[sum_weirdo]

I got my new VMP tune yesterday so this morning first thing I went to install it. I wired the external IAT sensor in the supercharger discharge duct and loaded up the tune from my X3. Simple except it didn't work. The car sputtered and lacked any power and threw a P2196 error code. Now I've already sent an email to Justin for his take on that but I doubt I'll get a response over the weekend.

Anyway my actual question is that when I took a data log at idle the MAF voltage was recorded as 0. I don't data log very much but that doesn't sound quite right to me. When I bought the Lightning IAT sensor it came with a diagram of the MAF sensor indicating which wires to cut. I cut the 2 on the right side of the sensor and wired them to the IAT. Should have been an idiot proof procedure, doesn't seem like I could have damaged the MAF in any way.

I had stuff to do so I wired it back the way it was and reloaded the Vortech tune and all is well, I'm just wondering if I missed something simple here.

[stlwagon]

You should have cut the gray and gray/red wires. As you are looking at the back of the new harness, the gray goes to the left wire and the gray/red to the right wire.

[sum_weirdo]

I cut the red and black wires on the opposite side of the harness I just took another look at the wiring diagram that came with the IAT sensor. It clearly indicates the 2 wires on the right side of the plug, yet when I look at it closer it does indeed say gray and gray/red.

<RANT>
WHY WHY WHY ARE THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR EVERY PERFORMANCE PART I'VE EVER BOUGHT APPARENTLY WRITTEN IN SPANISH BY RETARDED DOLPHINS BEFORE BEING TRANSLATED TO ENGLISH?? WHY IS IT SO HARD TO PROOF READ THINGS??!! IT'S FREE AHHHHHHHHH H HAH HHIIIIHIEI AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH *RUNS SCREAMING DOWN THE STREET TO PUNCH A MAILBOX*
<END RANT>

That said thanks for pointing out the problem and I'd just like to say for the record I didn't buy the IAT from Justin, his service as been excellent.

[stlwagon]

You can easily undo that. I'd just make sure you solder the wires up good rather than using any wire splices.

[sum_weirdo]

I tend to use heat shrinkable butt connectors, I've always had good luck with them. By the time I'm done hacking my wiring I'll just cover it with wire loom and it'll look and work great.

[sum_weirdo]

Sunday morning I twisted the wires together in the right configuration and loaded the VMP tune again, this time it seemed to idle stable and I was able to complete some nearby errands without problems, then I came home. I made the wiring permanant with heatshrink butt connectors and set out a few hours later when the day was getting hot. This time the idle was bad from the start and I didn't get more than a few hundred feet before power dwindled away to nothing and the engine quit. I checked the wires that I was messing with and hacked them apart and put them back together every which way but I couldn't get the car to start.
I thought maybe the tune was too rich so I reloaded the Vortech tune again but still got squat, the engine cranked powerfully but wouldn't catch. Thinking I flooded it I left it for 4 hours and tried again but I could barely get it to hiccup. I pulled a spark plug thinking it would be gas fouled but it was dry. My SCT programmer didn't show any error codes, I'm not sure what to check next. I had to drive my ancient truck to work today, that thing costs me $10 every time I turn the key Any suggestions?

[sum_weirdo]

I replaced the MAF connector and it seems fine now.