Wire from Starter relay to MAF Sensor?

So, i have a really long purple wire in my engine bay leading from my Starter relay (the one labeled STA underhood fuse/relay box) to the Mass Air Flow sensor on my truck. My inquiry, is this normal, or did the person that owned it before me add it for some ellicit purpose. I do notice when I get a "System too rich Bank 1/Bank 2" PO172/PO175) code or
"Mass Air Flow Circuit Range / Performance" (PO101) code it gives me the TRAC OFF light on my warning cluster. Could the mysterious ire be causing that, is it safe to remove the mysterious wire?

Sam

 

Any time a MIL is illuminated the traction control light comes on so no. But if the PO added some janky wiring I’d rip it out. What terminal of the MAF does it connect to?

 

I think that is the MAF Sensor...3 slots, on the back left side of the engine, 4.0 V6

Looks like the very bottom one

 

This is interesting.
Maybe this will help you figure out what they did?

 

Thats not a maf, no idea what that is haha. MAF's are always after air filters, thats before.

 

Yeah. That looks like it’s stuck on there with adhesive.
Not factory for sure.

Since it’s connected to the STA relay. Maybe it’s some weird theft system?

 

The wire connects to something on the engine. sooo weird...and scary.

Oh, if it's important, this is the low end (economy or whatever) TRD Sport package and also has a Tow Package

Sam

 

Wild ass guess, it may be a GPS tracker they used to install on high risk loans. But usually they hide it behind the cluster, this one isnt hidden at all.

There use to be a MAF hack, a wire would trick the maf to reading rich, but this doesn't look like it either.

 

that was my thought too but been a while since I’d been in my engine bay, I remember ours screw in with little tiny buggers

 

Ima get a ful image of the engine bay...if I can

 

So the 3 wires in that part, 1 leads to the STA relay (the purple wire), One leads under the Air Hose and into the Engine itself, and the third one goes under the engine to someplace I can't see.



Sam

 

Pull the engine upper cover off, 2 10mm nuts hold it in place.

This is a maf hack, and it may be a throttle hack.

Old school.

 

I will do it tomorrow when i have better light. It is nighttime here lol. I will share the pictures than.

Sam

 

So did someone maybe do it cause it was giving them issues?

Sam

 

Nah, it was a mod for cheap HP, but the stupid thing is the ECU figures it out and triggers a rich code like you have. Its supposed to make it run rich longer, so more power.

 

What do i need to use to trim those? I bought the bracket cause I needed a replacement (had a rubber bracket originally), the kit came with those long ones and the guy at Advanced Auto said they were fine when I asked if they had something I could cut them with.

Sam

 

Hacksaw, Dremel, grinder w/cut off wheel.