I recently got a 88 TA. I drove it around for days with everything running good. Then i installed a K&N filter and then that night when i was driving the light popped on. I immediately drove to autozone to get a free diagnostic test. They said that the Mass air flow sensor was detecting a low volume of air flow, (shouldn't it be a HIGH volume???) K&N said to disconnect from battery for 20 min and the ecm will adjust to the air flow.. i tried that and it didnt adjust and it still comes on whenever i am in the middle of driving. what can i do to let the ecm know that i am using an aftermarket air filter so that nice orange glow doesn't come on any more?

 

Possibly in the act of changing the filter you disturbed the MAF connector. Try pulling out the connector and cleaning it with some contact cleaner. I have NEVER had a case where a high flow filter caused a problem such as yours. it is also possible that the MAF power relay has high resistance at the contacts and the additional current needed to heat the hotwire in the sensor is not available. Two relays control MAF, one for power and one for what they call burnoff which is how the hotwire is cleaned. If one is crappy replace them both. I run K&N filters in all of my GM cars and have never had an SES light because of the increase in airflow. Also, scantools can be fooled into false readings by dirty or intermittent electrical connections. I personally feel that the high flow filters really do not do much, but I like the fact that they go longer without needing service.

 

Ok, thanks, I'll go ahead and give it a try and see what happens. If anybody has any other ideas as to what this might be, please feel free to let me know, I am willing to experiement until it's fixed. Thanks.

 

Yeah, I can't help but think something else got disturbed in there, because I don't see adding a K&N causing an SES light.

 

If you have a mass air flow sensor that is what is causing your light to come on.. the K&N oil will ruin the mass air flow sensors... i work at a chevy dealership and we had a brand new chevy truck come in with an engine light and it turned out to be a bad mass air flow sensor from the k&n filter oil.. which GM says not to use and voids the warranty.

 

So you are saying that the oil got into the MAF sensor and ruined it? How does the oil do that? Anyways, the K&N filter in brand new and it hasnt been reoiled or anything, but it wasnt dripping with oil when i got it out of the box. So i guess that could be a reasonable cause, i'll have to check that out. Thanks for the response.

 

yeah... it dosent seem logical that K&N wouldnt give you a warning about this but apparently the oil travels up to the mass air flow sensor somehow and something about the oil messes them up..... when i was first told this i was like there is no way then i saw it for myself on our computer at work which holds gm service bulletins and other information... not saying this is for your car but on the truck we had in the shop this was the cause...

 

If you have ever cleaned a k&n filter, you would see the "oil" they are talking about. It is pretty messy, you just have to stick to hte directions when cleaning and it shouldn't be a problem! As far as a new one doing it to your car, it is the first i have heard. I am sure it is this problem, good luck.

 

I have had my doubts about these high flow filters for some time and I am glad it's come up here. What was the timeframe when this customer developed the problem. I don't doubt your information, in fact I am not at all surprised. Evidently the burnoff can't handle the junk that develops on the hotwire enough to keep it in range when running. K&N filters alter airflow enough that on my friends sportbike I had to rejet the carbs. That's why I tend to stay away from them for motorcycles. I have bounced back and forth with them in the cars trying to figure out if it's worth it or not to run them, it's a catch 22 in my book. I guess since GM addressed this in a TSB then you have answered my questions. TNX, Dan

 

I was driving yesturday again and the SES light came on again. I stopped and did the paper clip test on the ECM and it gave me a code 32 and 34. I know that the code 32 is nototious and everyone has a code 32. As for code 34, my car didn't give that reading until after the K&N filter was installed. So I will have to check all of the possible problems, including the connections to the MAF sensor, and I will have to pull it out of there to check to see if it has oil in it or not. By the way, when I look to see if there is oil in it, will I noticeably be able to see the oil, or how can I tell if the oil is actually what is causing the problem?

 

I don't think your problem will happen all that quick. The filter oil should take time to accumulate on the hotwire. Change both the relays, power and burnoff. I'll bet it may solve your problem. NAPA stocks them under part #AR-279.

 

Hopefully someone else carrys them other than Napa, I refuse to do business with Napa because they are way to overpriced and I have had bad experiences with them. How much does the power relay and the burnoff relay cost, ball-park?

 

GM part # is 14089936 -list price $16.78, both relays are the same number.

 

I have noticed a pattern. Every weekend I drive from Des Moines, IA to Ames, IA. Between mile markers 95 and 105, the engine light turns on. When I get to Ames, I do paperclip test, and get a 32 and a 34. I have checked all of the MAF relay connections, along with taking apart the air intake and checking the connections on the MAF sensor itself. I have not yet replaced anything. I was just wondering why the light decides to come on within 5-10 miles of where it always comes on. It's pretty wierd when I can say "My SES light is going to come on in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... and boom", it's on. Why does it do that? I will prolly start by cleaning the throttle body; if that doesnt work, i will replace the MAF relays. If that doesnt work, i guess i will try the MAF Sensor. Is that the order that everyone else would do it in? I would appreciate any help I can get on why this light is coming on when it is. Maybe I should put my old air filter back in and see if the light still comes on??

 

You could try putting your old air fitler back in but if the k&n filter oil did anyting putting in your old filter will not do a thing.. that is kind of wierd it comes on in the same spot everytime.. it must be when your car gets to a certain temp or something..? Yeah i would try as much as you could before you forked out the money for a mass air flow sensor..... but im almost positive this is the same situation as the truck i was talking about at work... the k & n filter oil got into your mass air flow sensor and it plays hell with them and makes you SES light come on...

 

But isn't Danno right when he said that the oil would take time to accumulate? I had actually used the filter in my other firebird for about a month, and then I got my TA, and I put it there. So I would think that if any oil would have come off, it would have been either right away in my other firebird, or after I oil it(which I have yet to do because it's so new) Also when I took apart the induction, there was no indication that oil was traveling up the air pipe cuz it was all dusty and it didn't look like any oil was on it. And i believe my car is already at operating temp when the SES light comes on because I have already been on the road for about a half hour and the cruise is set at 75. So if it isnt getting up to operating temp in a half hour at 75 mph, then i guess i need to check the temp sensors and stuff. thanks for the response.