Check engine light after installing ZZP intake...

[Savage_383]

So I got the ZZP intake installed and boy does it sound great! Easy install and it looks awesome under the hood

I've put about 200 miles on the car since Saturday morning when I installed the intake.

On my way home last night, the check engine light came on

I'm going to run it by out local auto parts store to have the code read in a couple hours but I wanted to run it by the forums first to see if any of you have come across this.

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated

**EDIT 1/11/12 - BNR confirms their tune takes the intake into account and eliminates the CEL from coming on. To make a long story short, if you don't want to have the CEL come on, get your tune before getting your intake. If you don't want to get a tune, you will just have to live with the CEL and reset it each time it comes on.**

 

[Sonic]

This thread is where Rock installed his and he notes that he had codes/pending codes.
http://www.sonicownersforum.com/forum/t936/

It seems like it's going to be a common problem. Have the code(s) reset and see if it happens again. For Rock, they went away and didn't come back. Perhaps the ECU just needs a few hundred miles or a couple days to figure the intake out.

 

[Savage_383]

Well I went and had the service engine code cleared. We will see if it stays that way

Thanks for the guidance

 

[Gimpster]

Ugh... we need aftermarket ECU support sooner than later (besides mailorder I mean). No codes are pending or set by my intake yet, but obviously the MAF comp is skewed.

 

[Sonic]

A tune that takes the intake into account is the proper way to handle the situation. If you aren't ready or willing to get a tune, then maybe hold off on the intake until you are? If not, then dealing with the CEL is something you will have to live with as it comes on.

As I mentioned elsewhere, putting an intake on an untuned Subaru was a recipe for disaster. Hopefully the CEL is the only problem we have with putting intakes on untuned Sonics.

 

[laborsmith]

I suspect that the codes will come up while the ECU is adjusting to the change and once adjusted will no longer come up. Of course, if the intake was put in for the HP bump, I suspect the bump will disappear once the ECU re-calibrates, so if it was installed for reasons other than HP you should be good to go but it looks like you will need a tune to take advantage from a power point of view.

Laborsmith

 

[doreo]

The ecu on these cars stock according to my tune vendor and personal experience will take and performance gained and drop it down to stock over a few weeks. im stuck with out a intake on my car because they dont make one for the 1.8 as of yet and the cel codes are not ones i am comfy running with nor can they be tuned out with my self made intake, well i guess they can but vince wont for safety reasons. my $.02 but get a tune and get full use of the intake and allow them to set the ecu to correctly read the intake so the cel goes away.

 

[Savage_383]

I plan on tuning the car eventually. I just want to ride the factory warranty a little longer. I would like to get the Borla exhaust kit that should be coming out soonish. Once I have that, I will get a tune for it.

Until then, I may end up going back to the stock intake if the code keeps popping up. Just to be on the safe side. Even though I LOVE the sound of the intake.

bummer.. we shall see

 

[wingman]

This is the thread I've been waiting for. Sorry to hear about the CEL. Hopefully it doesnt come back after you cleared it. Keep us posted.

 

[Savage_383]

No CEL thus far. I've put another 200+ highway miles on it since I had the code reset.

 

[wingman]

Thats good news. Did you disconnect your battery when you did the install?

 

[Savage_383]

Sure did. Figured it would be a good idea since I was dinking around with MAF. I also "thought" it would prevent the CEL.

 

[Savage_383]

Spoke too soon. Ran to town this evening and the CEL popped up again.
So did I just waste $300 until I get the car tuned???
Is there any way to get around voiding the warranty with a tune? I read something about a passive mode???

 

[wingman]

Damn!!!! I dont think there is a way around the tune. If so it would have been posted. However, I am glad to hear you did your install correctly by disconnecting the battery. Just disconnect the negative for 10 mins or so to reset the pcm. See if it pops up again. If so ****can the intake.

 

[Sonic]

Can one of you BNR guys confirm or not that your tune will take the intake into account and prevent the CEL light from coming on? Also, Savage it's weird that you are still getting the CEL and Rock isn't. At least he hasn't reported having it come back on. Rock, any input?

 

[BNRacing]

The reason it's popping CELs is the fuel trims are outside the allowed range either +/-. The tune will absolutely fix this. Our tune is fully custom to your vehicle and your mods. As for voiding your warranty, I've never had anyone not get something fixed under warranty because they got caught with a tune. That's why we have transparency built in and you have the ability to flash back to stock if you ever need to take the car in. I sponsor the camaro5 forum also so I spend a lot of time there (sold 103 Camaro tunes from 11/1-12/31/11) and there has never been a guy that got denied warranty work due to a tune. HOWEVER- there are several guys that got denied because of an intake or exhaust. Lesson here? Always put the car back to 100% stock before you take it in, or expect to pay.

 

[Sonic]

Thanks for answering so quickly. There you have it folks, you should probably wait to get your intake until after you get your tune.

And if you are wanting an intake without getting a tune, be ready for a CEL and to have to deal with it.

 

[BNRacing]

Yeah I mean if you are going to mod ANYTHING performance wise, you'll need a tune. You'll pop a CEL from intake, downpipe, etc. You will be fine doing a cat-back exhaust since it doesn't change anything near the O2 sensors but even then you'll lose ANY performance gain when the car learns down the mod. Any mods you do to these cars (and the same goes for the cruze) will be learned down by the ECU. These cars use torque based controllers, so without a tune you'll see the extra power for a couple weeks max, and then go back to stock power levels. The tune will get rid of that learn-down, plus adjust/compensate for your mods.

 

[Savage_383]

Thanks for all the information everyone!

Looks like I will be installing the stock intake until I can scrape up the hard earned cash to tune the car. That CEL annoys the ****ing crap out of me...

So what you're saying is that I could tune the car with the intake. If I have to take the car in for repairs all I have to do is just flash it back to stock and put the factory intake back on??

Sounds dirty.....I'm game

 

[laborsmith]

I am pleased that the comment regarding an after market exhaust was clarified but would like specific information regarding the impact of an intake on a warranty claim.

We know that after a while the ECU will adjust to the new intake, which means anyone using a new intake will not get the benefit of the HP bump, but other than something along the lines of a supercharger or a turbocharger added I have yet to hear of a warranty denial based on a CAI etc.

Absent specifics I will take the position that claims to that effect are a sales pitch. I know BNR actively promotes as I follow the Camaro5 board. I am posting this so people who read this board have a context in which to base their decisions.

Laborsmith