So I installed the AEM Brute Force air intake today. After I start it up, I took it around the block. Got in my driveway and the service engine soon light was on. I don't know if it was on before or after I drove it around, but I have a feeling if it was on before I drove it around it would've caught my attention, especially because I was looking at my oil temperature gauge a lot. When my brother got in and kinda took it for a drive around the block, and we're talking a small block, as we pulled into the driveway and were about to get out of the truck he says, "Your Service Engine Soon light is on". Meaning it might've appeared after we drove it.
I hope nothing got sucked into the engine.

 

I'm not familiar with the CAI system but if the filter requires oiling, it may have excessive oil on it which has been transferred to the MAF sensor.
If you can, check the code. If it's a MAF sensor code ( I think it's a code 34), clean the air filter of excess oil, the MAF sensor could be cleaned with carb or throttle body cleaner, then clear the code and see if it re-sets.

 

Nah, no oil needed.
I'm gonna check on the MAF sensor though. See if it's in tight or if there's any leaks. Whichever the code is I'm still gonna have my mechanic take a look at it.

 

A '96 would be OBD2 with Pxxxx codes. You really need to have the codes read as we can speculate all we want.

You definitely need to check over all electrical connections as well.

 

I took it to my mechanic today and he pulled up the errors.
They said higher temperature detected, higher voltage, higher intake, something like that.
That's stuff that obviously is different though, that's what the intake's supposed to do but I guess the upgrade is being detected as an error. Anyway, he cleared the SES but it came back a few minutes later.
I still haven't unplugged the battery, but I've heard you should do that, too.
Today me and my dad took the intake out and reinstalled it, unplugged the MAF, still the error message.
I noticed when I turn the battery on the SES light blinks once and then stays on.

 

We need to know the actual code. Like P1406 or something.

 

Check the wires for the IAT sensor (intake air temp). I suspect that these wires have been damaged in some way. The specific code will help to narrow things down.

 

Assuming you have / will rule out any wiring or bad sensor issues, you do need to let the engine go through a complete drive cycle, which is around 50 or 60 miles. Since you have fiddled with the engine design specifics (i.e. air intake), the computer needs to learn and adjust itself to the new parameters that it is seeing. Take her for a long drive and see if the SES light eventually goes off. If it doesn't, then you need to read the codes and attack them systematically. Good Luck.

 

Yeah, I don't know the codes exactly, just what my mechanic told me. I should've asked for the codes.
I checked out my IAT. I took it out, looked at it, put it back in, made sure it was in right and in enough to get a correct reading. Hopefully nothing WAS damaged. One thing is my IAT is basically right up against my brake fluid reservoir. It's a tight fit, but it's the best I could do. In the instructions it shows the IAT sticking upwards, which is not like mine. Mine has the IAT hole cut so that my sensor is diagonal and right up against the reservoir.

But yeah, I figured the computer needs to learn to adjust to the intake since it's not the normal readings it usually gets. Since I've installed it, I've driven about 10 miles or less, going to work, my friend's house, nothing too far away. Tomorrow I have college, which is 15 miles both ways. I'll see what happens tomorrow.

 

So, any luck with the SES light? Where are you at in Queens? My Dad lives in Glendale (we moved to Queens from Brooklyn the year I left for college- back in '79).

You can take your car to any AutoZone (I think AutoZone is in Queens), and they will scan for codes and give you a printout (a free service, at least in upstate NY it is).