It started about two weeks ago when I noticed that I was gradually losing power and occaisionally my car seemed to "miss" at idle. At the time there were no codes so I thought maybe my IM was dirty. Since I was bored and had some time last weekend, I pulled it apart to clean it. This engine has about 80k on it and the IM was still clean. I put it all back together, started the engine and noticed a whistling sound indicating a vacuum leak. I couldn't find any hoses left unplugged and all the gaskets seemed to be fine so I drove it thinking eventually I'd find the problem. A day later after driving on the highway for about 10 miles, the SES light comes on. Took it to autozone and they pulled a P0171 and P0550. Called up Stillenmax, a buddy of mine with a SC'd 4th gen, and told the codes and that the scanner said that one meant the engine was lean and the other was that a power stearing pressure sensor is bad. He looked them up on the .org for more info and found that the P0550 code could mean a bad MAF (I thought maybe bad O2 when I saw what the reader said, but I don't trust the autozone one very much because it's generic in what it diagnoses from the numbers pulled. The numbers, at least, are correct). So, thinking that I'd save $350 or so, I bought some MAF cleaner, pulled the heater element out of the MAF housing (no, I didn't touch it), and sprayed it several times. I reassembled it all and, since my gas was very low, got in my car to drive it to the station and try things out. At the first stoplight it stalled. Started it, the engine reved up like it always does one you first turn the key then died. It did this two more times before I was able to give it enough gas to keep it going. I nursed it to the gas station, filled it up (since I needed gas regardless), added some fuel injector cleaner, and drove it back home two-footing it at ever stop. Pulled it into the garage, reset the ECU, idle control valve and peddle position sensor. Still dying. Any ideas on what to try next?

 

Any help?


10 char

 

I think your friend is right in it being a bad Maf. Since they are pricey for your year, I'd try to Mcguyver one from a 2000.

 

you bumped a thread after 27 minutes?
did you forget the rules during your vacation?

5) Do not "bump" or "ttt" threads. Violation of this rule results in Level 1 sanctions. Repeat violations will result in higher-level sanctions.

 

 

 

Change the MAF.

 

Remove the upper IM and re-install first just in case. When I removed mine, I had the same problem. It turns out I must have left a line or two unplugged and I couldn't find it, so I just took it all off and put it back on. Problem solved. I'd just do that as a precaution...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYDnBh6Rtck

Here's a video I took right after...

 

It was the MAF. Called the local stealership and was quoted $506.00 for a new one and it wouldn't have gotten here until Thursday. Checked out www.auto-part.com and found one for $125. Kinda a no-brainer on which one I went with!

From my finely tuned butt-dyno, I had a problem for a while now with it. I've probably driven a good 2-3,000 miles on a bad MAF before it really went. It's nice to have my power back.

Oh, and FYI: I got 200,000 miles on the original MAF.

 

Why not get an 01 MAF from DAVEB and transfer the IAT? Oh wait you already took care of it.