Poor performance after Mass Airflow Meter replacement

[avsguy67]

Hey folks! I had to replace my Mass Airflow Meter on my '94 e36 (325ic). The car was reving then dying at idle, the performance was awful, the fuel efficiency was terrible, and most importantly, OBD told me my problem was the Mass Airflow Meter (1215)! I am pretty sure that was the problem because the main issue was fixed (reving/dying), but now the car just isn't running right. I have no low-end power (won't even chirp the tires), and I lose lot's of power where I used to have lots (around 4K to 5500 RPM). A friend suggested I check to see if the plugs are fouled up since it was apparently running so rich. Anybody have any ideas?

Avsguy67

[frankzen]

Any check engine light? Sounds to me like O2 sensors gone bad...are they old..new? Have you looked for vacuum leaks....cleaned the ICV ?

[VMZ]

Checking for codes again would be a good place to start. Have you checked the plugs like your friend suggested? What did they look like?
Why do you say you were running rich?
It wont be the ICV as that's only looking after idle and that's not where you problem is.

[avsguy67]

I like a story with a good ending. I wanted to clear the "check engine" light and the fault code (which still flashed 1215), so I disconnected/reconnected the battery. The good news is that the check engine light went off and the fault code was erased. The better news is that everything is working just fine! The power is back to normal! Apparently the car was running in "limp" mode. I thought "limp" mode was a lot more restricted, so I didn't realize that I was in that state.