Please Help!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Titanium-99]

ok so here is my story back at the start of July I took my car into get its inspection done and it passed every thing but the obdII part of the test because of 4 not ready status's on 4 sensors so I think to myself its probably the unichip causing the problem or a bad 02sensor nope those were not the poblems because it still had the same 4 not readys after putting in a brand new oem 02 from mazda and taking off the unichip. so next logical idea would be bad ecu so i replace that nope still not it same 4 not readys. so I call my buddy James the shop forman for freeman mazda and he told me though rare it could be a bad cat (burned up) but not low enough below threshold to through a code so I get on the phone with vibrant and explain my sittuation and they say yeah if you are smelling gas alot from underneath the car it is possible that your cat is burned up and we will send you a new one under warranty. So ok that is awesome I sure hope that is the issue but today I get a check engine light reading P0134 no activity from sensor 1 bank 1. I think to my self that is wierd because I just put a brand spanking new 02 sensor on less than 2 weeks ago. so again I call my buddy James and he thinks its a problem in the harness somewhere, I tell him yeah that is possible since I at one time had and MPI which I had to wire into the stock harness and perhaps a connection came loose or the sodder went bad or something wierd like that. I am going to try this weekend to find the problem but I dont remember what wires were for the o2 sensor so if any one could help me with this It would be greatly appreciated as well as what numbers the wires are on the stock harness clip. I would also like some of your thoughts on my problem as well as possible solutions.

thank you in advance
Ti-99

oh and the new cat has not shown up from vibrant yet so I have not been able to switch that out to see if that is part of the problem.

 

[shane02pro5]

With my Haltech I have to switch all the wiring back to stock which I have set up with connectors. 4 fuel injector wires and 2 o2 sensor wires. The Haltech takes full control over the injectors and the 02 signal is run to a +12v signal to keep out of closed loop to keep the engine from going boom under throttle. If your unichip is controlling your injectors I would think that set-up is similar in most fuel management set-ups. Wire it back up stock reset the ecu and put some miles on it to clear the not ready codes. Stop-n-go driving with light throttle so you don't blow up your engine.

 

[Titanium-99]

I have been doing that since july 3rd and still the same problem. I have gone back atleast 20 times already trying somethng different everytime to see if it will pass and every time still same 4 not readys!

Right now I want to focus on how to fix this check engine light and where ie what wires/pins to look at on the stock harness and harness clip for the wires that controll the o2sensor.

 

[MrDiggler]

Dude, I tried to make it through that post and quit before I passed out. Throw a period in there now and then.

 

[Pirana]

Adam, that sounds like a wiring problem. I would bet it is a cold solder and with time its loosing contact...it could be hard to trace, but in my opinion, I would re-connect all the connections done after your MPI was disconnected. Also make sure that the wiring going to the sensor is not pinch at the enigne bay. And if for some reason it has been pinched, that could damage your new O2.

 

[shane02pro5]

Did you move your 2nd 02 sensor to after the cat? What type of hi-flo cat is it? I know some will not work with emissions well enough to not throw a cel.

 

[Titanium-99]

my 2nd o2sensor is behinde the cat. I have a vibrant exhaust system so it would be a vibrant high flow cat.

 

[j12rock31]

Just a quick question, which test's or parameters state not ready?
These test are not always for individual sensors but could be entire systems....... The obd drive cycle can be a pain.....

 

[j12rock31]

O2 sensor 11 (sensor one, bank one), is before the catalyst.........

 

[j12rock31]

Did you move your 2nd 02 sensor to after the cat? What type of hi-flo cat is it? I know some will not work with emissions well enough to not throw a cel.

If the second oxygen sensor or monitor 12 is after the catalyst, it was never moved?

 

[shane02pro5]

My stock midpipe with second cat had no 02 sensor. It was located in between the pre-cat and cat. The first 02 is before the pre-cat. I don't use my 2nd 02 sensor except for inspection where I use my stock midpipe with new welded 02 bung after the stock 2nd cat.

If the second oxygen sensor or monitor 12 is after the catalyst, it was never moved?

 

[Titanium-99]

its official as of yesterday my cat is completely burned up! Got a P0421 code. Cat warm up below threshold bank 1. Over the weekend I looked at my wire harness going to the ecu and touched up the pink and blue wire for the primary o2 with a the soddering iron. I am guessing it fixed it because the ecu apperantly ran its test and the only code to have come up was the P0421 code. If I hadnt fixed the problem both P0421 and P0134 would have popped up. After talking with James at Freeman Mazda yesterday he told me it was possible that the wiring problem had been there for a while and after what I did over the weekend it probably fixed it so that the ecu would run its test on the for sensors not showing a ready status which is why the 2nd o2 sensor probably put out that code. He was telling me that if I went and had the inspection done at that moment 3 of the 4 not ready's would have probably shown as ready but with a DTC status in the system. So it looks like I am getting closer to getting this issue fixed now I just have to wait for the new cat to get here so I can cut out the old one and get the new one welded in. For those currious as to what the not ready status's were here they are

catalyst - Not Ready
Evap - Not Ready
02 Sens - Not Ready
EGR Sys - Not Ready ( this one wont show ready unless the catalyst and 02 are showing ready)

 

[msp35]

Dude, I tried to make it through that post and quit before I passed out. Throw a period in there now and then.

(pissed)

 

[Titanium-99]

Yesterday it finally passed Inspection with only 1 not ready status on the obdII test which was the evap sensor. What a relife but the cat is toast and needs to be replaced asap. I think the only reason the car passed is because of what I did on saturday and then it throwing the 0421 code, clearing it and driving all day yesterday did the trick. but On the way to work this morning it through the 0421 again so that cat needs to be replaced bad.

 

[Shawndoe]

Hi,

If I may, how has this problem affected operation of your car? I'm getting the same code, and it is causing more problems as I try to accelerate or at freeway speeds. When the car is cool it seems to run OK. Any help you can give would be appercaited.

Thanks and Have a good one.
Shawndoe

 

[Titanium-99]

what code are you getting?

 

[Shawndoe]

Hi,

I'm showing P0421. I had a p0301 and I replaced Coils, Wires and Plugs and it cleared that up, but the P0421 remains. I meant to mention I have a 2001 Protege ES 2.0, I just caught this thread in a search, sorry if it's misplaced.

How would a catalytic converter problem affect drivablity? I'm losing milage and power whenever I'm on the gas. If I'm going downhill and I'm slightly off the gas I can feel it run better, but the harder I try to speed up the more it bogs down. I shown the engine under a 50% load just cruising at 60 on the freeway.

I am almost sure I've lost an O2 sensor it shows pegged out of range under all conditions, but I'm under the impression that the second O2 sensor would not cause a drivablity problem.

At Idle the car seems OK it idles fairly steadly at about 725rpm +/- about 50rpm, until I try to acclerate. It will start out OK, but as I go faster it loses more power. It seems to run best cold.

Any help is apprecaited, have a good one.
Shawndoe

 

[Titanium-99]

P0421 would mean that your cat is burnt up or you have an exhaust leak. the reasone your car is driving like crap is because if you have the check engine light on you are driving in limp mode where it leans out your fule. The car would also drive like crap with a burnt up cat and or exhaust leak so I would first check for exhaust leaks and if you cant find any then replace the cat and it should fix your P0421 code. Do you have the stock exhaust or is it an aftermarket? do you have a cat or a test pipe? If you are using a test pipe then you should have put in an antifouler.

Hi,

I'm showing P0421. I had a p0301 and I replaced Coils, Wires and Plugs and it cleared that up, but the P0421 remains. I meant to mention I have a 2001 Protege ES 2.0, I just caught this thread in a search, sorry if it's misplaced.

How would a catalytic converter problem affect drivablity? I'm losing milage and power whenever I'm on the gas. If I'm going downhill and I'm slightly off the gas I can feel it run better, but the harder I try to speed up the more it bogs down. I shown the engine under a 50% load just cruising at 60 on the freeway.

I am almost sure I've lost an O2 sensor it shows pegged out of range under all conditions, but I'm under the impression that the second O2 sensor would not cause a drivablity problem.

At Idle the car seems OK it idles fairly steadly at about 725rpm +/- about 50rpm, until I try to acclerate. It will start out OK, but as I go faster it loses more power. It seems to run best cold.

Any help is apprecaited, have a good one.
Shawndoe

 

[Shawndoe]

Hi,

I'm stock all the way around. No test pipes or mods. Given what you've said, and what I've read I think the Catalytic Converter fried. I've got an appointment with good mechanic tomorrow morning. we will see how it goes.

Just as an Update it started making a sound like the Jetsons Car yesterday, but it started running better. My conclusion is the the exhaust gasket blew letting some of the backpressure out of the exhaust system. I'll know for sure tomorrow.

Have a good one, and thanks again.
Shawndoe

 

[Titanium-99]

Awesome let us know if that is infact what the issue was.