not "around 6000rpm"... I've been very specific when I say, to hold your throttle between 6000 - 9000 rpm for more than 30 seconds with no hiccups...

don't vary the rpm's while in that range either... lets use an example.. hold your engine while driving... at 7200rpm (randomly picked)... for 30 seconds.

 

Ok. What I did was hold just over 6000 RPM for about 10 seconds but I can try what you suggest. It seems weird to do this...

 

Well, did you try it?

 

Yes I did and it felt really odd to do it. How did you discover this? What gear were you in?
Anyway, my car didn't misbehave.

 

Okay, I'll explain how I come to this. First let me lay some facts...

One of the selling points of the car is its incredibly high rev range and the fact that it can be revved that high without much ill-effect. I didn't buy this car to use it between 0 - 6000rpm. I bought the car to use it from 0 - 9000rpm.

6000 - 9000 usage example:

-> You're not always lucky to be the first car in the lane entering the highway on ramp. There's usually some bloke that is slower than you. So you would most likely be in 2nd gear, inching your way towards 80 - 90km/h (average ramp entrance speed). You would hold that gear until the ramp section completes, and the lane allows you to cut into the highway. That is when you gun it to redline, and then shift, and redline, and then shift again.... ending at around 148 km/h and then slowing down to a more cruisable speed of 120km/h while you shift from 4th to 6th.

 

I guess that makes sense

 

Hey Footman, I hope the stock intake fixes your problem but if not, I would still put the doubts on the CAT.

It seems like you drive your car hard, and at light throttle at high rpm, the exhaust temps could be very very high, (not excessively rich like WOT and high rpm AND with the rotary engine) which is bad for the CAT.

They said they tested the CAT, but I doubt they've taken it out. I can't dig it up for you, but the dealership's CAT test isn't always accurate, I have seen that several times on this board already over the years.

Since you've replaced the coils, you've eliminated another weak component in the car. The CAT is what you should check next, consider taking it to a garage to have them take a look inside the CAT if dealership can't solve the problem for you.

I hope this helps.
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I'll find out Monday night and I'll post here, when I pick up my car tomorrow evening afterwork.

 

I got my car back tonight, again the drive back home is really short and with rush hour traffic, can't really try out those ranges. I managed to redline once in 2nd gear, no blinking CELs, perfectly smooth.

Soundwise.. that grunt is entirely gone . Do take note that I bought the car with the MS CAI installed already, so from the get go, I was used to that awesome sound when you go full throttle.

It's all gone now... all gone... it's so sad, she sounds like a whiney bitch now. I dunno, maybe it'll take some time for me to get used to it. All those fun sounds when you floor it as it spools up those RPMs is completely gone.... I'm depressed.

The MS CAI is now sitting in my trunk... I will have a full confirmation whether the intake was truly the cause of the problem by tomorrow night. I need to drive some mileages first to try out the ranges to make sure no more blinking CEL's at high RPMs... I'll update y'all for sure.

 

This will be better for you.
You can't afford to have the car down for 1 day. This is your only means of transportation.

So what if the car doesn't sound like a rotary anymore. At least you know you won't have to worry about it the next time you fire it up.

 

it's actually "drivable" with the MS CAI in the winter. just that my effective RPm range is 0 - 6000rpm only.

 

That still sounds like a bandaid. I hate how dealerships are always trying to do the bare minimum. They shouldn't even call the people who work on your car mechanics. The rest of us with CAIs are driving in the same winter weather as you without the problem you're having. That's BS that they just took it off and called it fixed.

 

yeah I know... I'm not 100% satisfied, but what can you do? so far the stock intake does seem to have fixed the problem the CAI caused...

If it isn't the true cause, eventually it'll creep back up again someday. Is anyone willing to go through the bumper removal DIY with me in person? Someone experienced with that and the CAI intake install? I'm tempted to put it back in for the summer; but I don't feel very confident doing it myself without any guidance.

 

Do a few searches in the forum, some have posted the instructions here. Also Check the workshop PDFs online somewhere. After looking at that should give u a good idea of what tools, time, and how to take it off. It shouldn't be that hard, and if you feel comfortable with it go for it! You have a good few months to get ready for this install.
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I have a friend that suggested that the MAF values need to be reset? Remember that I am sputtering between 6000- 9000rpm even in neutral with the CAI installed, but no such problems with the stock intake. Seems like it's strictly an airflow issue?

That little piece of mesh filter inside the tube.. is it supposed to be installed at an angle?

 

I guess the biggest part about re & re ur stock air-box and CAI is to remove the bumper... other than that it's nothing fancy... I'll help you when it comes time in the summer... not a big deal~

 

Well well well... I examined my CAI in 2 pieces in the trunk. The long straight section which the MAF is installed, in that tube has two mesh screens, but tehy're all bunched up in awkward angles and they are about 2 inchs in front of the MAF location stuck together!

Are the mesh filters supposed to fit snuggly with the CAI such that removal will not change their position? If so, then that means the mesh screens are like this in my car all the time; and they weren't dislodged during the removal. Is that normal?

I will post HIGH RES pics tonight. Please help me out guys.

 

Hey footman, I just read through your issues and it sounds like you may have found what was actually causing the problems. try to get some pictures tonight so I can see the way your screens are positioned. I don't know how to describe this....if you take the section of tube and set it with one end on the ground, the ring of mesh should be parrallel with the ground. I will look through the instal guide to see if there is a pic of it...

And just for reference, I have the aem year round just north of chicago and I was driving with it a couple weeks ago when it was -5 F. I have gotten a CEL flashing a couple misc times around 8000 rpm but those are rare and go away after I back off.


EDIT
Alright, so I looked at the install guide and it doesn't show a pic fo the screens directly, but it did remind me of installing mine and how the screens worked! With the AEM the screens sit in the couplers between the peices of pipe. There is a ridge in the coupler so you place the screen in front of the ridge so that when air flows into the engine the screen is pushed against the ridge and not back towards the engine.

If the MS intake is set up the same way and someone put the coupler on backwards, then the screens could have been blown back in the tube that houses the MAF. The screens shouldn't be in the tube of the MAF at all. One should be just in front of that tube in the coupler and the other should be in the coupler in the next pipe down the line.

Since I can't send you the install guide right now, here is a screen shot of it. This should clarify what I just said. Look at steps 'f' and 'g'

 

When Darkbrew asked me a few pages back when I was cleaning my MAF whether the screens are there. I looked inside the MAF and saw the screen exactly in the same position as I see this now. Though I did not count how many screens were there as I didn't know there are two screens in the MS/AEM CAI.

Now that it's disconnected, this is what I found. Looking down the barrel, I'm guessin that the screens should fit in those ridges exactly perpendicular to the length of the barrel?

 

More pics.

1) Could these screens be the cause of my problems?
2) Could it be possible they were installed incorrectly?
3) Could it be that they are installed correctly and they somehow blew backwards towards the MAF? and if so, what could cause that to occur?

 

Nice pictures man.
The idiots at the dealership didn't think to check the screens???
Well they installed them wrong in the first place so what do you expect...
Well this discovery should ultimately lead to a solution.

 

so now the problem is.. how do I test my hypothesis? I really need help re-installing the CAI. and if it isn't the problem, then I have to put the stock back in for good. Anyone want to help me out? I'll take you to dinner/lunch whatever.

 

How about sitting down with the service manager at your dealer... These guys need to take responsibly for this crap

 

This would be an interesting project.
Wanna make a meet of it??

 

well Darkbrew, if I go back now, I have no proof that they did. They could say "you went home and moved it there and tried to blame it on us"... or some bullshit excuse, you know how dealers are like... I'd rather just let this one slide, and go about my own to see if I can learn something from this experience.

Actually, as of this writing... I am disassembling the 3-piece section of the upper tube, so I can re-align the screens properly.

But seriously guys, can anyone shed light on this issue.. can something like this cause sputtering from 6000 - 9000 rpm?