This morning I decided to pop the hood to check my oil level (I have a 2006 Z and just recently had my oil changed, so I want to track any potential consumption issues) and the first thing I saw when I popped the hood was my popcharger filter laying down in the heat shield, off of its metal mounting base! Apparently the metal hose clamp around the base of the filter had come loose (or I never tightened it sufficiently) and the filter just vibrated its way off. OVer the past few days I had noticed that when I started the car I would hear the starter go and then there was a slight hesitation, then a big surge as the engine kicked on. I also noticed that my gas mileage got really crappy (about 2 mpg less than normal) and the engine felt a bit anemic throughout the entire power band, but I never thought to look under the hood.

So anyway I put the filter back on about as far as it goes and tightened the clamp as much as it would allow. Obviously not good that the engine has been sucking in unfiltered air for at least the past few days, but everything seems to be running OK now. So anyway, don't be dumb like me, make sure that filter is clamped on there good!

 

just make sure that there is not any trash on the MAF wire. You dont want to buy a new MAF thats for sure.

 

that would suck ... if i heard anything weird with the engine i would automatically pop the hood

 

Hmmm good call, I'll check that out. What's the best way to clean off the MAF sensor if it's caked with crap?

 

crc maf cleaner or equivalent pick it up at auto parts store. actually my buddy who works at toyota said sometimes cars will come in with maf codes and just cleaning the maf will get rid of the code. I went out and bought a can of it and you would be surprised how dirty the maf gets just from the oil in the popcharger.

 

Thanks for the tip man. I went to Pep-Boys and picked some up tonight. I haven't cleaned my filter yet, but I did remove the MAF sensor housing and spray the sensor with the CRC stuff. I also disconnected my battery for about 45 minutes or so before I started the car up after cleaning the MAF. When I eventually started up the car it started like new, no hesitation. We'll see how it does in the morning...it seems most prevalent when I start it for the first time each day.

*EDIT* Deleted stupid question

 

Well the car hesitated pretty badly when I started it up for the first time this morning. It's almost like it's choking or something at first, then it starts right up. I'll clean the filter this weekend hopefully and see if that makes any difference. If not, the next step will be to reinstall the stock airbox. And if that doesn't work, it's off to the dealer!

 

My other concern that I forgot to mention in my first post was what if, during the period that the filter was off which I cannot determine, some debris got sucked through the intake tube and made its way into the intake plenum or, worst yet, into the intake valve area, or even worse yet into the cylinder top ends? My assumption is that any small dirt/bark/leaf/grass particles would just be burned and exhausted from the combustion process if they got that far. And my other assumption is that if there was anything sucked in that is big enough to cause a problem, I would notice the car idling and running roughly or some other problems.

I'm still a little confused as to why the car only seems to hesitate starting up when it has been sitting for a long time (i.e. probably 8+ hours) and then starts up like new every other time. Is that symptomatic of a low-oil situation? I checked my oil level the other day and it was between the H and L marks so I figured that was OK. I'll keep an eye on these things over the next couple of weeks before I raise any red flags.

 

hm my guess woulda been to clean the maf as well with some crc. have you tried to put the oem box/filter back on? jsut a thought. good luck man!

 

If the car is still under warranty I would bring it back to stock, and take it to the dealer for service.

 

^ agreed probably the BEST option available.

 

* thread revive *

Car is still running alright from what I can tell, aside from some weird starting issue (sometimes it hesitates when started for the first time on a cold morning). Any suggestions on what to ask the dealer to look for concerning potential debris in the engine? Would a full engine flush take care of any kind of crap that might be gunked up in there?

 

BUMP!

Same thing just happend to me bro. . . No starting problems but my car is a little anemic now too. . . what needs to be done to bring it back to life?

 

make sure you have all your stock parts off and drive to the dealer. ask them what's wrong and they will fix it.

 

... alright so after driving it after I put the filter back on everything is back to normal . . . I cleaned the maf and filter while I was in the mood. . . runs great.

Your ignition problem may be a seperate issue. Any new developments?

 

Nah nothing new. Car hesitates while starting sometimes, other times starts right up. You nailed it though, my car also feels anemic now. I think it might be time for yet another MAF cleaning and battery unplugging overnight to reset the ECU.