KKM problem please help!

[redexplr]

WHY are you taking apart the MAS???!!!! You don't need to do this to clean it! Take off the filter and spray it a few times with a cleaner while it is STILL attached to the intake. There is a reason why they use a security star screw there.

yes that will help some and it will clean it but there is more to the sensor than that and its recommended that it be cleaned every 25,000 and as far as i know i never hear of anyone doing it until i came on this site. If your explorer is an older model ie my 133000 mile '91 then it may have allot of carbon build up on the two filaments which are esencially hot wires. there function is to heat up and the air flow in the maf has a crack which allows air to go up into that black portion which is screw in wiht th esecurity stay, the air then passes over these wire and cool them. By sensing how much the air cools these electric hot wires, the computer can react to how much air or how dense and cool the air is. This then helps the computer control the right air to fuel ratio. Mine was totoally black and i cleaned then and now they are how they shoudl be silver, and this has made as much a difference as any mod ive done! it maynot do as good if yours is not as dirty bu tmine needed it bad! if i had taken it to a shop they would have told me i need to replace the unit which can run a couple hundred bucks, i think a few dollars for carb cleaner O2 safe is a better deal. If your not comforatable dealing with this very delicate part then dont! Take it in and have someone else do it but i would trust anymore doing that to mine, cause the shop could break it and say that the reason it wasnt functioning is cause a filament is broken then youd have to pay a couple hundred bukaroos. but then again if you break it your self then your in the same boat so use your judgement. like i said i got that info from this site on the main page under tips and it was the best info ive ever gotten from this site!!!!!!! THanks to whoever put that up!!!!!

 

[Slick]

Well today I was finally able to get off that #@&#^@% screw that ford filled in with the cement crap. My filaments in the MAS looked very clean but I still sprayed them with the cleaner and stuff. I couldnt tell any power improvement really, but i only drove a short distance. However once in my driveway i put it in park and let it idle for a min and it idles 10 times smoother. So it must have done something. Is there anything else you guys can think of that I may have done wrong because i really dont feel any power difference and after racing some friends the results are pretty much identical to how they were before. Please let me know!

 

[DarkFox1]

yer scaring me guys.. heh, I ordered a kkm for my mounty 2 days ago. I'm supposed to get it tomorrow.. if its going to cause all these problems I may just send it back.. this doesn't sound very positive

the guy told me a dyno shows up to 6hp and 8ft lbs of torque gain, and up till the order everyone I talke dto said I'd notice a difference.. right now I get a sulfer smell when I punch it.. I figure it may help, but if I'm going to have to do "major repairs" I'm not gonna bother with this filter change

 

[espnfreak]

lol darkfox, you live in a hot climate, maybe you wont notice it too much?

 

[2001ExpSport]

The KKM is not the cause of any of the previously posted problems DarkFox. The KKM is a great mod for the money. Your truck will run and sound great. Get the K&N charging kit and clean/recharge it spring and fall. You'll get better perf that way. Make sure you reset the computer BEFORE you start it up with the KKM installed.

 

[DarkFox1]

thats whats concerning me.. last winter I had to have something in my computer reflashed cos my engine wouldn't stay running at idle.. I don wnana have to shell out any more cash on that.. I dunno, I'm paranoid.. I tend to be a bit of a clutz when I'm working on stuff sometimes.. I'm afraid I'm gonna mess something up heh, and its like.. a week till I start class again..

btw, your link doesn't seem to work for your pics 2001

 

[redexplr]

i have never heard of a kkm kit causing any problems as well but my advice to you is that if you dont feel comforatable with it think about it more and if you still dont then i wouldnt. But also the computer supposedly resets after awhile, but for some reason it took forever on mine, and i had the battery disconnected for hours, i also think driving with varied speeds may help so that the computer can get different readings of air intake at different speeds i figure it takes an average at different rpms so id imagine it takes awhile. also i have heard, but dont quote me that the first five minutes after youve connected the battery back on and started your vehicle, let it idle for 5-10 minutes with out any reving or anything. See if it works then i guess, if that doesnt do it then its beyond me?

Also note if your maf sensor didnt look too dirty then dont expect a huge improvment but im glad to hear your idle is allot smoother.. again note i had a huge difference b/c mine were black with carbon build up

 

[Robert]

You're just being paranoid

Originally posted by DarkFox1
thats whats concerning me.. last winter I had to have something in my computer reflashed cos my engine wouldn't stay running at idle.. I don wnana have to shell out any more cash on that.. I dunno, I'm paranoid.. I tend to be a bit of a clutz when I'm working on stuff sometimes.. I'm afraid I'm gonna mess something up heh, and its like.. a week till I start class again..

btw, your link doesn't seem to work for your pics 2001

First, I have been told many times that a sulfer smell is a bad catalytic converter or bad O2 sensor. A KKM won't fix that. Second, if your '97 MAF is like my '97 MAF it used bolts rather than the security torx bits that were filled in on Slicks. You can use a regular socket. Third, when you get your computer flashed, it goes into non-volatile memory. You won't loose it by resetting the computer. Incidentally what they mean by resetting the computer is to disconnect your negative battery cable for several minutes. Ford would get many many complaints if customers had to come back and have their computers reflashed every time the battery was disconnected. Finally, since yours is a '97 your computer (as well as the catalytic converter) is covered for 8 years/80K miles under the Federally mandated extended emissions warranty. They will reflash it under warranty if you have less than 80K on it. I had mine done at about 40K due to a hesitation problem.

 

[mikeresin]

i need that done to my computer. i have hesitation problems. but i dont want to spend the money on it. im looseing my lisence pretty soon so oh well. ill still be bale to drive to work and school but thats it. and it will be my third point on my lisence so my insurance will go up to 600 a month on my X. so i have to store then X unfortunantly. buy a little bucket that i dont need collision insurance on to drive around for a year or so.

 

[DarkFox1]

mine was reflashed because it wouldn't stay running cold.. you had to keep yer foot on the gas to up the rpms to keep it from falling off. I managed to go to school in it that day and it did crank after class (it had warmed up considerablly) and went straight to the dealer.. they reflashed it, but told me it was not under warranty and charged me like $250 to have it done. I didnt think that was right, because I proablly had upper 40,000s on it at the time (53k now) My only guess is that since I changed my muffler and pipes after that they may have considered my emissions warranty void.. I personally don't see how a flowmaster muffler can make a car pollute like a semi, but I wouldn't be suprised.

Thnx for the info, that settles most of my concerns, now I only have to worry about my radio stations, j/k I'm going to be going from a dirty $15 filter from advance auto that is LONG overdue for changing to this kkm kit.. hopefuly things will work, but I really don't wanna have to go into the MAF, I guess I'll read over the instructions when I get it and see what I'm gonna do, thnx again

a cat or an O2 eh hrmm, well I guess I should have that looked at.. don't they make performance sensors and cats? maybe those would be better ideas than stock replacements?

 

[mikeresin]

i know they make hi-flow cats. i dont think they make any special o2 sensors.

 

[Robert]

I would be going back for a refund!

If the computer that they re-flashed was the PCM (which it should be) it was (and still is) under warranty. I had no problems getting my local Ford dealer (which is a major pain in the a$$) to update my PCM with the latest revision under warranty when I had about 40K on it. There was a TSB that describes that the transmission can occasionally get stuck in high gear after extended driving and coming to a stop. It creates a "perceived lack of acceleration". The fix was to reprogram the PCM. I mentioned it to the dealer expecting to pay for the update. When I picked it up, they said that it was covered under warranty per the Emissions Defect Warranty. Take your Warranty Information Booklet and your receipt back to Ford and demand a refund. If they don't comply, try calling the Ford Hotline number and ask them for advise. The actual wording from my Warranty Information Booklet states:

"Under the Emissions Defect Warranty, Ford also provides coverage, including labor and diagnosis, for eight years or 80,000 miles (whichever occurs first) for these emissions parts:
² catalytic converter
² electronic emissions control unit (PCM)
² onboard emissions diagnostic device"

 

[DarkFox1]

it was the PCM.. I got that verified.. but I can't get wether or not it was warranty verifired.. my parents handled that.. so ford will replace my cats under warranty also huh? well considering a cat is like $300 and I beleive I have like 4 of them.. I'd best have them do it , even tho my dad seems to think the sulfer smell is from it running rich because it only occurs at 3000rpm and above, although tends to linger after the engine has reached those rpms for a while

 

[2001ExpSport]

Originally posted by DarkFox1
btw, your link doesn't seem to work for your pics 2001

I am working on a new location....

 

[Robert]

Yes, they will replace your catalytic converter if it fails while it is still under the Emissions Defect Warranty. If one of your cats hasn't failed then no, Ford will not replace it. Regardless of whether or not Ford considered your early morning stalling emissions related or not, the PCM was still under warranty. The hesitation from my tranny staying in high gear was no more emissions related than your cold start problem. If it is running rich, then it is probably due to an O2 sensor that is on its way out. If it is an O2 sensor, then it is not covered under warranty.

 

[DarkFox1]

wow, yer quite a resource on this stuff, thanks for all the info man, I really appreciate it.. apparently.. the kkm dude made an error about the shipping.. 3 days.. not 2 heh, so it should be here tomorrow.. I took a look at my box just a minute ago, looks FUN! we have a rather large lighted garage so it should be all good tho..

I'll look into the sensor and stuff.. I only have about a few hundred to blow right now... and I'd like to blow as little as possible but if I can replace something thats worn/broken anyway and gain better performance.. (IE the filter in my box is OLD, needs replacing anyway) sounds good to me!

 

[flyguy]

Okay... I dont know if it has been mentioned yet... but I found the best combination is the KKM with a new Throttle Body. Its normal not to notice a whole lot of diffrence in hot weather.. .but wait for a cool night. Then you can feel it. A new TB will give it a nice kick to boot. Anyways... as for the 02's, just pick em up at your local parts store. I think the only ones are Bosch.

nick

 

[DarkFox1]

heres my story.

ok.. I got it today and went up to the garage about 20 minutes later and started working.. the mounty hadn't ran all day so it was good n cold.. did everything like the insturctions said.. its lookin all good, have a pic up in just a few. Throttle response has improved, especially pulling in low and mid, exhaust sounds a world better.. but thats the good news.

The bad news is.. right after I got it running and let it idle fo rabout 20 minutes, I headed out to get gas.. I punched it to see what it would do.. very nice climb to 60.. but the sulfer smell got so bad I was literally coughing and my eyes burning.. it was terrible! I called the dealership, they said it could very well be the cat, and that is under warranty, but an o2 sensor is not.. I'm gonna have them check it out tomorrow.. got to get this out of there before class monday

 

[mikeresin]

glad to hear you like the kkm =) i was thinking about getting one also. i didnt know you could hear the difference in your exhuast. what does it sound like?
also normally when one of your cats is broken it rattles. especially when you punch it.

 

[DarkFox1]

the exhaust just sounds.. deeper.. more articulate at higher rpms than before.. I haven't noticed a rattle or anything.. but I don't care if I have to buy a new vehicle. I'm not driving with tihs horrible smell