I just got my 2003 WRX sedan and installed the AEM short ram intake. Right after I installed it My idle time dropped just under 500 RPMs and I have a chronic engine code of bank one lean.

I've contacted AEM and they dont have any answers for me yet. Before you ask, yes the MAF is on correctly.

Has anyone seen this problem before and have a solution.
Still related to the same problem where is the adjustment for the idles speed on my car.

Thanks
PT

 

Sorry to hear about that.... I have an AEM intake and while replacing the stock intake I noticed how easy it could be for something to get on the sensor. Is it possible you toched the sensor to something when you were installing and somethign got on it?
I also have heard stories that because the intake is wider than the stock pipes, it actually makes the engine think there is less oxygen because less of it is passing by the sensor. Makes the engine run LEAN, or so I've heard. I don't wanna sound like a dick, but check your screws and connections and make sure everything is tight.. if there was a leak(air getting in that doesn't pass the sensor), that might be the cause of your problem. That may not be much help but it's all I got. Good luck.

Adam

 

I checked the sensor and it looks perfectly clean. Also the connections are quite tight. My problem isnt not enough oxygen, its too much oxygen. There realy aren't a whole lot of things you can do to install a short ram wrong. My major concern is that AEM says they have never had a case of this happening. however I still want to find someone who knows where the adjustment for the idle speed is.

PT

At this point im desperate to find answers and AEM isnt helping. Is it really possible that no one has seen this before?

 

It's not that no one has seen it before, it's tough to say without more info I guess, or without knowing exactly what you did to pinpoint what went wrong. If you have the short intake there's not much that can go wrong, installation wise.. there are so few places to leak air. The only other suggestion I have is to reset the ECU. Disconnect your battery for a while.. I think I heard 15 mins is good enough. That allows your engine to re-learn the parts your car has attached. That sounds like a pretty in-depth problem though. I would get a second opinion with someone more knowledgeable than I under the hood if none of this stuff is working. What other mods you got?

 

I have no other mods yet the first one i did caused a problem so I stopped there. I thought I would get results from the manufacturer and they want me to buy a piggy back computer. A little more than I was looking to do at this stage of the game. I had a friend tell me that if I put ona BOV that does a 50/50 return that it might help. Any thoughts on that.

 

I have an AEM short ram on my wrx and have no problems with it it sounds like you might have a vacumn leak somewhere. Try disconnecting the negative on the battery for a minute and it might reset the computer, I bought my intake used and the person who had it was getting a CEL from it, I have had no problems....

 

turns out that when i reset the ecu that i wasnt letting it sit at idle long enough before driving it. seems good for now at least
THX

 

I did reset it initially and after about an hour of driving it came back on. You have to let it idle for a few minutes. I left mine for 20 minutes before i got in and drove.

 

not a huge gain. the biggest difference I noticed was that before i switched it out i never heard my BOV working at all. But i can feel a slight difference. Dont expect to be thrown back in your seat from it though. It does spool a little quicker too.

 

There are no real big gains from putting a intake on a stock WRX. With some mods I'm sure you could squeeze a few extra HP maybe. Sounds cool. Looks cool. Not the best performance mod.

 

never expected much gain from it but my engine thinks it got a huge tgain in airflow. The CEL still keeps coming on witht the same error. p0171 Bank one lean. If i install a 50/50 blow off will this possibly remedy my problem?