I am going catless headers, need some help!!

"YSI-what can brown do for you" (ysi-what-can-brown-do-for-you) 10/22/2013 at 21:30 • Filed to: None

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I won't be getting a tune anytime soon(next summer at the soonest), so the O2 sensors will cause the car to throw a CEL. I have heard of O2 spacers which should eliminate the CEL, and that is going to be my plan. Should any problems arise from doing such a thing?

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > YSI-what can brown do for you 10/22/2013 at 21:33

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You gonna get emissions tested?

DocWalt > YSI-what can brown do for you 10/22/2013 at 21:33

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The O2 spacers aren't a "sure thing" but they mostly work. Buy spark-plug anti-foulers from your local car parts place and don't get ripped off :)

YSI-what can brown do for you > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 10/22/2013 at 21:37

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Hasn't even been a year yet, so it will be in December next year. Even if I fail, I can install the old ones and then go back and pass!

YSI-what can brown do for you > DocWalt 10/22/2013 at 21:37

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What is this anti-foulers, and how do they work?

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > YSI-what can brown do for you 10/22/2013 at 21:38

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Yay stinky car!

YSI-what can brown do for you > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 10/22/2013 at 21:39

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Hey now, I am still going to have one catalytic converter so it doesn't stink up the place.

Squid > YSI-what can brown do for you 10/22/2013 at 21:47

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They are called spark plug de-foulers. That is what you want to ask for when you are looking for the CEL fix. Once you get the rear O2 sensor out of the stream you won't have to worry about the CEL at all. The rear O2 sensor is only to monitor the catalytic converters efficiency. You shouldn't need a tune just to keep the CEL at bay. The tune will help make more power once you end up get it done.

Squid > YSI-what can brown do for you 10/22/2013 at 21:49

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They just lift the sensor head up out of the stream so it reads less of the exhaust flow.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > YSI-what can brown do for you 10/22/2013 at 21:51

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I'm doing this in the opposite order, first I get a tune, enjoy that for a while, then new downpipes (which hold the cats in a turbo car) and the company that did the original tune for my car will send me an updated tune, for free (this is the key part), to accommodate my downpipes, so I get even more power and no CEL.

So what I am saying is, does the company that does the tune give you free updates to accommodate for performance upgrades? IF SO it makes ALL the sense in the world to do the tune first.

DocWalt > YSI-what can brown do for you 10/22/2013 at 21:56

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http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php…

Same as an O2 sensor spacer, but without the markup.

YSI-what can brown do for you > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 10/22/2013 at 21:59

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I am more worried about voiding the warranty if the dealership finds out I got a tune. There are a few options, one being useless. There is ECUtek, I think it you can buy a tune, but unless you have a tuner in your area you have a few "everyman" tunes. Basically it is stock, full exhaust+intake, E85, and forced induction. So I can get a tune first, but it will basically sit there until I get headers.

YSI-what can brown do for you > Squid 10/22/2013 at 22:01

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I know a tune isn't just for the CEL, but you can get rid of it while adding some powah!

Squid > YSI-what can brown do for you 10/22/2013 at 22:17

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Once you get the de-fouler you'll be set. No CEL to worry about and a free flowing dirty car. Parts stores get upset if you call it something else. I don't know why.

YSI-what can brown do for you > Squid 10/22/2013 at 22:22

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I see, it shouldn't cause the car to run lean or rich or anything should it?

Squid > YSI-what can brown do for you 10/22/2013 at 22:32

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Nope, front O2 monitors the mixture. Rear O2 monitors if your cat is working. The defouler make your ECU think its farting out daisies and passing lollipops out to kids. . . Even if it did throw a CEL the rear sensor shouldn't affect how the car runs.

Squid > YSI-what can brown do for you 10/22/2013 at 22:36

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Hey I totally forgot. . . Its the pre-cats that you are getting rid of. . . You got nothing to worry about. As long as you have the main cat you don't need the de-fouler. The cats on the headers are for cold start emissions. You'll be fine if you have to go get a sniffer test and you only have the main cat, just keep your car warm and don't let the cat cool off. The de-fouler is only if you are going to run a test pipe.

YSI-what can brown do for you > Squid 10/22/2013 at 23:07

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Well the thing is, is that the O2 sensors monitor the pre-cat rather than the main one behind the headers. I wouldn't get a defouler either, but I have to. And that is good to hear that it won't cause the car to run lean, this car already has enough problems as it is.

Textured Soy Protein > YSI-what can brown do for you 10/22/2013 at 23:09

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Umm...this picture looks like a turbo manifold not a downpipe. I assume you're talking about a downpipe though?

Personally I figure you might as well get a downpipe with a cat in it. The performance hit is minimal, no CEL issues, and you get to sleep well knowing you're not spewing uncatalyzed exhaust into the atmosphere. I like going fast but I prefer not to pollute more than necessary to accomplish that goal.

YSI-what can brown do for you > Textured Soy Protein 10/22/2013 at 23:16

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No sir, these are the headers I am getting. There is catalytic converter is in the headers and those are where the O2 sensors. I totally would get a catted option but there are none, except for one which is for turbo cars. My downpipe does and will continue to have a cat, I don't like to be smelly when rolling down the street.

Benzed92 > YSI-what can brown do for you 10/22/2013 at 23:22

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You can also look into something like a MIL-Eliminator, might not have them for the Toyobaru, but they are all over the place for mustangs.

And once you get a tune you should be able to pass emissions even with the de-cat. Unless it's a smog test, then you're hosed.

YSI-what can brown do for you > Benzed92 10/22/2013 at 23:31

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I don't think I have smog testing, I know California does. I might actually, but even still I will have the factory headers and my friend has a lift so it is all good. Plus since it is a new vehicle it doesn't have to get tested for 4 years or something.

Squid > YSI-what can brown do for you 10/23/2013 at 00:08

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Is there a sensor before the precat as well as after for a total of 3 sensors? I would try to run it without the defouler first if that is the first O2 sensor.

EDIT:

Scratch that. Seems like you do need the defouler to not have the CEL on.

Textured Soy Protein > YSI-what can brown do for you 10/23/2013 at 01:43

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Oh, didn't realize we were talking an NA car. Yeah dunno what to tell you there...

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > YSI-what can brown do for you 10/23/2013 at 08:01

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Ah ok. As far as warranty, if you are going to tune, some people say you might as well do it while still under warranty, some dealerships are cool with it and a lot of warranty issues might not be caused by the tune at all, which would also have you in the clear. I'm wrestling with this same problem though. It's hard to take the plunge, haha.

It may be a good idea to call the tuning company, they may have some insights?

Benzed92 > YSI-what can brown do for you 10/23/2013 at 22:00

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That's good, and I think that would be the only reason I don't want to live in Cali, there was a 911 that went through an auction block in Monterey that was "illegal" because of an intercooler -_- but you should be good as long as you don't throw a CEL!

YSI-what can brown do for you > Benzed92 10/24/2013 at 00:45

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Oh yes, time for the sexy sound of a Subaru boxer.

Benzed92 > YSI-what can brown do for you 10/24/2013 at 10:06

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Mmmm, UEL Headers ftw. I can hear it already lol