Uwchlan8

Let me preface this by saying I am not a car guy, and when I'm talking to people on the phone (for instance, a service manager) I have the attention span of a goldfish.

I have had my car in to Lancaster Toyota/Mazda/Scion twice in the last two weeks because the CEL is on. The first time, they replaced a sensor and gave the car back. Two drive cycles later, the light was back on. I took the car back in, and they are now telling me that because I installed a K&N filter, there is some problem with some sensor. His recommendation is to rip out my K&N filter, which I'm not happy about, and put back in a new, $50 OEM filter, then run it for two drive cycles to see if the light goes back on. Then, he wants to replace said sensor, to the tune of about $200. I think this is just his way of trying to scam me into buying an ever-so-slightly used OEM filter and a new sensor gizmo. I asked him if that was covered, and he told me that since i used an aftermarket filter the work wouldn't be covered by the warranty.

I went to K&N's website, and read the whole spiel about the warranty being voided and the dealership's need to provide me with proof that the K&N filter caused the problem, etc.

My question is, what can I do to gather evidence that this guy is full of it, and get someone to fix what is REALLY wrong with the car without them trying to sell me things I don't need? Is there anyone trustworthy between Lancaster and Philly? (Don't say Faulkner, don't say Faulkner, don't say Faulkner...)

I have 29400 miles on the car, the K&N filter has been in for about 15000 miles. I have been driving pretty hard recently. If I need to provide any other info, or if anyone has any questions I might be able to answer, please let me know. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I can also be reached on AOL-IM as dy290.

Thanks in advance for all of your help everyone.

Eric

zoom44

first you need to tell us what the cel code is/was

second- yes oiled filters like the knn can and do cause damage to the Mass Airflow Sensor. The damage can be averted by cleaning the MAFS with soem break cleaner like substance. however if its not cleaned on a regular basis the oil can cause uneven heating of the wires in the maf causing premature failure. mazda recommends against using oiled filters and any damage resulting in their use is not covered.

i recommend goign back tothe oem filter to seee if the problem cel re-occurs.

3rd do i know you. i lived in that area all my life until 6 years ago. lived in west chester downingtown and coatesville. worked at Waterloo Gardens as the warrehouse supervisor etc etc. maybe we have met.

charlie

Uwchlan8

It was code 2097, and the guy said it was the MAFS. Can you direct me where this thing is so I can clean it and see if that helps? Should I go ahead and let them put the OEM filter in?

Also, I probably wouldn't know you. I moved into Exton in 2001, and I moved out to Lancaster this January. Already, I feel like I've done everything there is to do in Lancaster.

Thanks for the info, Charlie.

Eric

zoom44

P2097 Target A/F feedback system too rich ON 2 Fuel system ´
(See DTC P2097 )

there is a thread here where you can check any you get in the future. weird that you are geting a too rich code. i guess if the mafs was putting out the wrong voltage and the pcm couldnt compensate correctly for the condition ....

either way theere is another thread in the tech section on cleaning the mafs. started by abbid. its not to far down the page. the mages is in the tube directly behind the airbox. check your manual and it will show a little diagram of the mafs and taking the connector off .

zoom44

here is an older thread on the same issue https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...light=pic+mafs

Uwchlan8

Thanks for all of your help Charlie. Today, just to **** me off, Scott Ruhl from Lancaster Toyota Mazda called me at 6:40 in the @#$@^&^ morning to ask me where my car was, because he was under the impression that I was leaving my car there overnight. I bought the stock filter from the dealership and some carb cleaner, and today I tore apart the intake and sprayed down the MAFS. One more drive cycle and hopefully, that light will go out. I think that would make my day. Again, my thanks for directing me to the answers I needed.

Eric

StealthTL

iTrader: (1)

Don't forget to clean the ACTUAL MAF.....

People seem to think the brown bulb is the MAF....taint, the brown bit is just a thermistor to tell the ECU the incoming air temp. The maf wires are up inside, vertically ABOVE the brown doohickey, you need to spray up into the black housing.

S

Uwchlan8

S,

Thanks for making sure I did that. I read all of the posts on the two threads to which Charlie directed me, and made sure I gave those two resistors a good dousing. Here's to hoping it works.

Eric

snap-on

Mazda Repair Information

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AFTERMARKET AIR INTAKE SYSTEM - ROUGH ENGINE IDLE
Applicable Models
Model Starting S/N Ending S/N
2004 RX8 00000000 ZZZZZZZZ

Some customers may complain of rough or poor idling condition. The RX8's airbox N intake system is specially designed to eliminate restriction N create a smooth airflow over the MAF. If the customer has installed an aftermarket air cleaner or intake system, the airflow stream to the MAF element may be disrupted N cause an improper MAF signal. This erratic signal results in a rough idle condition. Also, aftermarket air cleaner elements are sometimes coated in oil to better filter the incoming air. The oil from this type of elemnt may damage theMAF resulting in a poor idle or MIL related to the MAF. If a customer complains of a rough engine idle, see the repair instructions below. 1. Check for aftermarket air intake system or aftermarket air filter element. (Replace with factory system if necessary.) 2. If rough idle continues, check for additional bulletins / M-tips, workshop manual troubleshotting. 3. Confirm repair.

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