was reading the sticky "new to TBI". there are instructions for replacing that crappy L03 air cleaner assembly with an aftermarket "open element" style. my only concern is that the instructions say its OK to leave the IAT sensor (intake air temp located in the bottom of the stock air cleaner) out of the aircleaner assmebly and allow it to "float around" or taped somewhere outside aircleaner. my question is "doesnt that sensor need to be located inside the aircleaner to take readings to the ECM. wont the car throw codes, loose gas millage, or just run poorly with this outside aircleaner. im interested, i wanted to used this style because its cheap and replaced that horrible stock assmebly. my problem was that they all seemed to be designed around carbs and didnt have the hole for that sensor.

 

You wont get any codes. I moved mine, with no problems. If the sensor is moved to a cooler place, it is supposed to help performance, although Im sure its hard to measure the gain.

 

You would be far better off just drilling out the base of an air cleaner and putting it in there.

 

The IAT sensor "measures the temperature" of the air going into the TBI unit. With that info the ECM makes fine adjustments to the fuel mixture. If you move the IAT outside of the air cleaner assembly the computer will make it's adjustments based on the air temperature wherever the IAT sensor is actually located - that's why some people like to move it to a colder location, so the ECM will attempt to produce a richer mixture. However, in closed loop, the oxygen sensor will pick up that the mixture is "off" and the ECM will adjust the mixture back to what it's set to deliver anyway.

So, as long as the IAT sensor is sticking out freely somewhere in the engine compartment the air temperature is going to be very close to what's going into the TBI unit anyway, and the ECM will make adjusts in any case.

So ...don't worry about it.