2012 Si P0101 Code and Limp Mode

Bikit

Bikit

Well-Known Member
19
8
Fort Worth, Texas
Vehicle Model
Honda Civic Si
Body Style
Sedan
Hey everyone, just recently I intstalled a PRL cold air intake kit. I'll list the aftermarket stuff real quick to help

VitViper Tune
PRL CAI with J37 throttle body with PRL adapter
RBC Manifold
RDX Injectors 410cc
Skunk2 Catless downpipe with Ultimate Racing catback

Anyway, I installed this intake to replace my Takeda SRI which had no issues, but I wanted to lower my intake air temperatures. I had a tune for that intake and everything was great, but as soon as I put this intake on, I started having issues. I started a re-tune, but still have yet to solve the problem.
My problem is that while randomly driving in the upper RPMs, my car will suddenly jerk and go into what seems to be a limp mode, basically limiting the car to 3000 RPMs. This sets off the Check Emissions, Power Steering, and VSA warning lights. I scanned this with the Torque app and pulled the code P0101, which points I believe to the MAF sensor. I checked the intake over a few times, and also have taken the MAF off and sprayed it with cleaner. Still no change has been made. I'm getting lost at this point, I told Vit in my data logs that I was having these issues, and all he suggested was a wiring issue. He didn't say whether or not the logs he got indicated anything weird.
Anyone have some ideas? Up until car throws the codes, it runs great.
 
Did you tell vit you changed your intake? The prl requires a custom tune on it's own due to it being 3.5" in size.
 
Yeah, I bought the retune from Vit specifically for the intake, so I'm not sure whats going on... Like I said, I'm at a loss haha. Unless my MAF somehow did get messed up.
 
Today I just swapped my old short ram intake back on and flashed my old tune to see if the problems persist, hopefully it will help me narrow it down. No obvious wiring defects, never set any codes off just from messing with the wires. If it keeps going, I'm gonna put the new intake back on and the new tune and try to find a friend with a MAF sensor I can temporarily swap to see whats going on. I'll try to trace the wiring back as far as I can and search for any obvious damage.
 
I had the same issue with my old 12 Si, got the same code, all the lights would come on and it would go into limp mode, I had a skunk2 intake back then where it required to cut and make the maf sensor wires longer, vit told me the same thing wiring issue, well at the time of the install I used the butt connectors provided by skunk2 which were complete junk, anyway I took those out and I solder the wires and heat shrunk everything and my issue was fixed, so it might be a wiring issue like he said or a bad maf sensor.. did you buy the car stock? (just want to make sure the previous owner didn't install a skunk2 intake).

Also Im guessing this is happening when you floor it right? That was my issue when I floor'd it thats when it would happen, I think it was because so much air was going thru and the maf sensor wasn't reading it properly.
 
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Huh, I never heard that about the skunk2 intakes, that kinda sucks haha. I did buy the car with some modifications on it, it came with the RBC, Catback, and Takeda intake. I work at the dealership I bought it from and as soon as I saw it on the truck from auction, I knew I wanted it. However, I never once had this issue until I put this on, it was fine with the short ram, but my IAT were pretty bad since we have constant 100+ degree days in Texas summer.

I'll go check the wires again, but I'm pretty sure it hasn't been tampered with. I'm willing to bet at this point that maybe there is something that happened with my MAF when I installed the intake. Not sure how, but it's worth a shot. And yes, seems to randomly do it then, especially if theres a downshift involved. I know the PRL is a lot bigger of a pipe, so that definitely could be my problem too, but since Vit is tuning it I really doubt he overlooked that.
 
Yeah tell me about it lol that why for my 15 Si I got the PRL cai, yeah check the wires cause you never know what the previous owner did also vit told me that the 2012 versus the newer SI models ECU are a little less tuner friendly and not as easy to tune or something I don't remember so that might be it to. If you can post a picture of your MAF sensor maybe I can see and tell if it was messed with or not take a picture of the sensor and the wires itself.
 
His was how long I had to make my MAF wire

6FAA7D21-FA01-4004-944D-0453CF191AD2_zpschc8sdol.jpg
 
Yeah I think I read somewhere about 12's being difficult to work with haha. But my MAF wire definitely isn't like that, that's pretty crazy. I'll take pictures sometime tomorrow, my friend and I are gonna pull it apart and see whats up. He's a Honda tech so hopefully he can figure it out. I told Vit again in my last data logs that I was still having issues, but didn't get a response from him. I wanna be certain its a tuning problem before I up and point fingers, so hopefully this all gets figured out tomorrow.

On a side note, I haven't seen limp mode once since I threw on my SRI, so it makes me wonder whats up...
 
I know its ridiculous that's why I did go with skunk2 this time, and ok cool yeah hopefully it works out and honestly for some reason the new intake may be to big and thats why its throwing the code.. keep us updated.
 
Alright, so I have a known good sensor from a 2015 Si installed, still throwing the damn code lol. There's no wire damage, unless it's very well hidden. Can't find any leaks in couplers or anything like that, so I'm out of ideas at this point. It just randomly throws the codes on pulls, maybe 1 out of 20 times. So not the MAF, not the wiring, not the intake... Honestly I can't see anything that could be wrong at this point, other than the large piping throwing it off, but wouldn't a tune be what fixes that? I'm about ready to just disable the damn code in flashpro.

Honestly thought the new MAF would fix it all but oh well. I'm open to any ideas haha
 
Dang bro that sucks, so what happens if you disable the code with the flashpro? Will that fix it? I know Idk its probably an ECU thing.. thats why vit probably said 12 are a little trickier to work with
 
If I disable it, the check engine light will never come on for that particular code, but I really am trying to avoid that because that just seems like a bandaid fix to me. It won't happen again but if I do somehow have a major issue with the MAF, I wouldn't ever get a code thrown.

And I tried to talk with Vit through my datalog submissions, only response I got was its a wiring issue since I checked the install. I'm pretty much 99.9% positive it's not wiring, there has never been an issue up until I installed this intake and started the retune. I'll try to send him an email and see if I get any other response.
 
Sounds like a tunning issue myself after reading everything you've gone through. Takeda I thought was factory diameter tube so the increase in air flow (from PRL) will of course cause issues. Vit knowing this was changed I assume he is tunning it accordingly (always hear good things about him) and if a known good sensor creates the same problem I suspect a wiring issue (that I know and believe you say is good) or tune issue.

I've seen other senors bad throw codes that don't pertain to the problem. Ex. being a bad O2 sensor causing ONLY misfire codes on 1 bank (v6). Hope you figure it out but I'm a little stumped at the moment.
 
Update, after going through a few more revisions, it seems that the issue stopped happening. Guess it had to of been some sort of tuning issue, as I changed nothing on my part. I'm just glad to have it running good, hopefully the final revision is trouble free too!

Car pulls good now that I have a cold air intake, I had seen IATs hitting 170 with my short ram on a 100 degree Texas day... Now I haven't seen above 120, and that was in rush hour traffic where ambient temp was about 102.
 
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