Installing a CAI

dp · Post by dp » Wed Jun 28, 2006 5:01 pm

Once I remove the stock box and install my newly bought CAI from eBay (should be arriving soon), what am I going to do with the oxygen sensors? They're going to shoot a CHECK ENGINE light at me on the dash!

Or will they? I went to a car electrician and he told me it would probably turn on. The advice he gave me was to connect the sensor directly to the battery via some kind of cable (I'm not sure I caught that part well, I'm kinda retarded when it comes to certain electronics)...

What do you guys say? Will it turn on? What should I do?

kc2005ptgt · Post by **kc2005ptgt** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 5:17 pm

no no no - there is a hole with a little rubber grommet that you stick it in. No worries, mate!

CAI is a straight forward install, you should be done in like, 1 hour max! It took me 45 minutes, but I was messing around with other things at the time and doing some deep cleaning.

atom · Post by **atom** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 5:41 pm

There is no oxygen sensor anyways, that mechanic is on crack. As far as I know that sensor in the intake tubing is a temperature sensor. Chances are you wont be able to get the sensor in your ebay intake like its supposed to. I used a bunch of silocone sealent to hold mine in. It held pretty well.

OB · Post by OB » Wed Jun 28, 2006 6:07 pm

yeah it should pop right in. but like he said above, it IS an ebay product, who knows if it'll fit.

dp · Post by dp » Wed Jun 28, 2006 6:12 pm

Wait, I thought the intake on eBay had no sensor. It's just an intake tube and the filter. You're saying it has to have a sensor?

OB · Post by OB » Wed Jun 28, 2006 6:17 pm

any intake has to have a sensor for the car to run correctly, and if the ebay one has no hole for it to pop into, i suggest cutting one out. CAI's dont delete the need for the sensor!

dp · Post by dp » Wed Jun 28, 2006 6:22 pm

I didnt't know. I remember putting an intake on my old 92 Mitsubishi Mirage. I ripped out the whole stock intake and put in a new intake tube and a filter. The sensor I just tied up to the side, left it there unplugged. The check engine light is always on, but the car ran fine... Why wouldn't it work on my Neon? Trying to learn here, not questioning.

OB · Post by OB » Wed Jun 28, 2006 6:56 pm

It would work, but the computer wouldnt appreciate it after some mileage. Ive unplugged mine before while the car was running and everything went ok, but u have to keep in mind that the sensor isnt there to look cool. It has a purpose, which is to allow the PCM to monitor ambient air (02) temperatures. Removing it doesnt throw a CEL as far as I know, since the sensor doesnt actually know when its plugged in. It will simply read incorrect temps to the PCM (much hotter temps than they really are) and your engines performance, fuel efficiency, and other things may suffer. just my 2 cents .

alabama.tuner0315 · Post by **alabama.tuner0315** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 7:04 pm

dude just use the rubber hose for the valve cover air intake cut about half inch off and shove it in the small hole and shove the sensor in that it will work. that rubber seal they give will fall into the tube everytime u put the temp sensor in. Now on my accent i never put the temp sensor on it and never a check engine light.

BlackRoseRacing · Post by **BlackRoseRacing** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 8:04 pm

Your old mirage used a MAF sensor like GM's use, where as our neons use a MAP sensor thats tapped into the intake manifold. Asfor the other sensor everyone is talking about, it is designed to tell the PCM how hot or cold the intake temp is....

scneonchic · Post by **scneonchic** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 9:20 pm

I had an ebay intake once and the sensor fit into a little hole on the side. or it didnt really fit. had to use black silicon to hold it on

dp · Post by dp » Thu Jun 29, 2006 1:00 am

Wouldn't black silicon ruin the sensor if I ever wanted to remove it?

BlackRoseRacing · Post by **BlackRoseRacing** » Thu Jun 29, 2006 5:31 am

you could always mount the IAT in the fender well next to the CAI air filter, problem solved...

scneonchic · Post by **scneonchic** » Thu Jun 29, 2006 6:34 am

dp wrote:Wouldn't black silicon ruin the sensor if I ever wanted to remove it?

Im almost sure thats what we used, and my sensor still works fine w/ my nice new AEM.

Nick Drake · Post by **Nick Drake** » Thu Jun 29, 2006 11:12 am

BlackRoseRacing wrote:you could always mount the IAT in the fender well next to the CAI air filter, problem solved...

Yeah, it's just sensing the air right? So who really cares if it's in the tube, the air would be basically the same.

OB · Post by OB » Thu Jun 29, 2006 11:25 am

its sensing the air temperature; therefore it is wise to actually have it IN the air stream. id say the farther from the filter, the more accurate the reading will be, but anywhere in the intake tube will do.

just to break it down, this is my understanding of the need for the ambient air temp sensor:

A given volume of warm air has less 02 molecules than the same amount of cold air would have. More 02 is more air to mix with fuel in the chamber. Therefore, since we know that colder air is more dense than warm air, it is clear that it is better for making more power and a more efficient combustion. The sensor in the intake tells the PCM the temp of the air, and the PCM compensates for this information with a formulated amount of fuel. It takes a certain amount of 02 to mix with the fuel to get the proper AF ratio and a maximum efficiency burn. A colder air coming in will cause a slight change in the way the car burns fuel, therefore causing a slight change in power output, and possibly even fuel efficiency. So, the more accurate the temp sensor, the better the motor can do its job, basically.

BlackRoseRacing · Post by **BlackRoseRacing** » Thu Jun 29, 2006 7:02 pm

^^^
Exactly, I relocated my IAT sensor to my airbox since most my air is coming from the hood directly to the box Vs sucking it from the fenderwell. Seat of the pants feel a little different but not much.
If you are that consernd about a IAT hole heres what I did for my airbox..
1 - pick up a grommet (53030017 $3.85)
2 - drill a hole for that grommet to fit tightly
3 - insert IAT sensor and be done

Note:
The grommet number above is designed to hold a PCV valve, im pretty sure thats the number I got for my setup and its hole is the same size as the IAT sensor

dblsg · Post by **dblsg** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 1:56 am

sensor shmensor

03atx · Post by **03atx** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 7:37 am

http://www.neon-owners.org/neon/tech/ho ... k_rhd.html