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Check Engine Light won't go off - Help

5K views 19 replies 9 participants last post by  Dubl10 
#1 ·
Hello,

Okay, I bought a JET chip (now i'm thinking I should have just bought a tuner), and anytime I go underneath the hood of my car, unplug the cables to the computer, plug them back in, start the car up, everything is fine, no engine light, turn the car off and the next time I start the car, the check engine light comes on. It's the same pattern over and over.

For example, I unplug the connectors to the computer, plug in the JET chip, plug the connectors back in, start the car, everything seems to work great - no check engine light on. I drive the car around for a while to enjoy then I power off the car, the next time I get into my car, I start it and ride off, the check engine light is on.

This happens over and over, it's the same cycle. Meaning, I try to fix it, by re-doing everything under the hood, same cycle, no light the first time, second time it comes on.

So then I thought, find, screw this, forget the JET Chip, I will just use the stock settings. So I open the hood, unplug the JET CHIP, replug in the connectors to the computer like it original was before I messed with anything. I start the car up, no check engine light. So great, were back to normal. But, BUT!!! When i power off the car and start it up again for the second time, MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON!! This time with NO JEET CHIP IN THE CAR. :mad:

It's the same pattern over and over again. I go under the hood, do something with the connectors, start the car up, everything is fine the first time, but when I start the car up the second time, BAMN, check engine light comes on.

Anybody know why or most importantly how to fix this?
 
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#2 ·
The question everyone is wondering is..."Do you have a Cold Air Intake on the car?"

If so..that is your problem, not the chip. Buy the tuner, trust us.
 
#3 ·
KiLLeR_WoMBaT said:
The question everyone is wondering is..."Do you have a Cold Air Intake on the car?"

If so..that is your problem, not the chip. Buy the tuner, trust us.
yes I do have a cold air intake, that is the problem then right. Cause last night, I put on my car the steeda air intake and installed the chip!!
 
#4 ·
KiLLeR_WoMBaT said:
The question everyone is wondering is..."Do you have a Cold Air Intake on the car?"

If so..that is your problem, not the chip. Buy the tuner, trust us.
well this brings me up a huge question, are you saying that if you buy a CAI, that you MUST by a tuner for it, you can't just install a CAI???
 
#5 ·
Can you just get the code pulled?
 
#6 ·
Put some tape over the "Check engine" light. See if that helps.:winks
 
#7 ·
Dubl10 said:
well this brings me up a huge question, are you saying that if you buy a CAI, that you MUST by a tuner for it, you can't just install a CAI???
If I recall correctly the Steeda web site specifically states that their CAI requires a custom tune. It's very likely that the JET chip tune does not compensate correctly for the Steeda CAI. As such I sadly suspect your options may be to buy a tuner with a correct tune for the Steeda or simply remove the CAI and replace the stock air box.
 
#8 ·
How many times have we been through this...??

You mess with the intake airflow you'll have to get a tuner and tune... Only known way around this is the K&N unit, all others require a tune, even most of the ones that claims no tune is needed...!!
 
#9 ·
kj_cinci said:
How many times have we been through this...??

You mess with the intake airflow you'll have to get a tuner and tune... Only known way around this is the K&N unit, all others require a tune, even most of the ones that claims no tune is needed...!!
let me ask you this, is it alright to drive my car around for a few days until my tune gets in, or do i need to take out my steeda CAI????
 
#10 ·
Dubl10 said:
let me ask you this, is it alright to drive my car around for a few days until my tune gets in, or do i need to take out my steeda CAI????
Yes, I'd say you'll be fine... it's prolly a bit lean but the main problem (CEL) is that the air coming in being read by your new MAF and sent to the car computer is too much for it to 'understand'... It was not programmed to expect and adjust for your current airflow as the stock MAF didn't even meassure that high...
 
#11 ·
kj_cinci said:
Yes, I'd say you'll be fine... it's prolly a bit lean but the main problem (CEL) is that the air coming in being read by your new MAF and sent to the car computer is too much for it to 'understand'... It was not programmed to expect and adjust for your current airflow as the stock MAF didn't even meassure that high...
thanks! :thumbsup
 
#12 ·
kj_cinci said:
How many times have we been through this...??

You mess with the intake airflow you'll have to get a tuner and tune... Only known way around this is the K&N unit, all others require a tune, even most of the ones that claims no tune is needed...!!
AFM...proudly serving over 1,999,999 CAI questions!

"You old timers remember the McDonald's sign?":winks
 
#13 ·
KiLLeR_WoMBaT said:
AFM...proudly serving over 1,999,999 CAI questions!

"You old timers remember the McDonald's sign?":winks
Oh yeah! When did they stop putting that on the sign?

I even remember being able to know and do everything! That WAS before I learned how much and many there is of so much and many things....
 
#14 ·
Gig4Fun said:
Oh yeah! When did they stop putting that on the sign?
They did?? :rolleyes:
 
#15 ·
PurrVert said:
They did?? :rolleyes:
Just guessing...can't remember seeing it on the sign lately. I haven't eaten at one in YEARS! Literally years.

...now back to your regularly scheduled thread....
 
#16 ·
Actually the sign now reads "Billions and Billions sold".

I've been in the industry my whole life.

And...

I work near Steeda. I got the CAI and the SCT2. You definitely need the tune, and with the 93 octane tune the car FLIES!!!!!!!!!
 
#17 ·
Ya know... everytime I read threads like this I'm just totally amazed by some of the responses! :eyebulge:

Now I'm no expert on induction nor do I care to be but where out of left field do comments like all intakes except K&N need tunes come from? The whole premise here relates to air and fuel. In the stock intake a known volume of air is brought in through the air box. When you replace the air box and flat filter with a cone filter and less restrictive TB tube you increase the amount of air brought in. The computer can only compensate for so much and this causes the mixture to lean out. Well if this is truly the case then even the K & N needs a tune to run optimally. Either this or the K & N honestly doesn't bring in much more air than the stock air box.

Personally I'm leaning towards the Street Smart Design intake. As a second choice I may wait and get the new intake from AirAid which was designed with an add-on venturi tube to help maintain proper A/F mixture. Either way I see little or no need for a tune initially. Once the car is out of its Ford warranty however... I'll be definitely investing in a tuner!! :winks
 
#18 ·
martimus said:
Ya know... everytime I read threads like this I'm just totally amazed by some of the responses! :eyebulge:

Now I'm no expert on induction nor do I care to be but where out of left field do comments like all intakes except K&N need tunes come from? The whole premise here relates to air and fuel. In the stock intake a known volume of air is brought in through the air box. When you replace the air box and flat filter with a cone filter and less restrictive TB tube you increase the amount of air brought in. The computer can only compensate for so much and this causes the mixture to lean out. Well if this is truly the case then even the K & N needs a tune to run optimally. Either this or the K & N honestly doesn't bring in much more air than the stock air box.

Personally I'm leaning towards the Street Smart Design intake. As a second choice I may wait and get the new intake from AirAid which was designed with an add-on venturi tube to help maintain proper A/F mixture. Either way I see little or no need for a tune initially. Once the car is out of its Ford warranty however... I'll be definitely investing in a tuner!! :winks
It came from me! It comes from experience on-line and in real life, with my car and many others... It's a fact! Not a commment outa left field! I tried to help the guy by stating a fact from experience!

The thread is NOT about CAIs or anything but CEL won't go off - Help! And I think I did.

All cars needs a tune to run optimally! I tell people to get a tuner and tune as the fist mod, before a CAI! But again, that's not what this thread was about... BUT! The only CAI that constantly improves power without a tune AND without a CEL is the K&N, that's a FACT! I don't have it, I don't work for them, I'm just stating a fact from experience...

Sorry... It's just irritating thinking you do a good thing and then get accused of... I don't know what that was...??
 
#19 ·
kj_cinci said:
It came from me! It comes from experience on-line and in real life, with my car and many others... It's a fact! Not a commment outa left field! I tried to help the guy by stating a fact from experience!

The thread is NOT about CAIs or anything but CEL won't go off - Help! And I think I did.

All cars needs a tune to run optimally! I tell people to get a tuner and tune as the fist mod, before a CAI! But again, that's not what this thread was about... BUT! The only CAI that constantly improves power without a tune AND without a CEL is the K&N, that's a FACT! I don't have it, I don't work for them, I'm just stating a fact from experience...

Sorry... It's just irritating thinking you do a good thing and then get accused of... I don't know what that was...??
Word! ..and owned..
 
#20 ·
kj_cinci said:
It came from me! It comes from experience on-line and in real life, with my car and many others... It's a fact! Not a commment outa left field! I tried to help the guy by stating a fact from experience!

The thread is NOT about CAIs or anything but CEL won't go off - Help! And I think I did.

All cars needs a tune to run optimally! I tell people to get a tuner and tune as the fist mod, before a CAI! But again, that's not what this thread was about... BUT! The only CAI that constantly improves power without a tune AND without a CEL is the K&N, that's a FACT! I don't have it, I don't work for them, I'm just stating a fact from experience...

Sorry... It's just irritating thinking you do a good thing and then get accused of... I don't know what that was...??
And you did help me a lot, I really appreciate it, thanks!!! I wouldn't have thought it would have been the CAI, because i know many people have put a CAI in their cars and never did a tune, etc.. So i'm glad someone knew that and informed me on it, otherwise i would have been lost and not knowing what to do.:thumbsup
 
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