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- General
- Engine / Induction / Exhaust
- Suspension / Tires / Brakes
- Transmission / Drivetrain / Rear End
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 Why and how should I relocate my idle air temperature (IAT) sensor? |
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 The stock position of the IAT sensor (in the rubber intake elbow just before the throttle body) causes it to pick up a lot of intake manifold heat. This can be an extra 10 degrees F at highway speeds and 30 degrees F (or more) at idle. This causes the computer to retard the timing (zapping power) and causes the engine to run overly rich (since the MAF thinks there's more air going through it than there really is due to artificially high temperatures). By moving the IAT towards the air filter (away from the hot manifold), the ECM will get a more accurate reading of the actual intake temperature and will properly adjust the timing and fuel/air ratio. There's no need to worry about the air heating up more as it passes beyond the new location of the IAT since at wide open throttle, it takes the air 15/1000 of a second to travel from the air filter into the engine. First, remove the IAT sensor from the bend in the rubber intake elbow. Then plug up the hole on the elbow with something. The site you relocate the IAT to will depend on what air intake (stock or aftermarket) you have. You want it as close to (if not, right in) the air filter. Snip the sensor wires first, as you can splice in lengths of wire after the sensor is in its new location. On a stock air box, you can drill a hole into the back of the box. On aftermarket intakes, try drilling a hole in the bottom of the air filter itself (works best on K+N conical filters) or on the pipe/tube to which the filter is connected. Either way, make sure the hole is placed in location which sees the air AFTER it passes through the air filter (otherwise debris may ruin the sensor). Then insert the sensor into the hole. After that, just splice wires to reconnect the sensor, solder the connections and protect with electrical tape or heat shrink-wrap. Note, on ram air Pontiac cars (Firehawk and WS6), the IAT sensor is already located in the intake box. On ram air Chevy cars (SS), it doesn't appear you can relocate the sensor since the intake sits right over the hot intake manifold (which you're trying to get away from). |
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