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 ?

 

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

 

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??

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???

 

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.

 

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.

 

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

 

Very good! You HAVE been paying attention Great, you and another guy in your "clique" have an Injen and it hasn't failed yet... 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? 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. 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! 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!!!

 

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.

 

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...