i just bought a 04 wrx. the check engine light was on and i was told it was due to an aftermarket intake that has been installed on it and it was making the car run lean. i took the car to the mechanic that has done all the engine work on it in the past and he told me that to fix it he would need to install either the stock wrx airbox or a new, better, intake. he also said that the car needs a new MAF sensor and a tune. all together its a bit pricey can anyone back this up, or has anyone had this problem and know what can be done to fix it? Ps. The mechanic that did the work and told me all this is a guy that's gotten pretty good reviews on this forum so I'm not so much worried about his info not being legit. I'm mostly just worried about how much it's gonna cost and wondering if there is a less expensive alternitivr
He is correct.... You could get an open source tune and be done with it. Mike @ killshot, Doug @ Topspeed, or any of the vendors on here could do it.
If you would rather not go with a custom tune, you could sell your intake and purchase a used Cobb Accessport and go with an off the shelf map.
Could you please explain the Cobb access port to me. I know about it's potential to increase performance but nothing about how it's used. My mechanic suggested getting one also. Can I use it on my own? Or is it something that needs to be done by a professional?
Just go back with the stock air box. Get used MAF from nasioc.com if yours is down. Do not go do stealership, i got ripped off to hell when I bought mine new. And see how your car reacts with those things installed. Might not need a tune. x2 on the AP2.
Before getting a new MAF...try spraying it with some throttle body cleaner. See if that helps, it may save you 150-200.
It's a nifty hand-held device (think IPOD size) with the ability to not only add a different base map and real-time map but also display real-time data (such as boost) and read trouble (CEL) codes. They're not "cheap"; fortunately, you only have to cry once / buy once. Good point. The spray is <$10 and is available at most automotive parts stores. You may need to ask an employee to find it for you as sometimes the cans are not well displayed on their shelves.
With the way the ecu is on these cars, aftermarket maf housings alter the way they run when you get into the throttle. Unless you have an aftermarket turbo or are maxing out the stock intake, you would be best to keep the stock airbox (which can usually be had used for cheap!). Brandon at Allpro probably has one as he has tons of used stock parts. That is more than likely your cheapest option.
If you know your way around a computer, look into an open source cable and just loading in an OTS tune once you get your air box sorted out. Stock air box and clean maf on stock tune= good to go.
But the Cobb AP is something I can use on my own right? Without having to take it to a professional. And it turns out I had some of that spray in my work room. Didn't make a difference though haha :thumbsdow
Will, I have already done all of these things for the place you bought the car from. I told the place you bought the car from what it was going to take to fix it, I gave you the cobb option, I gave you the return to stock option. The airflow sensor is done and needs to be replaced. If you want it fixed drop the car off, and it will be fixed.
Something worth mentioning (just in case): Make sure you are actually cleaning the MAF portion of the sensor. Some people just spray at the little amber colored bulb (which is the air temp sensor, correct?), not realizing that the MAF sensor itself is a very fragile looking piece of wire up inside the plastic plastic housing. You almost need a flash light to look up in there and get a good view of it. If I were in your shoes and I cleaned the maf correctly, I would go back to a stock airbox and remove that possibility altogether. Of course, if you're short on time and are tired of messing with it, I'd say Killshot, Topspeed, or one of the other local shops could sort this issue in a reasonably priced and quick manner without resorting to EM and a retune.