i installed my injen cai the other day...i checked over it multiple times to make sure it was all hooked up good. well, now my check engine light is on, when i start my car it dies every time, i have to start it again for it to stay on. it also idles rough, like it will go up to about 1000rpm then drop to almost stalling...then back up and down. i have done many searches but i cant find what to do that i havent done already. i need help

 

Check to make sure yor MAF sensor is correctly placed on the intake, you might have it backwards. check to see that there isnt a leak, that the seal for the MAF is tight. Reset the ECU, by disconnecting the battery and reconnecting it.

 

oh...something i left out...when i looked into the MAF, there was this little plastic piece in the center and i hit it with my screwdriver and broke it off...it was so small i didnt think it mattered, but i know its on the right way cuz its the only way the wire plugs into it

 

It sounds like you damaged the sensor in the MAF, from what you described.

 

so you are saying i broke the piece that im suppose to have in there...where can i get a new one at cuz im sure the dealership will charge me too much

 

you could probably check the for sale page on this site or a junkyard. Just to make sure, was the peice attached with metal or a film that measure the airflow inside the MAF. If u can show me a pic of it, i can tell you exactly.

 

im not quite sure...i was looking through the inside and there was this little plastic piece the size of a needle...i hit it with the screwdriver and it just snapped off

 

mercy me yeah that sounds about right what jster was saying sounds like the heating element broke off not so cheap to buy a new one i tell ya try the boneyards before you go to the dealer

 

I saw it as low as $40 on www.car-part.com ...it's listed under "air flow meter"