Been living this soap opera for about 1 year not. I have a 2000 se cali car, and just went through PA emmisions (measured at the tail pipe). The o2 simulator will do nothing for emissions being tested at the pipe. I had the SES light reset (pulled the battery cable) just before the test. If the pre-cat is going bad, and not yet gone, you CAN still pass PA/VA/NJ emissions. You can NOT fail PA emissions with the SES light on, only what is measured at the pipe. You can fail inspection with the SES light on, so if you fail the inspection and pass the emissions, have them put the emissions sticker on the car. Leave the car in the lot, and pull the cable overnight and have the car reinspected the following day. Thats what I did, and it worked like a champ. Most places will not want to give me emissions sticker if you fail inspection because they want to redo the test. They are mutually exclusive and you CAN NOT fail one because of the other. (at least in PA)

 

I started a diff. thread earlier because I thought it was the y-pipe, the dealer called me back because I had a question and said the P0430 meant the front precat, basically the exhaust manifold with the precat in it. So I dont need a y-pipe, but since I left the dealer when they did the diagnostic, SES hasent come back on. Got it inspected and it passed emissions, in NY it WONT pass with the light on or any codes stored.

 

Got a 430 last friday:
1. replaced front O2 sensor
2. cross my fingers
3. took a 800 mile trip from Baton Rouge to Houston.
4. No ses light so far.

I remember that the ecu reflash only affects Cali-specs (3 O2 sensors) not fed specs (4 O2 sensors). I have a Fed spec.

 

Dosen't Cali spec have 4 O2's.... and Fed Spec 3?

 

That is correct . . . Cali has 4 and Fed has 3.

I have changed the MAF, reprogrammed the ECU, replaced all 4 O2s, and all 6 coils. I am still throwing the P0430 code. I have no choice at this point but to replace the pre-cat. Does anyone know if an aftermarket precat will work? The OEM precats are anywhere from $425 to $580. The aftermarket is around $260. Don't want to go that way if it isn't going to work.

 

Man, just get an O2 Sim and some headers at that point. Your car will pass emissions if it is warm. The PreCats do not affect A/F ratio.

 

JHop.. let me know how ur doing man.... My time has come: received the emissions letter.. I MUST fix this crappy code by end of july...


I first want to try the reflash... if that doest work i'll have to either do O2 or pre-cat...


I was thinking that if the pre-cat is indeed the culprit, that I'd get a catman header.

Does that make sense or not?

 

Well, first, you cant do a reflash and go directly to get your car inspected, it will still fail, or be uninspectable. Your ECU has two modes, Ready and Not Ready. It will read Not Ready by an inspection station if codes were just cleared, because the ECU has to have time to check all the systems are functioning correctly. Therefore, the problem has to truly be fixed in order to pass the emmission test. As for the headers, you can do that, but you need the O2 simulator, and hide it well. It would probably pass the computer part of it, but if the guy inspecting it is a ****, then you may fail the visual for not having any cats on there. Just warning you....

 

bwinter7 is correct. Anytime you reset the code the system goes into the diagnostic mode. It took about 300 miles twice for my system to complete that diagnostic process. That’s the killer . . . you never really know until it throws the light.

Technically the cats should not go bad unless something is causing it to go bad - misfiring or something like that. Not sure what would have caused mine to go bad since my performance has been great. My fear is that I have not fixed the root cause and I ruin another cat.

If you use an O2 sim, you don’t fix the root cause, you mask the problem. If you replace with a header, you eliminate the precat. At this point with 140k miles, I’m not willing to invest in a header . . . . I just want the light to go away so I can pass inspection!

 

Got it. Good info.

But I wasnt trying to "erase" the code and fool the test.. I actually have the OBDII and I can erase the P0430 anytime I want - there is no point in doing so, it comes back.



I meant that the reflash, in my case with a Cali spec, is supposed to be the FIRST step, since it already has a TSB out for it.

So I want to try the reflash next week and see if comes back.



But thanks for the info, at least now I know I have to fix this thing at LEAST 300 miles BEFORE going to the inspection.... that makes it even harder... DAMN IT!!

 

Correct. But my rationale is this: IF i indeed have to redo pre-cats, then the cost to have that done would be close to have performance header installed... i think.. or maybe close to it.


at least with the performance headers I could get some free flow HP and some better mileage...

 

OK . . . to add insult to injury I came close to purchasing the precat yesterday when all of a sudden the SES light goes out! 500 miles after it went on it goes out. Now I'm looking for an inspection station as quickly as I can to see if it may pass.

Never mind . . . didn't make it. After 30 miles it came back on . . . this is killing me!

 

Finally bit the bullet! Just installed an aftermarket precat myself (~$250). Runs really well, lots of pep. After 300 miles still no light. Time for an inspection.