Please help?

[hicam]

Just wanting to find out if any others on this forum know of or about a solution to problems i am having with my CAI.

When starting the car say in the morning when the engine is cold i am getting a spitting sound from the CAI. It also sounds like it is about to cut out. After a few minutes however it seems ok. Weird yes.

Also if i was to take off without warming it up when pressing the accelerator it will go flat to the floor and hesitate and burble like there is no fuel or air getting through? Weird yes.

Can anybody help?

Mike

[buzziesportivo]

it sounds like u r have upset your air flow meter .. what model corolla .

[hicam]

It is a 2003 Corolla Sportivo.

[oz_viking]

These are exactly the symptoms I had when my rubber elbow split, letting in air after the airflow meter. The car would run better after warming up, but still wasn't right. I'd check for leaks just before the throttle body, especially in the rubber elbow.

Bruce from TRDsales.com was checking with the US suppliers to see if this was a common problem as there have been quite a few of us Aussies with split elbows.

[hicam]

Hey Oz,

How did you fix the problem?Will it do any damage? I can't check at the moment because my car is in getting a new gearbox..thats another story

Cheers

Mike

[xoom]

Agree with Oz....New gearbox oh please do tell.......

[ZEEROLLA]

I have the symptom where i just start my car especially in the afternoon when it is like 30plus degrees and i try to drive it doesn't want to go and surges. But after a couple minutes its fine. I tried checking the CAI today and it all looks okay but the rubber elbow and pod filter clamps were a little loose because i am paranoid about it splitting. I tightened it slightly today but haven't tested the car out yet. I have driven at full throttle a few times and the car feels good so it didn't sound an alarm bell. Fuel economy was crap when i first got it installed though but i recently clocked 700km on 50liters freeway driving so seems to have recovered. How tight do we need to tighten the clamps?

The spitting sound you are hearing mike, is it the VSV sound because it is normal to hear it.

Zee

[peekay]

I spoke to Bruce while I was in New Zealand who in turn spoke to TRD and they have not seen the problem at all though I believe he was getting some spares in. If you over tighten the rubber elbow it may cause it to split. Also if the brackets are not installed correctly (which supports the CAI) it may also cause the elbow split. I tried to cut one of the elbows recently with a box cutter in Sydney at Xooms place and it was very hard to cut (thought it was not especialy sharp it still would have opened my skin up very quickly if I had slipped). Just ensure the the hose clamps are tight but don't over do it. Also ensure the vacum cap is on the intake (just before the MAF sensor) or it will affect performance. Also it is normal to sound like the it is spitting (has happened on every one (I have installed 7 to date with no elbow splitting at all)). The clicking noise you get inside the car if you get it is also normal that is the VSV as Zerolla stated but that is not the cause of the spitting.

If your car is cold no matter what.. Sportivos run like cr@p untill they are warmed up and do not accelerate till they are fully warmed up and they will cough and splutter if you try and take it into lift too soon. Just check that all Vacum Hoses are not leaking. Remove the MAF sensor and get some brake cleaner and give it a Squirt to clean it. This should help. The MAF sensors do not like oil on them and it can affect performance. Remember the filter has oil on it and that can and will hit the MAF sensor and stick. Clean it and it should be ok. I did this on mine and it helped. Good Luck.

[hicam]

Thanks Guys..i love this forum. I will check for splits/cracks in pipe. Peekay as always thanks for your helpful comments :)

Ok the gearbox problem well as you know i have like some others various problems with sticking gear shifts, vibrations and clunking when ****ing. My clutch also was squeaking and has been for about 4 months. Ok so i took it in for service at Western Toyota at Guildford (highly recommend) and told them of my problems and again about the clutch that apparently they fixed last time <_< .Anyways they took it for a spin and said yes there are problems - no ****. Received a ph call saying that your car wont be ready for some time as waiting on parts for the new gear box they are putting in

Thanks Mr Toyota. I cant wait to take it for a spin now to see if it has resolved the problems.

Mike

[BlackRolla]

Ok so i took it in for service at Western Toyota at Guildford (highly recommend)

I do agree. I am now taking my car to them too and it is slowly getting all issues fixed. They also replaced my LCD screen without me mentioning any issues with it. How cool is that. I Highly recommend Western Toyota in Guildford too.

[ZEEROLLA]

Thanks for that info Peekay, i am constantly monitoring my CAI after every hard drive to make sure its ok.

Cheers

[oz_viking]

If you over tighten the rubber elbow it may cause it to split. Also if the brackets are not installed correctly (which supports the CAI) it may also cause the elbow split. ...(I have installed 7 to date with no elbow splitting at all).

←

Thanks Paul,

but I never over-tightened the clamps. Also, Danthuyer has seen several split hoses in addition to mine so it is occuring.

When I originally posted (and I included a picture that illustrated the point), the split occurred not around the clamp but around the edge of the throttle body, which to me suggests in my case it had nothing to do with the clamps.

It may well have been due to the CAI mounting brackets or some other factor, but there is very little room for movement in these anyway so I can't see how there was any other way to install them.

In any case, I will try and get in touch with Bruce about replacement elbows.