So, we were driving to dinner the other day when I turned a corner and heard what I thought was something rolling across the roof the of car, but it just kept going. Suddenly, the car ran rough for a short minute, the check engine light blinks on and back off again, then the engine jump up to 3000 RPM's and stays there.

I turn around and go home and pop the hood. This is what I see(yes, this was after I too the intake hose off). Big gash in the hard plastic air box and part of the hood insulation is ripped.


Took a while to figure out what the heck did it, but I found an older pictures of the car and saw that in the center of the alternator, there used to be a black cap of some sort that isn't there anymore. Best I can figure, that cap was spinning at somewhere in the 3-4K RPM range when it let go and wreaked havoc under the hood. Luckily, it was just teh airbox and insulation that was damaged and not the cooling lines or A/C stuff right around that area.



Here's what it should look like.

 

WOW! I'd say you got lucky.

 

So, I got a new(salvage) airbox today. Installed it and got everything buttoned back up. Car would still rev to 2,000 rpm's in park and just hang there.'


Ended up taking the throttle body off and pulling the idle controller off and found a small piece of the air box wedge in there. Got it all put back together an everything seems fine.


I'm just curious how much of that airbox actually went through the engine.