Removing the CEL bulb LOL

Matthew

Member
Contributor
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CX9, CX5, i8
i know someone posted a 2 dollar fix for the CEL on the AWR header setup, but when i have that AND the midpipe from andy at wagnermotorsports i wont have either cat...so i guess my only choice will be to take out the bulb so my wife doesnt b**** about the CEL being on and questioning what im doing to my car...so how difficult is it, or is there away around the CEL missing BOTH cats?
 
that does nothing to fix anything other than remove annoyance

your gas mileage goes to s***
your car performs like s*** because its running rich as hell
 
TheMAN said:
that does nothing to fix anything other than remove annoyance

your gas mileage goes to s***
your car performs like s*** because its running rich as hell

I will have to disagree!
What is causing the CEL to come on with the header?
Is it the removal of the cat,and it's throwing a cat efficiency CEL code?
If this is the case then all you have to do is get an O2 signal modifier which I have tested for the MSP's and it eliminates the CEL by tricking the ECU into thinking the cat's are still present.
My car runs perfectly with a larger D/P and no cat's at all!It doesn't throw the dreaded CEL nor does it run abnormally.

If you want one of these ,Give the guy's at Apex Motorsports of Tempe,AZ a call and see if they can sell you this modifier.I know they can and it will solve your prob's!
Their number is (480)967-6515
Ask for Ben and tell him I sent you to him!
Matt:)
 
well i wouldnt have EITHER cat, would it still work? also, how hard is it to install and where do you install it? and how does a CEL cause your vehicle to run like s***?

ps - force i havent done this setup yet, i just know it will throw the cel when i remove both cats
 
disagree to what?

did you read my post? my post is in reply to razor's questions, it does not specify the details of the *proper* way to deal with the problem like you did

it doesn't matter whether it is the cat efficiency code or O2 sensor code... the ECU responds the same way... it thinks the O2 readings are fubar and will throw the car into "limp mode" causing RICH fuel mixture

ForceFed said:


I will have to disagree!
What is causing the CEL to come on with the header?
Is it the removal of the cat,and it's throwing a cat efficiency CEL code?
If this is the case then all you have to do is get an O2 signal modifier which I have tested for the MSP's and it eliminates the CEL by tricking the ECU into thinking the cat's are still present.
My car runs perfectly with a larger D/P and no cat's at all!It doesn't throw the dreaded CEL nor does it run abnormally.

If you want one of these ,Give the guy's at Apex Motorsports of Tempe,AZ a call and see if they can sell you this modifier.I know they can and it will solve your prob's!
Their number is (480)967-6515
Ask for Ben and tell him I sent you to him!
Matt:)
 
You need to keep the first sensor installed in the header, but I think any one of the half dozen O2 "cheaters" will fix your CEL. I don't know about the limp mode, I've heard of it, I may have even experienced it before I moved my second O2, but then again I was having other issues at that time.

But, getting rid of the CEL is possible. I'm running without any, but I have a single cat, but no other CELs with the turbo. And yes the bulb is still in! :D
 
running a little rich wont hurt, and if i can get that fix then i shouldnt have a prob right? its just like the cel fix for the header thread...people arent having a prob with their AWR headers with the cel fix
 
TheMAN said:
disagree to what?

did you read my post? my post is in reply to razor's questions, it does not specify the details of the *proper* way to deal with the problem like you did

it doesn't matter whether it is the cat efficiency code or O2 sensor code... the ECU responds the same way... it thinks the O2 readings are fubar and will throw the car into "limp mode" causing RICH fuel mixture


The ECU will go into limp mode if it detects catalyst malfunction !?!? :wtf: So the ECU's response to a car that isn't running emissions friendly is to dump more fuel into the mix? Sounds ridiculous to me.

If this is truely the case, you will want to install an O2 simulator and NOT disable the CEL bulb. "running a little rich" WILL hurt, because our cars already run too rich to begin with. It will degrade performance.

Chris
 
it is ridiculous...i called mazda this morning and talked to the tech that works on the proteges...he said although he cant endorse removing one or both cat converters, and it will throw a cel, it will not degrade performace or run into limp mode...as a matter of fact, he had no idea what i was talking about...he said gas milage MAY go down a bit, and it MAY run a "bit" rich, but nothing that will hurt the car, or degrade performace...not that i dont trust people on this board, but the only thing that will make me believe something other than what the tech says at mazda will be experiencing it for myself, which i plan on doing ASAP...its bolt on anyway, who cares you can always remove it
 
standard SAE OBD practice is to richen the fuel mixture when the O2 sensor signal is out of phase or the sensor malfunctions... as everyone knows a lean running engine causes it to blow up, making it run rich will hurt emissions but it won't blow up the engine... in fact in many states now, you cannot pass smog with a MIL... they don't care about the idiot light, they hook up a tester to the OBD-2 connector... california does a dual test where they put the car on a dyno sniffer and also check the OBD-2 computer for any emission related code

DooMer_MP3 said:


The ECU will go into limp mode if it detects catalyst malfunction !?!? :wtf: So the ECU's response to a car that isn't running emissions friendly is to dump more fuel into the mix? Sounds ridiculous to me.

If this is truely the case, you will want to install an O2 simulator and NOT disable the CEL bulb. "running a little rich" WILL hurt, because our cars already run too rich to begin with. It will degrade performance.

Chris
 
i will be running straight pipe no cat no res just a turbo muffler once i get my turbo on, all you need is the 1st cat. get a wrx o2 cheater they have the EXACT same o2 sensor, no CEL no problems no degrade. although i want to run a lil rich with boost. youll be ok. just do it. you can get a o2 modder which allows you to change resistnace so you can tell the ecu whatever you want it to "see" pretty cool stuff, gotta love this computer based non bolt on crap anymore. crazy stuff. peace- trav
 
in case none of you have figured out why people talk about wideband O2 sensors, AFR meters, etc... the O2 sensor's function is to help the ECU determine what the fuel ratio is on the engine by detecting the amount of oxygen in the exhaust... when you rich or lean out the fuel ratio, the O2 readings change... when the sensor dies or give false readings, the ECU won't know wtf is going on in the combustion chamber and will throw the car into limp mode in an attempt to keep more s*** from breaking
 
oh and the 2nd O2 sensor's function is to serve as a validator for the primary O2 sensor's readings and to determine whether the catalytic converter is operational... because of this, the readings must be slightly different from each other... in this case, AFTER the cat the O2 readings should be higher... if you remove the cat......
 
i guess you didnt read my post about the mazda tech huh? he has no idea wtf youre talking about...i think ill trust him over you until i see otherwise for myself
 
RazorP5 said:
i guess you didnt read my post about the mazda tech huh? he has no idea wtf youre talking about...i think ill trust him over you until i see otherwise for myself

hey i understood your thread..
 
i called apex motor in tempe, they are totally cool forcefed! ben was off today but hes gonna call me back tommorrow and let me know the details of the fix and his associate said hes about 100% positive it will fix all the CEL stuff...i just hope the fix will work on a protege5 also...then, whether or not it does go into 'limp' mode, it will be a moot point :-)
 

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