Versa is being wonky after CAI and exhaust install

[RVA Versa]

Found this site while looking for a fix for my issue. Any help will be usful!

I just installed the Stillen CAI and axle back exhaust on my '09 Versa SL with the 1.8

When I'm accelerating or climbing hills the rpm's will jump about 600 rpm (at interstate speed from 2200 to 2800) and just as soon as it hits the peak it drops back. Does this every 2-3 seconds, and is REALLY irritating.

I've done all the maintenance on the car myself, and have been using AMSOIL 5w-30 in the engine. At about 16,500 miles now.

I have two ideas for what might be causing the problem, and I wanted to hear any thoughts on them:

1. The intake tube is REALLY close to the negative terminal on the battery. Could it be contacting and making some kind of a short that confuses the car?

2. On the Stillen intake instructions you have to disconnect the "transmission vent line" from the air box, but there is no place to hook it into the new intake.

Any thoughts?

[Promise Land]

Google is your friend, welcome to the site.

My first guess is that the vent line is the problem rather than the cable bridging. If it's the negative cable, it's not grounding out unless it's somehow finding power from the positive cable which doesn't sound it's the case here.

What did the line connect to? Somewhere in the air intake system? Where is it connected to now? Just hanging in air, etc.?

[RVA Versa]

The vent line is just hanging, and previously went into the air box. There was no mention of attaching it to anything in the literature that came with the CAI.

I had similar thoughts on the battery.

Believe me, I'm googled out trying to figure this one out. I think its because its hard to describe in a search box... Is it surging? Revving? Jumping? etc etc etc

It has the CVT by the way.

[xtwoonamatchx]

There is a tube that doesn't connect to anything at all, just kinda lays there. I have the Fujita intake. Same story. Just find a place to tuck it or zip tie it, relatively loosly, to something. It is just for the transmission or wherever it goes to breathe. Nothing major. As per the revs jumping, I have no idea. Have you made sure everything is installed securely? Maybe something with the throttle, even though it is a Drive By Wire.

[biggie]

Have you tried resetting the ECU? Aka disconnecting the battery for a few hours.

[Promise Land]

Just had a random thought...

Try checking the fluid level on your CVT. An auto trans runs on fluid pressure to turn things and will slip gear if the fluid is low and the pressure doesn't stay stabile. I don't know much about the CVT, but maybe if the fluid is low, the pressure is fluctuating until it gets to the higher RPM and builds pressure back up?

Otherwise, as biggie said, maybe disconnect the battery and see if the ECU will reset itself. It sounds like the CVT thinks you are stepping on the gas to go faster since it's revving the RPMS.

[RVA Versa]

Checked CVT fluid level, its ok.

Went over all the elec. connectons and clamps... no dice.

Car is sitting outside without the battery hooked up.

I also went through the FSM sections on the CVT, ECU, and air filter. Couldn't find anything relevant.

[RVA Versa]

And for kicks I got a terminal cover for the negative side... no dice.

[RVA Versa]

Well the CVT started to slip really bad and the car is at the dealer... Hopefully they will replace it under warranty despite the mods, but we'll see.

[eeshazor]

Let us know how this goes for you! I'm also about to install a Stillen CAI and I'm curious to see where this story is gonna go :P

[RVA Versa]

Alright y'all, I know it's been a while, but I wanted to report that the verdict is in. It was fixed a while ago, I just wanted to see if anything else cropped up. No more problems in 8k miles, so I can report that the car had a bad TCU (transmission control module). It took 2 dealers, a whole new transmission, and a whole lot of cajoling of unpleasant service managers to get them to even look at the car.

I saw someone else on the forum was having a similar issue, and the solution his dealership used was to replace the trans. The Nissan service tech I spoke to (I got to the point I just called the tech directly and bypassed the idiot service managers) said that if it's the same issue as I had, it would solve the problem for a short time but it would return.

Anyways, thanks for the help y'all!

I've had the car 10 months and it's at 25 k miles already! So I can't bash it's reliability too much.

[RVA Versa]

Alright. It's been 17k miles since the transmission and the TCU were replaced, and now the car is doing the EXACT same thing as before. It's a real shame that the car is at 32k and has burned out 2 transmissions. Well back to the drawing board... I have to go through all the same crap as before with the aftermarket parts at the service area at the dealer. We'll see how it goes.

[led hed]

i have stillen intake and exhaust with no problems at all.

must be unrelated to these new installs, hopefully you get it fixed.

[williamk10]

I have the same Stillen parts (cai and axel back) and have no problems. Sounds like the problems were nothing to do with the modifications

[NODES]

Did you maybe damage the wiring to the MAF or the sensor itself when installing the sensor into the the intake?

The air tube for the transmission you can just zip tie to anything close to it.