Active Airbox Service Required – Causes And Fixes

Perhaps you have noticed the Active Airbox service required message come on, and you wonder what this probably means.

If you received notifications regarding maintenance required or something similar, it can definitely be concerning. After all, it is normal to worry if it means having to pay a significant amount of money in case there are damages.

Before you panic, consider reading this article to learn more about the active airbox service required message and what this actually means.

active airbox service required

Active Airbox Service Required Meaning

Some people who have encountered this problem report about getting this message and at the same time the bellcrank located on their active air door linkage has been unhooked. The reason for such is unknown, but possible causes would be dirt or debris enacting the jamming. 

It is also likely that the hose has been clogged or even sucked shut. You should be able to check the tube and see if there are issues in this area.

Causes And Fixes For Active Airbox Service Required

Now, when you do see that active air box message, keep in mind that it is not at all the same as another message regarding the check engine light. What the former simply means is that your active air box is not working as it should.

Some common causes for this message include a poor installation of the air box, which causes your swing gate to get into contact with your filter. Moreover, you may have a poorly installed swing gate and not attached well to your motor shaft. You may have also tried rotating your swing gate by force, causing a strip to the swing gate arm.

With that being said, it makes sense to install the airbox correctly. It should sit perfectly well on the bottom – the pegs should be positioned on the bottom part of the box and are sitting in the holes of your battery tray.

Moreover, you need to make sure there is no interference with your swing arm. Thus, the filter must be properly installed in your airbox. Avoid any gap between the bottom of your filter and the top part of the swing arm dam. 

Next, once you drive for about 30 to 50 miles, you should see the active airbox message come off. But if the message still remains, you can try the next steps.

It is possible that you have the swing gate poorly installed on your motor shaft. You need to install the swing gate arm as this prevents the message regarding the active air from showing up. While the dam located on the arm is only optional, you need to make sure that the arm is installed properly. 

This is why it is not recommended to operate your vehicle when there is no swing gate arm installed. Otherwise, the active air box error message will appear and would need to be reset by a specialist.

You should also check if the swing gate arm is correctly installed on the shaft. It needs to be positioned properly on the motor shaft. What this means is that the swing gate arm’s flat portion must rest firmly on the metal shaft of the motor.

Additionally, it may be possible that you have tried to manually rotate the swing gate. This would cause the swing gate arm to strip. Keep in mind that the shaft located on the motor is not supposed to rotate unless there is electrical signal. Therefore, you should never attempt to manually rotate the swing gate. If you do this, it can strip the injection molded design of the swing gate arm.

You can verify if this is not the cause by gently trying to rotate the arm while on the shaft. It must never move over a few degrees while installed. But if you notice that it spins effortlessly on the metal shaft, then it is likely to have been stripped. Thus, you should have it replaced by a specialist. 

Once you have gotten your replacement swing gate, it is important to reset the motor before the installation process.

active airbox service required

Next up, it is likely that you have accidentally taken out the swing gate arm after the installation process on the shaft. This could have stripped the arm, as well.

So, you need to confirm if you removed the swing gate arm from the metal shaft. Always keep in mind that you should never remove it once positioned on the motor shaft. When you remove the swing arm, it can cause damage to the injection molded component. Thus, once the motor pivots, it would slip. 

Check if this has not been done by gently rotating the arm while on the shaft. If it moves freely, then you need to have the component replaced.

When you have checked the recommendations above, and once you have done a replacement of the damaged part, you need to perform a reset to the swing gate motor. To do this, remove the air box and the swing gate motor from the box. 

Place your motor right into your factory air box and connect wire harnesses to your factory motor. Set your air box right on the engine – do not install this completely. 

Then, press the start button but do not step on the brake. This will simple power your vehicle on without powering the motor. 

Return to your swing gate motor. At this point the motor should emit a beep, which means the reset has been done. Next, you can reinstall your motor on the box and back in your vehicle. You can also consult a specialist if you are at a loss at what you should do.

Read More: Dodge Ram Radio Not Working – Causes And Fixes

Conclusion

When you receive the active air box service required message, there are many reasons why this may happen. So, it is best to determine the actual cause of the problem and the respective solution required as presented in this post. By doing so, you can drive your vehicle safely and avoid potential issues along the way.

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