Help Check Engine Blinking Engine Is Stuttering

[Mr. I-MAN]

I put a cone air filter w/ a short extension to get the filter closer to stock cold air opening by the firewall and trans interceptor on friday also cleaning throttle body opening. Test drove it yesterday engine light came on. I figured that the computer needed to be reset, so I disconnect the battery overnight and cleaned the MAF sensor w/ rubbing alcohol and Q-tips. Driving today on 55 the check engine light came at 60mph and the light started blinking and the engine started sputtering and idleing really rough. I gave some gas the roughness went away and the light stopped blinking and stayed solid. I m pretty good with engines but I stumped?

Help ?

Anybody Please?

[Spy Hunter]

Check engine light blinking = VERY BAD! If it comes on solid, it's one of hundreds of different emmissions reasons, but if it blinks, it's a major engine that needs service ASAP! You're not even supposed to drive the vehicle if the light is blinking. I'd take it to a dealer immediately (put your stock airbox back in so they don't know you were fiddling with it).

[Triathlete]

At the very least you need to get the code retrieved so that you know what your dealing with. But definately get it looked at if the light is flashing. Like Spy Hunter said.... thats not good.

[Zu4two]

A blinking check engine light only occurs when the engine computer detects mis-fires in one or more of the cylinders. If the mis-fires are severe enough to cause damage to the catalytic converter, the check engine light starts flashing at a rate of once per second. Once the computer senses that the mis-fires have stopped it stops the flashing and lights the check engine light solid, so as to indicate a problem has occured.

Causes of major mis-fires can be bad fuel, fouled spark plugs, or other malfunctions in the engine's ignition system. Also on extremely rough roads, the computer can be fooled into thinking it's mis-firing, but this is extremely rare.

In playing around in your engine compartment, did you inadvertently mess with any of the wiring to the spark plug coils (red squares on valve covers)? Others items to check would include damage to the mass airflow sensor (don't ever "touch" the thin wires in the MAF) and leaks in the intake track past the MAF, caused by vacuum hoses disconnected or the intake tube not being seated on the throttle body.

I would certainly retrieve the trouble codes from the computer and see what they say. Do not attempt to reset the computer until you retrieve the codes, or you'll never know what happened.

Contrary to popular belief, the check engine light cannot tell you of many major engine malfunctions (one person wanted to know why it didn't come on before they threw a rod), it only keeps tabs on the functioning of the engine in regards to emission related function.

That's my 2 cents, I hope it helps.

Kirk

[Mr. I-MAN]

Its probably throttle body cleaning spray loosening the carbon and then fouling the plugs. I cleaned the MAF sensors with rubbing alcohol and a Q tip. Looks like I gotta check the plugs.

Thanks for the 2 cents Kirk!

[SGT.BATGUANO]

1) make sure maf plug is fully connected.

2) check vacuumm hoose that goes to flexable duct.

3) If all else fails put it completely back to stock (double-checking all connections vac. and electric0, reset the computer and watch closely for the light.