Dealership says CAI is the problem...? (RESOLVED!)

[BigPopa71]

Originally Posted by SlingShot

What brand CAI did you go with ?

I know on my car, it always runs like crap when it's started until it warms up. That's just typical of the LS3, and so is the somewhat rough idle. I really don't think you have any worries unless you went with a K&N CAI.

He says its a CAI!

[christianchevell]

You do not want a CAI that has you coat it in oil #1, #2 you should have slight if any noticable lope at a cold start as our cams are not very radical...ANs #3 for almost every small block chevy known to man the idle for a manual transmission should not be as low as 500rpm building engines I always used to get by with the idle for a auto trans in the day about 600 and the manual more towards 700 and yes if it was really cammed it would lope like a top fuel dragster in Pasadena. Your stupid dealers are just being anal and saying it has to be that as they are butt heads who want to test your knowledge and mess with you at the same time, or are just plain stupid. And if you have had to use maf cleaner...why is it a oiled filter? Yes they tend to screw with the sensors as it gets on them. Most people have had or heard of bad things happening with oiled filters and can happen, its only gonna happen once in a while to cars that have used the oiled filter a lot usually unless its been just drenched and done wrong. AS is sounds like you should reset your fuel table and stick the thing on a good old fashioned sun machine to look for problems with misfire around 3000 rpm as you may have a bad plug wire, the plug could be cracked.....or electrical insulation of the wire is causing problems with the wire next to it or something else, and your friend is right to put it on a computer, this manager obviously had a flunkie plug in a code reader whooooo hoooo this is the best you can expect from this butt monkey trying to blame your CAI, God if you only had fuzzy dice in the mirror ....look out........Your hesitation could be from the bad idle from the bad....fuel table, the bad spark plug wire, the bad electronics that are the distributor, a clogged fuel injector that defective or flying monkeys. Just driving the car can show a problem but not giving it a real good check up is not going to help at all as this guy is doing what a butt monkey does....He does not want to spend time on it, so it points to his crap and says his does not stink it has to be yours.............

[Gunslinger09]

The CAI is not the problem. The dealership knows this and doesn't want to troubleshoot the problem. They want to sell a major assembly or do a service that is high volume and can be turned quickly to get another car in the bay. Follow the money.

[strych9]

I suspect OP's concern is NORMAL OPERATION. The 6.2L (more LS3 than L99) does have a bit of a rough idle. It's a performance engine, and is supposed to! The cold surge is normal, also. It disturbed me at first, so I drove another one and it did the same thing.

As for the dealer's statement that the OEM air cleaner was needed before testing, that is also correct. A tech needs a stock vehicle in front of him to diagnose properly. Keep in mind that the diagnostic routines and books that he uses are designed for stock cars. He doesn't want to chase ghosts that hide in aftermarket parts.

Been there, done that.

[gajagfan]

Originally Posted by strych9

I suspect OP's concern is NORMAL OPERATION. The 6.2L (more LS3 than L99) does have a bit of a rough idle. It's a performance engine, and is supposed to! The cold surge is normal, also. It disturbed me at first, so I drove another one and it did the same thing.

As for the dealer's statement that the OEM air cleaner was needed before testing, that is also correct. A tech needs a stock vehicle in front of him to diagnose properly. Keep in mind that the diagnostic routines and books that he uses are designed for stock cars. He doesn't want to chase ghosts that hide in aftermarket parts.

Been there, done that.

I agree with everything you said. Our new 1LE has a rough idle and a bit of hesitation when I start it. It continues as I back out of the garage, and drive down my street to the subdivision exit (all about 1/2 mile or so). After I pull out on the main road, and the engine has some temp, it is gone. I do not believe OP has anything to worry about.

[Glen e]

Originally Posted by strych9

I suspect OP's concern is NORMAL OPERATION. The 6.2L (more LS3 than L99) does have a bit of a rough idle. It's a performance engine, and is supposed to! The cold surge is normal, also. It disturbed me at first, so I drove another one and it did the same thing.

As for the dealer's statement that the OEM air cleaner was needed before testing, that is also correct. A tech needs a stock vehicle in front of him to diagnose properly. Keep in mind that the diagnostic routines and books that he uses are designed for stock cars. He doesn't want to chase ghosts that hide in aftermarket parts.

Been there, done that.

I totally concur, as a former general manager of a dealership, there is no conspiracy here- dealers are geared for troubleshooting stock cars...they are kinda being a dick, but they are in the right. Warranty requires them to do things in certain ways to get paid.

That being said, I also have a hesitation/miss at idle and just chalk it up to normal operation. I also have a CAI...

[Wabbit]

Harry, try taking it to Sunset in Sumner. I've heard they tend to look the other way on mods a little more then most.

[HarryNW]

Alright, I really appreciate the responses here. It is a mix of should/should not have the hesitation/bucking (again, it is not really as much about the idle than the low RPM hesitations/bucking).

Based on above, I will be re-installing the stock air filter, re-cleaning the MAF, and see how it runs. If it still does the same, I will take it in Sunday night and make sure that on Monday they are running it through a full diagnostic.

If still nothing reported, I am going to take it to a local speed shop and lay down a few hundred bucks for a quick analysis. I want to get to know this local shop anyways to see if they are a good choice for some future installs (IPS or AGM TT) and this is a good appetizer gig.

Again, I appreciate the feedback!

Oh and on the CAI - I specifically chose C.A.I. after extensive reading on this forum and because they offer both an oiled (default) and dry filter option.

On the "should have fixed before modding" - per above, I have spent many, many hours reading here on C5 about various mods. I chose to install only a single mod (other than the various fuse pulls) - the CAI - as I do not want any debate over warranty coverage until I get beyond 10K-15K mileage. Based on everything I have read, CAI and VMAX PTB have not been something questioned by dealers and this is the first time I have seen a mention of a dealer considering a CAI something that would halt all subsequent analysis of the engine. I still struggle with the "stock or bust" perspective from the dealership on the CAI, but willing to take those lumps if needed to complete the findings. All good feedback, much appreciated.

[strych9]

Originally Posted by HarryNW

Alright, I really appreciate the responses here. It is a mix of should/should not have the hesitation/bucking (again, it is not really as much about the idle than the low RPM hesitations/bucking.

Based on above, I will be re-installing the stock air filter, re-cleaning the MAF, and see how it runs. If it still does the same, I will take it in Sunday night and make sure that on Monday they are running it through a full diagnostic.

If still nothing reported, I am going to take it to a local speed shop and lay down a few hundred bucks for a quick analysis. I want to get to know this local shop anyways to see if they are a good choice for some future installs (IPS or AGM TT) and this is a good appetizer gig.

Again, I appreciate the feedback!

Oh and on the CAI - I specifically chose C.A.I. after extensive reading on this forum and because they offer both an oiled (default) and dry filter option.

On the "should have fixed before modding" - per above, I have spent many, many hours reading here on C5 about various mods. I chose to install only a single mod (other than the various fuse pulls) - the CAI - as I do not want any debate over warranty coverage until I get beyond 10K-15K mileage. Based on everything I have read, CAI and VMAX PTB have not been something questioned by dealers and this is the first time I have seen a mention of a dealer considering a CAI something that would halt all subsequent analysis of the engine. I still struggle with the "stock or bust" perspective from the dealership on the CAI, but willing to take those lumps if needed to complete the findings. All good feedback, much appreciated.

Best of luck!

[wakespeak]

I had the same exact experience with totally stock engine. Miss at idle and once or twice on hard acceleration.

It cleared up almost completely with more miles. Better at 1500, but I noticed it a lot better at 5000 mi. I always use 93 octane.

My suspicion is that the rings don't seal well until miles accumulate, so you get blow-by and oil ingestion that wrecks the idle.

I also along the way ensured all of the electrical connections where tight. I found a TSB that the camshaft position sensor could have some prongs loose not fully engaged and to push each one within the plug tight. Someone here had to re-seat a sparkplug.

Having said that I the idle is not perfect compared to say, our Suburban, but I don't hear the miss except randomly now.

[woodstock]

I installed a Airaid Intake on my Vette last summer and it made the car run like you described,it also set a code of rich left and right bank,when I put the stock air filter back on all cleared up,I ran the stock set up for a week then cleared codes and put the Airaid back on,same thing happened I contacted Airaid and they sugested I make sure all contacts are tight and run for at least a few hundred miles for the computer to learn and adjust for added air. well nothing changed so I wrote back and told them of my problem ,they sent out a new intake horn and that was the whole proble,sent the old one back to Airaid and they tested it and found a pinhole in a seam.

[MikeSVX]

So, um, why don't you just put the factory intake back on. This will do 2 things. 1. If it goes away, it is the intake ( or at least how it was installed that causes the issue. 2. The dealer will shut up and work on it if the problem is still an issue.

[Ringo64]

Just FYI, any aftermarket mod is subject to the service department and they can decide whether or not they want to work on a vehicle like that.

[HarryNW]

Originally Posted by MikeSVX

So, um, why don't you just put the factory intake back on. This will do 2 things. 1. If it goes away, it is the intake ( or at least how it was installed that causes the issue. 2. The dealer will shut up and work on it if the problem is still an issue.

and

Originally Posted by Ringo64

Just FYI, any aftermarket mod is subject to the service department and they can decide whether or not they want to work on a vehicle like that.

Please see my final decision to do exactly this and take it back Monday