LT1Newbie

Why didn't anyone ever say this was going to happen?

This morning I had a list of mods that I was going to go through and complete. I was going to install an air foil, do the tb bypass, descreen my MAF and then finish up with my CAI since my intake was going to be in pieces anyways. Well, I installed my air foil with no problem, pried out the screen for the MAF, attempted to remove the dumb coolant hoses from the tb, but they wouldn't budge.. so I was planned on taking it over to one of my friend's houses to see if they had any ideas. I put my intake back together, and when I tried to start up my car.. it wouldn't start! It turns over, idles like a dying cow up to 300-400rpm for 2 seconds, and then just quits

Ugh!!

Now I'm going to have to go ahead and buy a new one... I hope to find one on ebay... maybe they'll be merciful.

BizZzatch350

iTrader: (33)

is the SES light on? unplug the MAF and see if it starts, I doubt its because you decsreened the MAF that the car wont start.

ThumpersZ28

iTrader: (1)

I doubt that it has anything to do with descreening ....I have a
94 Z-28 350 LT-1...with these mods..Moroso CAI, Descreened, ported and polished MAF, Running the trick flow elbow, throttle body bypass and not having any problem..had problem when i put the 52 mm throttle body on ...found out the car needs to be reprogramed when u do the 52mm...due to the different table settings

I will be adding the airfoil ...as quick as i can get the hypertech airfoil and get the throttlebody redone with the added airfoil

Michael "Thumper"

LT1Newbie

Hmm, ironically the post after mine is describing the same scenario.

https://ls1tech.com/forums/lt1-lt4-modifications/318010-airfoil-problem-won-t-idle.html

Perhaps it's really the air foil I installed rather than decreening the MAF?

I'm working on solving this issue right now and I'll give you guys an update when I find out what went wrong exactly.

Mattybz28

Did you touch the little sensors in the MAF? If you did and they got screwed up you're gonna need a new MAF.

LT1Newbie

I unplugged/replugged the MAf sensor, still no start. I disconnected my battery and reconnected it (to reset the computer), still no luck. My "SES" light is ALWAYS on, ever since I got the car.. so I've learned to live with it. Same with my "Low Coolant" light, but that's another subject.

Funny thing about the airfoil. I'm not the first owner of this car.. when I've had my intake tubing completely off before, I never paid much attention to the throttle body opening.. but.. just this morning.. when I was going to install my air foil, I noticed an airfoil like thing.. already in there? So I took it out, and installed the new one that I bought.. and I changed the gasket too.

Well, I went back.. uninstalled the new air foil.. tried to start my car again. No luck. I went and I put the old "air foil" back in.. started my car. Still nothing new.

Essentially, I think I know what I did wrong now. When you "descreen" your MAF, is there supposed to be a screen that you're supposed to remove? Because mine didn't have one.. so I just removed everything in it I no longer have those little wires and sensers in my MAF.



Anyone recommend a good brand name for a new MAF?

NXSLT1

If you removed everything then yeah you need a new MAF. If it were me I'd just get a stock replacement MAF. Not raggin' on ya because we all make mistakes but this needs to go in the newbie mistakes thread a few threads down.

Alex94TAGT

You just destroyed the sensor. PLEASE, if you're ever working on your car again, and you're not sure what to do, get online and ask for help. I don't mean to rag on you at all, just use some common sense. That was a careless mistake...

Assuming you have another means of transportation, I would recommend going to the local parts store and picking up a refurbished MAF. It's going to cost you about $140. If you purchase a new sensor thru GM or somewhere else, it could cost double that.


Did you ever have the car scanned for codes? GM engineers didn't put that SES light there to look pretty -- it serves a function. When that comes on, you MUST get the car in and scanned for codes, and then fix whatever is wrong. You may have some other problem which is preventing the car from going into speed density (without the MAF).

Quickshotkimber

iTrader: (1)

just unplug, and leave it unplugged, your maf and then start your car.
It will run just fine in speed density mode until you find a replacement.

TransAmDriver

Its a 94 OBDI it wont run without the maf plugged in, only the OBDII cars will switch to speed density. I lost the ability to do that when I coverted my PCM to OBDI.

As stated earlier, ask for help on here first before you EVER attempt something like that again!

WhiteSSP

dont descreen your MAF anyway. I picked up a tenth and 1.5mph from switching to a descreened/ported MAF to a stock unported MAF with a screen. I picked up .5 and 4mph from switching from a Granatelli to the stock MAF with screen.

Chuckels

iTrader: (4)

I've started my car w/o a MAF

HBHRacing

You never ever know. A lot of times it will not start, sometimes it will. It's not like Ford which will go into failsafe mode and sub a usable value.


Like everyone else said you killed your MAF. I won't point out the obvious and tell you that you shouldn't ahve touched anything inside the MAF since I am sure that you have figured that out by now. get a stock replacment MAF and put everything back togtether and it should run. Something else to make sure of when you do is to make SURE that the intake elbow is correctly attached to the Throttle body. A lot of times people force it on and the under side will fold up and not seal. This will suck air and cause problems.

Chuckels

iTrader: (4)

Good point...I put my elbow on one time and it folded under and blocked the IAC hole in the air foil that I have and it wouldnt idle.

97Lt1TA

iTrader: (54)

i didnt have that problem when i descreened the maf

RoAdRaGe912

when u do get a new MAF don't descreen it. it's was engineered in there for a reason. i know most ppl do it, but that's doesn't mean it's a good idea. it's designed to help the MAF read the amount of air entering the engine more accurately by getting rid of the turbulance.

besides all that, the MAF is probalby the most sensitive piece on the entire car and you do need it. with your obvious inexperience (not a bad thing) i would just leave it as it. you won't see any worthwhile gains from doing it and if you do it's because you have made the MAF inaccurate.

i know everyone and their dog has done it and "had no problems at all."

HBHRacing

I don't have any "probelms" with mine descreend. But I still recomend that you don't do it. The gain in flow isn't worth the trouble of eddies in the air flow distorting around the elements causing incorrect readings. It's a sure fire way to run lean. Your really just taking a chance on weather it will work or not. It's completly up to luck.

WhiteSSP

Like I said, i picked up a tenth and 1.5 MPH switching from a descreened MAF to a completely stock MAF. I'll never touch the MAF again, and if I do, it'll be to go speed density.