Hi all,

I installed an AFE CAI and an AirAid throttle body spacer on my 99 5.4 and now I’m getting 171 and 174 lean codes for both banks. CEL first came on about 40 miles after install, I cleared it, and tonight it came back on again. I have an Edge tuner where I’m pretty sure I can adjust fueling and spark timing. Edge tech support isn’t offering any help, they claim they don’t have a CAI tune for my truck.

What adjustments do I need to make?

Thanks in advance

 

I would check your connections for the intake tube and spacer to ensure they are connected properly. The throttle body spacer, do you need to remove the throttle body to install it? If so did you replace the gasket with a new one?

 

You will get both codes using either of those. The stock tuning is already very lean. About the only way to address that is a custom tune or just remove the parts you put on.

 

Connections are good, and yes the spacer came with a new gasket for each side, and they were installed. No leaks anywhere.

 

Removing the parts isn’t really an option for me... I kinda don’t have the stock intake anymore...

I’m able to adjust WOT fuel and spark parameters within my tune, but I have no idea how much to change at a time, how to know I have it right or wrong, or if any of this will help at all.

 

A quick test, safely block off a bunch of the intake airflow. That would rule out any leaks.

 

Well I started messing with the tune to try and get it back to stock, and now I’ve messed up my speedometer too. I had it programmed to be accurate with my 305/70r16 tires (which took forever the first time) and now I can’t get it to program back to it at all. For all I care, let the truck run lean. I just need my accurate speedo back. Any ideas? I’ve reflashed probably 5 times now, speedo isn’t changing.

 

Leave it lean: Don't let it run lean long term. That creates its own issues.

Regarding the speedometer: That's a question for the manufacturer of the Edge.

I still think you should try my test to be sure we're not chasing the wrong thing:

To your PCM, removing restriction to intake air flow is similar to taking your vehicle to a lower altitude. It should be able to accommodate a minor change, unless you are already well below sea level or have forced induction installed.

 

I’m at roughy 400ft where I live, so I don’t think that’s an issue. No forced induction, this was a stock engine up until now.

I’m wondering if the truck actually learns and adjusts fueling since it’s tuned. I was running the towing tune from the Evolution while all this was happening. The way I think of it, a tune would lock in those parameters and not allow for self adjustment, but maybe I’m wrong.

Still no success with speedo calibration, I sent Edge an email and we’ll see what they say. I believe something has went wrong with the copy of the stock file that it’s saved. Seems like it saved the stock file as the 305 tire size, therefore when I load a tune with 305 size, it doesn’t see a need to change anything. Hoping maybe they’ll send me a fresh copy of the stock file to flash...

I will try blocking off intake if all else fails. I’m interested to see if the computer will learn to compensate once returned to stock tune.

Thanks

 

The Mass Air sensor samples about 10% of the airflow as a signal to the computer.
If your after market parts alter this relationship of air sampling, the computer gets the wrong signal levels.
If the fuel injection is commanded leaner as a result, the Ox Sensors detect the greater Ox left in the exhaust after combustion.
This in turn shifts the fuel tables BACK Richer trying to (Auto correct).
When the long term tables get to about a 25% + shift, it triggers the 171.174 codes. Supposed to work that way.
You trying to do hot rod functions/changes on a computer controlled system.
A change affects a lot of other functions in a Loop Fashion...
The more you play the worse it gets.
Take the stuff off and enjoy what you had.
There is more to this than sales talk and friends talk about all the performance to be gained.
I'm sorry if you don't like to hear this, but your proving it.

 

I don’t doubt this at all, but you’d think they would at least make a product that would just plain out be compatible? I think AFE would know how to make this thing compatible with a stock truck... Nowhere has there been any mention that I’d have to have supporting modification... Simply bolt on and go. Really doesn’t make sense to me...

 

Another thought I’ve had is to try out the “Extreme” tune on my tuner. Edge’s definition for that one is that “the fuel injection and timing is adjusted to aggressively extract high performance from your vehicle without sacrificing driveability or durability”... sounds like it will throw in some more fuel?? Wouldn’t mind having a little more giddy-up out of the truck anyways. I’ve always just stayed away from that one because it sounds like trouble waiting to happen... but I’d think the folks at Edge know what they’re doing, it would be a huge liability to put a risky tune in a consumer product.

However, first priority to me is sorting out speedo. Then we’ll see.

 

Finally!!!

Edge pushed a fresh stock recovery file to my tuner and had me program that into the truck. This initially made no change. After trying to program over and over to no avail they asked me to call tech support so they could pull files off my tuner and send my case over to engineering...

When I called, the guy pretty much had no idea about the situation, but after I gave him all the info he downloaded the files from my tuner and had a look. He suggested tuning back to stock and making sure the stock tire size was specifically entered when doing so. Doing this made the speedo about 2-3mph off vs the 4-5 off it used to be. So after this, I re-entered my actual tire size, and used the trans only tune. This fixed it. It now runs within 1mph of GPS most of the time. Man these things are finicky!!! Also, reverting the engine tune back to stock has seemed to help it compensate for the intake. I just drove the truck roughly 45 miles and no CEL in sight.

Turns out the “Extreme” tune I spoke on earlier requires 91+ gas, not doing that...

Fingers crossed folks!!!

 

These trucks come with an excellent CAI from the factory that draws air from OUTSIDE the engine compartment, before it's heated. The aftermarket ones draw from INSIDE the engine compartment where temps are higher. They should call them "HAI" instead of "CAI".

I'm betting you actually LOST power by installing the gimmick intake and spacer. Not to mention the oil coated filters don't filter as well as the paper ones it came with.

Now you have also Increased the diameter of the intake passage without addressing the exhaust passage and disrupted the balance of the system as a whole, which costs you the intake velocity necessary to make torque; resulting in poor performance.

If you want to see a gain from your bigger intake, you must now invest in a freer flowing exhaust. If not, you'd be better off finding a sucker to buy the air raid garbage, and finding another stock intake at the junkyard.

 

I’ve already done exhaust, long ago. I do not have an oiled filter. No power lost whatsoever. I talked with AFE and they said this shouldn’t be happening, they told me to drive for a couple weeks with CEL on to see if system compensates and CEL goes away. Nothing so far, tomorrow is two weeks. However I’ve seen no issue. May just live with it, may go back to stock.