Hey guys, I just finished installing a few mods on my friends 2004 sedan but im getting limpmode with CEL and VDC/SLip lights.

The mods are as follows:

Borla Exhaust
Test Pipes
Motordyne 3/8 spacer
Nismo CAI
Stillen Sways/strut
Tein S. Tech

For some reason im getting limp mode. Ive tried the pedal ecu reset, i told him to take it home and unplug battery and see if that fixes anything...

ideas?

 

I would guess that..
-Test pipes are throwing the cel

-VDC/Slip light is being caused by the sways? (i remember reading something along the lines..)

Bump for you..

 

Hmm so after leaving the battery unplugged overnight, he can't get his car to idle.... Just falls on its face even when he adds gas... Wtfbbq!?

 

If you disconnected the throttle body when installing the spacer then your TB calibration is off. When your calibration is off it will cause your car to stall out on a start up. Theres no keeping it alive unless you gas it, and then it still doesn't work.


Run through the TB reset procedure. Might not do anything because of other problems, but it couldn't hurt.

If your coolant/oil pressure looks good then you have an air leak. Check the 02 sensors on the test pipes. Make sure you didn't crossthread something.

The VDC/slip light i believe is directly related to the sway & struts you installed. I've read threads before about people having problems after installing aftermarket suspension on a car that has all the traction control gizmos. Searching may help with that one, but the sputtering and stalling is air related so check everything that deals with moving air in and out of the engine.

 

The reset procedure is just accesory on for 2sec, off for 10, twice right?

I did that, even after the overnight battery unplug and it still doesn't idle ill check all the connections again.

The throttle body has 3 plugs for hoses correct? I plugged those in, the crank vent hose and the front left plenum hose... Also plugged the electric plug into the throttle body, maybe it is in wrong? But I'm fairly sure the clip only works 1 way....

 

check MAF and all wiring, cables... Read the stored codes.

 

as you stated above you plugged the electric plug back into the throttle body. I did this too. In the directions it says not to unplug that. Your TB calibration is off. You can retreive the TB reset procedure off of the MD webpage installation instruction. It should have came with your spacer kit also. It is a ***** to get to work without a doubt. You need to run through this and keep trying it untill it works.

The directions are slightly flawed though. It states that the CIL engine light should be blinking after you pump the gas 5 times and wait 7 seconds. That is incorrect. The light will only start flashing after the 7 second wait and the 20 second hold. Once you get into the direction and get frustrated a couple times it will make sense. Update us with results.

 

If it won't idle, something went wrong with the spacer install.

Edit: I should've kept reading. Heh.

 

One question: Did you disconnect the battery first before starting on ANY work that involved unplugging electrical connectors?

 

yes i did. It wont matter though, if you unplugged the thottle body it lost calibration. It will have problems idling and starting up and holding an idle. In the the recal process a idle learning position sensor is included which will help with that.

 

its your MAF i would check that. you test pipes wont cause that i would say is your MAF.

 

You are absolutely wrong. I could go into the details of why that is total bunk, but suffice to say that it will NOT lose calibration if you killed the battery first. I have done it the correct way almost a dozen times, and it NEVER lost calibration. If you DID disconnect the battery first, I suggest you look for problems elsewhere.

 

well... I had a brilliant idea that maybe I somehow had my maf facing the wrong direction... and indeed that is the case. The nismo CAI requires you to use the stock plastic MAF housing, and it can go on either way... i guess I was in too much of a rush to see the little plastic arrow to indicate air flow on the piece lol... stupid me!!

Anyways, all VDC/Slip and CEL are gone! Weird that this would trigger a VDC/Slip Light....

Hope this helps someone in the future when installing a nismo CAI.

 

you mean the maf sensor, not the maf housing, as the housing can only go 1 direction, with its 4 bolt flange on 1 side and hose connection on the other???

 

whatever you say man, i installed the spacer/HFCs/Exhaust on my own ride too. many people have had problems with the idle after removing the top plenum/TB, including myself.

glad to hear you got it figured out. Most simple thing can put you down in the dirt.

 

so, how does the car feel now