to do protect themselves without having to purchase over priced TRD packages with the dealer charging astronomical labor rates.

and Injen's warranty will only cover a "defect" in their product's workmanship, not to how it f*cks up another part: I suggest you or anyone to purchase products from reputable companies that do their research and development in-house and test, and test, and test all their products before its release. Here at Injen, we have our own in-house dynojet and we use an Air Fuel ratio meter during dyno testing to make sure the A/F ratio is safe through out the powerband. We also back our intake systems with a limited lifetime warranty from defects. We do the worrying of what could happen and take that out of the equation before any of our customers receive the product.

Plus, since the Magnusson Moss Act is a law and just like all laws, it is open to interpretation. If you feel that you are right then you will need to fight a dealership if they deny warranty. Also, dealerships must state the actual cause of the problem before they can deny warranty. They cannot just open your hood, see your intake, and say no warranty if you have a transmission problem.

Phillip
Injen Technology

Note how they put the burden on "fighting the dealership" on their customers...

And when somebody raises a valid point:

Also, the location of the vacuum hose is upstream of the mass air flow sensor. I've heard that this can contaminate the MAF with oil vapor. Is this true? This also makes me wonder about the oil catch can shown in the photos. Isn't this the function of this type of device. Injen comments?

The response has the usual loopholes:
Regarding the placement of the MAF adapter. Unless your Scion is pulling high rpm's all the time, blow-by will be minimal to none if the car is well maintained and is not using force induction. So the sensor should be safe from contamination. You should be more concerned about an over-oiled air filter as this is the most common type of contamination of MAF sensors. However, if you would like to install an in-line filter from the valve cover to the intake pipe, Injen does offer one that is used for the Nissan 350Z. This will block 100% of any type of vapor or oil that may come from the engine. This can be purchased seperately.

and if I do run at high-revs alot? Minimal to none? Maybe "minimal" IS all it takes to cook the MAF... Oh and we are aware of the problem, but rather than include the inline filter (which we charge $8.00 for on our site) we make you pay extra for this thing because we care so much about our customers.

ANYONE WITH THE INJEN INTAKE HAVE THE MAINTANANCE LIGHT PROBLEM WITH AN AUTOMATIC? MY LIGHT STAYS ON! Don't want to void the warranty.

I suggest you reset the ECU by removing the negative terminal of the car battery for a couple minutes. This should clear any codes and the check engine light that you have. You should also check the MAF sensor to see if it is attached correctly and securely. If everything is installed correctly per the instructions, there should be no check engine light.

^^^^Hey, guess what? It ain't as simple as that

We do the worrying of what could happen and take that out of the equation before any of our customers receive the product.

Phillip
Injen Technology

Better check your math because I think the equation is still pretty f*cked up...

Maybe if they had done a little more testing and research on the intake and a little less time and resources on the engine cover and oil filler cap projects, the intake would be as reliable as the car it was meant for...

i have about 9200 miles on my xb and have had the injen cold air intake on for about 500 and have had no problems with it.

Heres the deal. Seen it a million times. The filter oil you hosed the filter with got on the hot wire of the MAF sensor. Unplug the MAF and see if it runs better (this works on VW's anyway- once it doesn't get a signal from it- it used limp home mode preprogrammed signal and runs fine) If it runs different you know the MAF is sending the wrong signal. Also check for a vacuum leak where a silcone hose slid off- this will do it too. But I'd be willing to put money on that airfilter oil got on the hotwire. We used to get this in our airflow lab at work when would do independent testing on filter setups. Since the MAF is already F-ed, hose some break clean or carb cleaner on it. Works about 90% of the time. Just don't put the red hose on the end of the can and put it right on the hotwire. They are pretty fragile.

I didn't oil the f*ing filter!

Cleaning the MAF didn't fix the problem!

Heres the deal. Seen it a million times. ...

To save the original poster the aggravation because he seems to be pretty close to the edge right now ...

... read the thread. He's already tried all that.

Heres the deal. Seen it a million times. ...

To save the original poster the aggravation because he seems to be pretty close to the edge right now ...

... read the thread. He's already tried all that.

Whoops, too late :oops:

I think you must've put oil on the filter. Clean it with listerine, rise, repeat and it'll be fine.

J/K! So, you took it to the dealer with your CAI still on it, eh?

I thought I saw a post where someone (injen) now included a filter with these.... I can't find the thread though.. half the people got it shipped with an extra part of some sort though.

Does any one have any experience with K & N CAI's ?

Better check your math because I think the equation is still pretty f*cked up...

Maybe if they had done a little more testing and research on the intake and a little less time and resources on the engine cover and oil filler cap projects, the intake would be as reliable as the car it was meant for...


I think you need to chill out a little. Your over reacting to a problem that may not have been caused by the intake. Imagine an enormous company like Injen and then think about how many thousands of intakes they have sold for the xB (cold air and short ram). You are the only person I have heard of with this problem.

I have the first intake from Injen as far as cold air and I had the first short ram when it came out. I have 30,000 miles on my xB and I don't have a single problem.

I've sold hundreds of Injen intakes and not a single complaint about this issue or any other issues.

You don't know what the problem is with your MAF. No one does.

A customer once called me yellling and shouting at me that I sold him a bad Honda engine. He kept on telling me that he did everything and that he has been installing engines for "X" number of years and what an expert he was(he was upset that the engine wouldn't idle correctly) . After he was done and he had called me and my business every nasty word possible, I had asked him if there was any other mods in the engine bay. He told me about this, that, and a grounding kit. Come to find out, he had the grounding kit installed incorrectly and the engine did not have a solid grounding point. Problem solved and he appologized very embarassingly.

Try not to jump to conclusions about a problem you are not sure about and then turn around and FLAME the manufacturer. There is a reason the Injen has been in business for as many years as they have. Every person with an xB with an Injen intake would be upset that their intake killed the MAF. But they're not.

Good luck trying to figure out the problem.

-Steve 8)

Imagine an enormous company like Injen and then think about how many thousands of intakes they have sold for the xB (cold air and short ram). You are the only person I have heard of with this problem.
If you have read the entire post, you can see I am not the only one who has experienced problems specifically related to MAF failures attributed to Injen products.

Even Injen is aware of a problem... see the posts that point to specific conditions where their intakes will oil foul MAFs. Their solution? Sell you an additional part that should be included with every intake they sell once the problem was brought to their attention.

Thousands of Injen-intake-equipped xB's?? Take all the xB's, filter out all the soccer mom non-modder types, further reduce that by people with aftermarket intakes and then further reduce that by only those who bought Injen. Maybe a thousand. Now reduce that further by the owners of the CAI versus the short-ram and now how big is the sample?

Enormous companies make product mistakes all the time - GM gave us the Vega and Ford the Pinto... size of the manufacturer doesn't absolve them from creating a defective product. You sell their products so you can't be considered an objective viewpoint can you?

I'm guessing you and your customers (along with Injen) are in sunny California. I live in the Midwest. Did Injen do any testing with their product in the Midwest? We just got our xB's beginning in June 2004. Maybe we have different climate variables or even fuel refineries that cause problems for Injen-equipped xB's... I guess we'll have to wait until "thousands" are sold here??

You don't know what the problem is with your MAF. No one does. Here's what I do know: Dealer test equipment reveals trouble codes indicating airflow outside factory specs and high-volume outside factory specs. I'm not a mechanic, but I'm ruling out my aftermarket sunroof and armrest as possible causes...

Hmm what aftermarket part do I have that is remotely related to airflow past the MAF??? I wonder...

Am I ____ed? Hell yeah! I bought what I thought was the best intake out there for $250. So what are my options to correct my problem? Return to the stock airbox and get my repair covered under warranty... I guess I can use my Injen CAI as a piece of modern art... OR I can keep my "reliable" Injen CAI and pay the dealer $250+ to replace the rare defective MAF that I alone must have been cursed with, since thousands of other xB owners are cruising around with Injen intakes except me...

So either way I am out at least $250...

If you're so sure of the product, cut me a check for $250 and I'll send you my CAI, which you can pass along to Injen for reimbursement when they ship you your next order of their product to sell... they're a huge company they can afford it.

Dude, you have the solution in your post. Put your stock airbox back on and drop it off at the dealer. Then either sell or attempt to return your intake. Simple enough. Stop whining about it. Really, is the 3hp worth all of this drama???

:shock: Your dealer want to give you a new @$$hole. I have saw on this board that a new MAF runs $170. I have not read all the post here just parts so I assume you had a dealer install your Intake? So then I would assume that this $250 is for the part & dealer install? If not Im sorry for assuming but you should know how that old saying goes when you assume. Also on another note what would it matter if its short ram or CAI? I think they use the same filter just place it in different points. Both of them use the stock MAF. Did you diconect your battery for 5 min then let you car idle for 15 before you drove around with the new CAI? If your dealer installed it did they do this? The main thing to also think is yes a CAI will allow more air into the engine. Thats what its made to do. So it seems your MAF has not been reset to understand that its getting more air so it keeps putting out these codes (more then likely the computer thinks there is a air leak in the intake). When it comes to cars these days its just not a slap on a filter & rejet your carb kind of thing.

Dude, you have the solution in your post. Put your stock airbox back on and drop it off at the dealer. Then either sell or attempt to return your intake. Simple enough. Stop whining about it. Really, is the 3hp worth all of this drama??? Hey dude, like wanna give me $250 for it? Didn't think so...

Thanks for the simplistic well-thought out solution... you're so smart. I needed your (retarded) opinion to point me in the right direction.

Think I'll get what I paid for it? NO
Should I have to go to the trouble of removing what I installed? NO

Point of entire thread (what you consider "whining") is to ascertain (that means "figure out" dude) whether the Injen cold-air intake ruins MAFs and if so to warn people of that problem...

Take it off, put the stock back on, if not too late.. get the MAF replaced and order the $8 filter. Reinstall with filter.

I AM a problem solver. They call me "Jere the problem solver"

Yeah, I ordered the damn breather filter and have a source for MAF's for $115 shipped... but we'll see what the dealer says when I drop it off Monday.

Dude, you have the solution in your post. Put your stock airbox back on and drop it off at the dealer. Then either sell or attempt to return your intake. Simple enough. Stop whining about it. Really, is the 3hp worth all of this drama??? Hey dude, like wanna give me $250 for it? Didn't think so...

Thanks for the simplistic well-thought out solution... you're so smart. I needed your (retarded) opinion to point me in the right direction.

Think I'll get what I paid for it? NO
Should I have to go to the trouble of removing what I installed? NO

Point of entire thread (what you consider "whining") is to ascertain (that means "figure out" dude) whether the Injen cold-air intake ruins MAFs and if so to warn people of that problem...

So you think my opinion is retarded? Well, I think you _____ing about this is retarded. I think you trying to say Injen makes products that damage MAFs is retarded. How do I know that, because many people here in the Nor*Cal area are running the same intake you have on your car WITHOUT issues. Guess what, something is wrong with your car! Go get it fixed! Trying to advise us of your unique situation has gone from informative to scathing. Then you saying that you don't want to remove the intake! How stupid is that? If you have problems with it on, REMOVE IT! Not rocket science! You have a warranty, utilize it. There are thousands of parts on your car... one can go bad. If you car runs fine with your stock setup, then at that point you can contact Injen. Otherwise, you are just throwing a tamtrum without any backing of evidence. No case of stock vs. Injen. Just "It should work!" Oh yeah, by my count, you posted this up on Wednesday. You've had two days to put your parts back in and get it tested. Yet you have wasted time complaining & arguing. RETARDED! Be a person of action, not just words.

I think I'll buy the TRD CAI :)

I think you trying to say Injen makes products that damage MAFs is retarded. Very good! You HAVE been paying attention How do I know that, because many people here in the Nor*Cal area are running the same intake you have on your car WITHOUT issues. Great, you and another guy in your "clique" have an Injen and it hasn't failed yet... Then you saying that you don't want to remove the intake! How stupid is that? If you have problems with it on, REMOVE IT! Yes removing it will probably solve the problem for me... but then it would seem to indicate that the Injen part IS to blame then wouldn't it? You have a warranty, utilize it. I have warranty coverage if I take Injen's part off return it to the stock set-up and THEN take it to the dealer... not too big a pain in the ___ and should I even have to go through this just because I bought an Injen ? Was frequent removal and reinstall one of the attributes of the intake?? Must've missed that selling point. No case of stock vs. Injen. Just "It should work!" Hmm now I'M supposed to be conducting my own real-world testing?? Thought that big company Injen had already done that... I'd have been happy to test their part if I didn't have to PAY for it!Oh yeah, by my count, you posted this up on Wednesday. You've had two days to put your parts back in and get it tested. Yet you have wasted time complaining & arguing. Earliest dealer could schedule an appointment was 9/13... something about alot of appointments ahead of mine to fix MAF failures ...

Great that there are all these loyal Injen owners out there... I wanted to be one too.

As it stands, all these testimonials saying "works for me, must be something wrong with YOUR car" do nothing but state the obvious.

My point is that, in at least MY case, the Injen CAI is suspect in causing my MAF to fail, or at least triggering codes that indicate a MAF failure.

My goal is not to bash Injen for any personal pleasure any more than I enjoy not being able to drive my xB for going on two weeks.

And well yes, I can go back to my stock set-up to avoid the whole problem or get warranty replacement of the MAF, but what does that do? It doesn't determine WHY my particular car doesn't seem compatible with Injen's CAI. .. and that is why this post/thread is titled the way it is... to solicit similar experiences, raise awareness and hopefully learn something from this situation.

How old are you?? Cuuse all your whining makes you sound like a baby!! And what if you ever took it to the dealer was the end diagnosis??? Did it run right after you put the stock air box back on??? If it did than I guess you proved us all wrong!! If it still rund like S*$t Than Quit your whining! Cause your getting jerked around by your dealer!! It is a known fact let me make that clear FACT that a dealer will get a way with what ever they can!! If you let them jerk you around with BS You Get what you deserve!!! Losts of people here have had problumes and been jerked around by the dealer! And to inform everyone here they have posted! Please note I say posted not _____ED!!! Yes it sucked and they hated that their car was down! But they posted the problume let us know what the dealer said and what was going to be done asked for advice and let us know what the out come was!! So stop _____ing your probably not the first with this problume mabe the first to post oh sorry _____ about it!! Take a deep breath calm down! It sucks we know!!! we feel ya man!! go to the dealer and when they have it figured out let us know what the problume was!!! Oh and it it still runs like ____ after you put the original air box on! the Injen intake probably did not cause the problume!!!

Oh and it it still runs like ____ after you put the original air box on! the Injen intake probably did not cause the problume!!!Uh, if the MAF is toasted, no matter what I run now will "run like ____."

And yes, the factory set-up has been reinstalled for the trip to the dealer this Monday.... and yes, it is still f*cked up...

Any short ram manifold with an oiled filter is somewhat hazardous for the MAF sensor. It only takes a tiny oil droplet to contaminate the hot wire.

This is probably the reason why the "official" Scion CAI has a convoluted loop that closely resembles the original plumbing. The long pipe gives droplets a chance to settle out before they get to the MAF sensor.

The solution is simple, don't use an oiled filter. However, it seems that most folks don't think an intake is "kewl" unless it has an oiled gauze or foam filter on it!

George

I used the one that Injen sent... If I try this mess again I'll try to find a "dry" K & N instead.

It seems that oil from the breather hose is also a culprit, but I've already ordered the filter that Injen sells seperately to address this problem.

Shame they couldn't see fit to included this part (which they sell for $8 on their website) with the $250 intake they sell... must be working on a really tight profit margin.

Well I got the car back from the dealer and *surprise* it was the MAF!!! Imagine that!

I asked them why a MAF would fail with less than 1000 miles on it and the reply was that "it wasn't a defect" and then they commented on how they noticed the aftermarket parts on my car and that I should be "real careful when I let someone install non-OEM parts." *wink wink* Then they added "but we covered it under warranty."

The Injen fans will claim BS on the dealer's opinion that it wasn't a factory defect... In my opinion oil contaminated the MAF and the source of that contamination was the intake - whether from their "overoiled" filter or blowby from the breather tube, which Injen just so happens to offer a filter to prevent just such contamination from occurring...

For you newbs reading this thread, my advice is to get an AEM intake... unless you want to gamble and see if you are lucky and join the "thousands" of satisfied xB owners with Injen cold air intakes who haven't experienced a MAF failure or, if you aren't you get to find out first hand what I went through...

So far I had it for a while and no problems. It works perfect .

That's cool that the dealer knew what was up but helped you out anyway. The injen with the filter or the K&N are still way cheaper than the AEM and HAVE to make at least .2bhp more. :)

Well I got the car back from the dealer and *surprise* it was the MAF!!! Imagine that!

I asked them why a MAF would fail with less than 1000 miles on it and the reply was that "it wasn't a defect" and then they commented on how they noticed the aftermarket parts on my car and that I should be "real careful when I let someone install non-OEM parts." *wink wink* Then they added "but we covered it under warranty."

The Injen fans will claim BS on the dealer's opinion that it wasn't a factory defect... In my opinion oil contaminated the MAF and the source of that contamination was the intake - whether from their "overoiled" filter or blowby from the breather tube, which Injen just so happens to offer a filter to prevent just such contamination from occurring...

For you newbs reading this thread, my advice is to get an AEM intake... unless you want to gamble and see if you are lucky and join the "thousands" of satisfied xB owners with Injen cold air intakes who haven't experienced a MAF failure or, if you aren't you get to find out first hand what I went through...

just an FYI for you since your car is finally back up and running.

most oil-based aftermarket filters come OVEROILED from the factory. However, responsible companies generally include a notice that you should sop up excess oil from the filter before using it.

I've seen these notices in K&N filter boxes, as well as TRD filters that I've used in my car (not a scion)

Also most service techs I've talked to tell me NOT to use an oiled filter because they can do more harm than good. And numerous cars with aftermarket filters (not just Injen products) have been in for MAF related problems.

Good luck...

I have a Injen short ram and haven't had any problems yet either.

don't know if this has to do with the maf sensor ,but they have an TSB out concerning rough idle in the xB's.


dated MAY 20th 2004
ROUGH IDLE SB # 01204
NHTSA # 10007663

I HAVE AN ROUGH IDLE IN MY Xb SOMTIMES (HAVE NOT HAD TIME TO TAKE TO DEALER YET) .DO NOT HAVE CAI YET.

There could have been a problem with your MAF all along ,just did not show up right away. glad you got it fixed at scions cost.

good luck with your box in the future.

hotlava1886

pres & founder : scionownersclub@yahoo.com

Dude,
You were paying $80+ per horsepower gained, and it took all this drama to come to the conclusion it wasn't a good deal!? :D

At the same price rate per HP gained, I'll sell you my extra 50 HP NOS kit- it should be worth about $4000 to you. ($80x50HP=4000) and then you will have so much power that.......................................you will still get spanked by a 1983 Escort.

You should heard the dealers speil to me about "you gotta get the cold air intake" because it was going to add so much power. Give me a freakin break. Yeah, I could drop a grand on the intake, exhaust, some goofball sparkplugs, and a big chrome sticker up the side to add what- 6 HP? WOW! I could probably break through the 20 second barrier in the Quarter.

I never had any problems with my injen intake. Maybe you didn't tighten the MAF all the way.

Dude,
You were paying $80+ per horsepower gained, and it took all this drama to come to the conclusion it wasn't a good deal!? :D

At the same price rate per HP gained, I'll sell you my extra 50 HP NOS kit- it should be worth about $4000 to you. ($80x50HP=4000) and then you will have so much power that.......................................you will still get spanked by a 1983 Escort.

You should heard the dealers speil to me about "you gotta get the cold air intake" because it was going to add so much power. Give me a freakin break. Yeah, I could drop a grand on the intake, exhaust, some goofball sparkplugs, and a big chrome sticker up the side to add what- 6 HP? WOW! I could probably break through the 20 second barrier in the Quarter.

LOL! Gotta have that mad tight intake as the kids say. Yo dawg my MAF is junked up but I gotz to have that bling bling and that mad rush of air that's music to my ears. (107 hp is mad power yo, you can beat 2k3 mustang cobras with an intake and 17 inch rims) :roll: :lol:

Earliest dealer could schedule an appointment was 9/13... something about alot of appointments ahead of mine to fix MAF failures ...


SO did all of these people have an Injen CAI.... Sounds like MAF problem all together not Injen problem.. Yes the said they found no problem but fixed it anyways and warned about aftermarket products.. sounds like BS to me b/c if wasnt a defect and they thought it was aftermarket part that caused problem they would have charged you for the MAF sensor. just my opinion...

Just a bit of speculation ...

1. Did the dealership say exactly what was wrong with the MAF sensor? I wonder if the problem could be mechanical damage to the delicate sensor wires, not fouling. That might explain why cleaning the hot wire didn't fix things. It wouldn't take too much extra vibration to damage those wires ...

2. Where exactly is the filter located on the CAI? The filter for the Injen short ram sits in what I'd guess is one of the cooler parts of the engine compartment, with no nearby sources of heat other than the left headlight. If the CAI inlet sits near other engine/transmission components, I wonder if heat soak might be burning off the oil in the filter and causing premature fouling.

Hi Fuglyxb. Sorry to here about your problem. I went though the same thing. What type of CAI is yours? Mine is the RD2105P The one with the weird bends. I cooked 2 sensors. The first one with out the $8.00 inline oil filter defuser from injen. Which was not in the box or in the instructions when i got it. Then i had to buy the thing and guess what it cooked the second sensor. Fuglyxb my email is nick_gerace@yahoo.com if u want to talk more. later......

sweeet..

K&N, YEAH-K&N!

Breasts - W-Wings.

sweeet..

K&N, YEAH-K&N!

Breasts - W-Wings.

gayest commercial ever. also, i was born in Elmira, NY. Only thing I miss about the place is Lights Bakery.

Earliest dealer could schedule an appointment was 9/13... something about alot of appointments ahead of mine to fix MAF failures ...
SO did all of these people have an Injen CAI.... Sounds like MAF problem all together not Injen problem.

I was being sarcastic... don't know why the service department was backed up and taking diagnostic appointments based on a 7-day wait, especially for all these reliable Scions/Toyotas <---- (more sarcasm)

The Injen fans will claim BS on the dealer's opinion that it wasn't a factory defect... as predicted: sounds like BS to me b/c if wasnt a defect and they thought it was aftermarket part that caused problem they would have charged you for the MAF sensor. just my opinion...

I never had any problems with my injen intake. Maybe you didn't tighten the MAF all the way. Of course... that was it!!!! NOT... maybe I didn't plug the sensor back in either :roll:

As for zombietime and sweetdaddydelicious (both learned scholars judging by their catchy screen names) this thread was never about debating the dollar/whp ratio of a CAI, but thanks for your .0000000002 worth.

Sithscripter: No detailed assessment as to what damage had occurred to the MAF. Other than spraying the contact cleaner, no direct contact was ever made with the MAF wires. The Toyota MAFs seem extra sensitive. I made an intake for my Hyundai (ironically from an Injen Civic intake) and it hasn't killed that MAF (yet?) even with a K&N oiled filter attached to it right out of the box. Hell, the filter has worked itself loose a couple of times so that I wasn't running ANY filter and that didn't kill the Hyundai MAF...

The Injen CAI for the xB locates the filter just ahead of the driver's side front wheel... no significant heat sources I can think of there. Thanks for your intelligent suggestions, though - refreshing change from some of the usual knuckledragger comments - apparently some of that Three Mile Island fallout affected the residents of Elmira NY especially hard... :(

FU xB,

Naw, it is the acid rain fallout from the black smoke you guys call air over there.
I was simply saying, in a light humored way (something you should try on, maybe), that the K&N intake is starting to sound like a safer bet. Actually taking your side in spite of your offensive attitude towards others. I understand the defensiveness but, there's no need to be mean. Anyway, I had a bad MAF code on my contour.. replaced it and $100 later no change.. turns out it was the 02 sensor. Which I couldn't reach without taking the FE off the dang car. So, I sold it and got an xB. I like the xB 'cause the seats sit high. 'keeps my knuckles from getting stuck in the door sill when I close the door.


gayest commercial ever. also, i was born in Elmira, NY. Only thing I miss about the place is Lights Bakery.
That one and the freaking bridgstone comercials during the F1 races "and the wheels go round and the wheels go round"... "and the channel gets changed".. aurgh, I can't stand them.
Congrats for being born in Elmira. I hope your knuckles have healed well. Lights is good. We have hockey now, and a good mexican rest. too! I really like it here, but have been lucky to stay employed, though I have had to drive 45-60 minutes to work for the last 5 years :)

FuglyxB wrote:
I removed the MAF and swabbed out the area immediately around the MAF mounting area... no oil residue, just aluminum dust from the tube.

It is just as likely that the aluminum dust caused the MAF to foul as the oil from the filter may have. Aluminum dust, being a conductive metal, has the potential to short out or generally mess up any electrical sensor.

I installed a K&N CAI in my xB, and the instructions specifically stated that before performing the install, the tube should be thoroughly washed and dried to remove any contaminants. (I'm not familiar with the Injen instructions. Do they say anything about this?)

As for oil contamination... I noticed the K&N CAI tube has a small deflector plate a few inches before the MAF. I assume the purpose of this plate is to create turbulence in the air flow to encourage any oil droplets to hit the deflector plate or the wall of the tube instead of the MAF. (Just out of curiosity, do the Injen or AEM CAI's have this feature?)

For what it's worth, I came across this page on the K&N website which discusses their opinion regarding their products and MAF sensors.

http://www.knfilters.com/massair.htm

- Clipper453

Thanks Clipper for all of that info... Far more insightful than most of the drivel posted in response to my original post.

No tube cleaning instructions are supplied from Injen, nor is there any deflector plate etc. in the Injen CAI.

Should give potential CAI buyers reason to think about a K & N over the other brands.

I like their statement you linked to - shows they are aware of the problem and acknowledge it, which is more than AEM/Injen do...

If I had it all to do over again, I'd buy a K&N!

Sorry for joining this thread so late in the process. I installed an Injen SRI about 600 miles ago. During the install I noticed a filter that appeared to be for the breather hose. The instructions did not cover the installation of this part.

Due to the position of the breather hose upstream from the MAF sensor, I decided to install the filter in the hose. It did not appear to be directionally sensitive, so I just installed it as I thought it should go. The following link is a picture of this filter.

http://cbrady.is-a-geek.com/short_ram.jpg (see black circle)

Just wondering if others had this extra part, and if so, who installed.

Car is running fine, by the way.

Due to the position of the breather hose upstream from the MAF sensor, I decided to install the filter in the hose. It did not appear to be directionally sensitive, so I just installed it as I thought it should go.
Injen started puttin that piece in the kit a few months ago. Mine didn't come with the kit, but I ordered it from Injen for $8. Injen suggests replacing it every 10K or 12K miles. BTW, I'd put clamps on the hose ends around this filter just to be safe.

Also, when using an electrical cleaning product for the MAF, make sure that the back of the can does not say "Not for sensitive electronics". For example the CRC Auto Electronic Cleaner should NOT be used (although it would seem so). Get the CRC QD Electronic Cleaner. It is specifically meant to clean very delicate electronics. The one for Auto Electronics specifically says not to use for sensitive electronic contacts. Also "swabbing" the sensor may not be a great idea. Get the kind of cleaner that spays on from an aerosol can and self drys. If you think that there is some aluminum pieces contaminating it, then get a can of "Endust" or other canned air duster. That's how I cleaned my MAF.

as in the qoute from my post i bought the cai made by injen. it blew my maf the dealer said my air flow meter was defective aka the intake cooked it. the stock box i put back on was missing one clamp so im surprised they replaced it . my dealer is the best. I am debating on getting the defuser i might just sell it. i have a reactive dry filter on it now as well as the original k&n filter. when i took the filter off after the umpteenth time trying everybodis techniques. i noticed metal shavings like dust almost but a little bigger . i thought it was just mine but i guess someone else had that issue as well. where the maf goes the soldering of that mounting block looks like it wa poorly connected. my opinion only. i have installed many intakes on other vehicles and have never looked at the inside of the tube to inspect the soldering. Then again i never cooked a maf before. anyone wanna buy a injen intake for cheap?

okay, i read the entire thread, and unfortunately for me, injen is the only company making a short ram intake. i don't want a cold air. so, with the added extras they are now putting in with the kit, should i get a k & n filter and use it instead of the injen one?