found a sensor hanging out
 

the other day i gutted the stock intake and made a coustom intake. when i tooke the old box out i found a sensor hanging there. there was a hole in the box with a yellow cap in it probably where the sensor goes. should i install it on the new intake or let it hang out?

That's your IAT sensor (Intake Air Temperature). And it should be installed for sure. You've been suffering from poor performance when your engine bay heats up. It was measuring hot air when the incoming air was colder.

thanks a lot. now i'll just have to drill a hole to fix that problem. and yes there is a huge drop in power when the engine is hot. i thought it was because the filter was too close to the engine and drawing in hot air. so i made a ricer intake the other day.

Speaking of this sensor, does anyone know what the PCM is thinking when I'm a moron and forget to hook the sensor back up to the wiring after pulling the airbox out and reinstalling it?

It throws a code 21 IAT temp high if I recall. But the car defaults to a particular inefficient setting.

i noticed the iat sensor has an arrow on it. which way should i make it go? point with the airflow or away from it?

Mine is postioned so the air blows through the cage around the element. It points perpendicular to airflow. Seems like a good place to me.

which way does the arrow point?

It shouldn't matter, as I belive the hole and socket are keyed. Memory fails me, as I haven't run my stock box in a long time, but it's just a thermocouple, so I can't imagine much of a difference in orientation. Besides, airflow along the back of the airbox is kind of hard to determine.

now that i think about it the air really doesn't flow in a certain direction in the airbox like in a tube. right again willren. thanks