i just installed the injen CAI in the car a couple weeks ago and at first it was great (sounds nice and much better performance) but my check CEL started coming on and i cant figure out why because i was extra careful with all the sensers and i made sure to disconnect the battery. anyone got any advice??

Most likly an air leak. I'm sure you checked it but if its running ok and JUST throughing a cel then you have a leak. Just go back over all of the bolts and retighten. Then reset the ECU.

thanx, i'll double check it and hope that an air leak is the problem

didnt work, i might just have to go ahead and just take it off and reinstall the whole thing but i would like to know if anyone has any more advice before i go and do that

It's not an air leak.

What an intake does it add more denser, cooler air into the engine; thus affecting the air/fuel ratio. This produces more power but also pushes the car out of factory specs, which makes it vulnerable to CEL's. Injen intakes are known to produce the most power gain but also throw the most CEL's. If you don't like the CEL, you can just reset it by disconnecting the battery for a while, but that won't fix anything. You need to get it scanned by a dealer or someone with a CAN capable scanner to figure out which CEL code it's throwing and then figure out what to do accordingly. Most autoshops like Autozone will carry it and can help you scan your CEL.

Remember, a CEL doesn't necessarily mean that your car is in any immediate danger. Your car may not be taking any damage at all. There are literally thousands of reasons a CEL would come on. You just happened to have come across one (or possibly more).



I'm a member of the http://forum.mazda6club.com (mazda6club.com) and CEL's aren't too rare for cars with aftermarket intakes.

^Especially the 6... LoL.

If the MAF is a part of the piping on the intake like it is on the 6 (on some cars it's a separate piece), and you put a bigger pipe on there, it is going to throw off the readings, and will throw a CEL because it's running lean.

occasionally, every couple of months ill have my check engine light come on (AEM CAI)...the error code is always for the MAF...all i do is reinstally the intake, and the CEL goes away and the car works just fine.

i have never thrown a cel since august when i put my injen on. You might have a filter that has too much oil, so the oil is getting on the maf sensor?? You should give injen a email and see what they say.

How-to clear your CEL(on a protege, at least)
-disconnect the battery
-pump the brakes a few times to get any charg out of the capacitors
-wait 15 minutes
-connect the battery
The car's computer will now be able to deal with the extra air without throwing a CEL, and you'll get your +3 HP or whatever gains the Injen will give.

I've got the same CAI and have had no CEL - except when I failed to put the fuel cap on properly. If you refueled recently check the gas cap, reset your ecu as suggested above.

my CEL came on today, roughly 1.5weeks after I installed my Injen, I have a 00 Protege ES though.. but I'm going to get it scaned @ autozone today to figure out if it's possibly something else.

my CEL came on today, roughly 1.5weeks after I installed my Injen, I have a 00 Protege ES though.. but I'm going to get it scaned @ autozone today to figure out if it's possibly something else.

You shouldn't be getting a CEL from an intake...the 3 is another story, though. Their MAFs are a PITA.

You shouldn't be getting a CEL from an intake...the 3 is another story, though. Their MAFs are a PITA.wasen't the intake it turns out. scanner read a large emissions control leak (gas cap?...)

erased the ECL and if it pops up again I'll have a pretty good idea of what could be the problem.

You shouldn't be getting a CEL from an intake...the 3 is another story, though. Their MAFs are a PITA.


the 3 is another story? how so? ive no problems with my AEM cai on my 2004 mazda3s. if anything goes wrong its most likely an installation problem. if so, just reinstall it with extra care and you should be fine.

the 3 is another story? how so? ive no problems with my AEM cai on my 2004 mazda3s. if anything goes wrong its most likely an installation problem. if so, just reinstall it with extra care and you should be fine.

CELs and hesitation problems are fairly common with the 3. Same MAF as the 1.6L Protege.

wOW this is so strange I have a cheap cold air intake I bought off ebay for $50 and has never given me a cell it's already been like a year and no problem's.

the 1.6L and MZR(mazda3 2.0 and 2.3L) engines share the same MAF...anything larger than the stock tube diameter and the MAF freaks out and causes bucking, stalling,hesitation and CEL's

there is a company that makes a fix for the Mazda6, dont know if it works for the 3

Maybe that's the explanation I was looking for as to why the Simotas haven't been throwing CELs, the Twin Charger has a smaller inlet tube on the MAF side!
Thanks, Mike! I think you just solved a mystery...none of the 1.6L intakes I've sold have thrown a CEL and only one Mazda 3 and that's because the guy broke his fender well protector and was driving around with his filter exposed!

shit, so what's the bes CAI then?

Maybe that's the explanation I was looking for as to why the Simotas haven't been throwing CELs, the Twin Charger has a smaller inlet tube on the MAF side!
Thanks, Mike! I think you just solved a mystery...none of the 1.6L intakes I've sold have thrown a CEL and only one Mazda 3 and that's because the guy broke his fender well protector and was driving around with his filter exposed!


I think its pretty obvious which ones are the best....the ones with no problems

^^^

Do you have alot of tension on the wires on the maf. Did you disconnect those clips on the battery box. Almost everyone that has a problem is because of this. Check that out because when you drive, the motor moves and might pull on the maf sensor throwing that cel. Hope this helps

wasen't the intake it turns out. scanner read a large emissions control leak (gas cap?...)

erased the ECL and if it pops up again I'll have a pretty good idea of what could be the problem.


Do you shut your car off when you put gas in it? Thats a very common code for people that fuel up with the car running.

Do you shut your car off when you put gas in it? Thats a very common code for people that fuel up with the car running.

Fueling with the car running???
Thast not very wise.... remember gas station the scene in the movie Zoolander ???

Maybe that's the explanation I was looking for as to why the Simotas haven't been throwing CELs, the Twin Charger has a smaller inlet tube on the MAF side!
Thanks, Mike! I think you just solved a mystery...none of the 1.6L intakes I've sold have thrown a CEL and only one Mazda 3 and that's because the guy broke his fender well protector and was driving around with his filter exposed!


You still sell the 1.6 liter CAIs? I think Im going to swap out my Injen & CEL for your Simonta and no CEL. Im sick and tired of the hesitation.....

I think its pretty obvious which ones are the best....the ones with no problems

^^^


How did you say to do that coolant bypass thing? You said by doing that the fuel pressure would increase, right? That means no more running lean, which the Injen unit causes some 1.6 guys to do.....

How did you say to do that coolant bypass thing? You said by doing that the fuel pressure would increase, right? That means no more running lean, which the Injen unit causes some 1.6 guys to do.....

2 different animals steve....the bypass should lower intake temps, but the unplugging the vacuum line from the FPR ups fuel pessure

The coolant bypass would decrease temps for the intake, which helps with HP. Gotcha. So how do I go about bypassing the coolant? Where is the vaccuum line for the FPR?

The coolant bypass would decrease temps for the intake, which helps with HP. Gotcha. So how do I go about bypassing the coolant? Where is the vaccuum line for the FPR?

unplug the 2 coolant lines from your TB and "T" them together

its connected to the FPR....

Fueling with the car running???
Thast not very wise.... remember gas station the scene in the movie Zoolander ???


Never underestimate the stupidity of the average person lol

can anyone tell me the actual hp gain from the intake?

2-4 to the wheels is pretty realistic.

thanks kargoboy. what can i expect from headers?

The Thunder header I sell dyno'd at 7whp on a stock exhaust.
Incidentally. the Thunder is the ONLY header for the 3 with a confirmed, independent
dyno test.