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Where are my CEL's??????

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Old Dec 3, 2007 | 03:27 PM
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Default Where are my CEL's??????

200 miles now on my catted LG Long Tube install and NO check engine light yet. HP Tuners just arrived so I'm all set to turn off the offending codes, but curious why it hasn't thrown one yet...('08, LS3).....Lucky? Smarter '08 ECU?

Last edited by Modshack; Dec 3, 2007 at 03:30 PM.
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Old Dec 3, 2007 | 04:40 PM
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Just wait............it took mine 3 mos and 1500 miles before the CEL came on.
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Old Dec 3, 2007 | 04:50 PM
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Free post! All the white corvettes, had to post in here.

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Old Dec 3, 2007 | 04:59 PM
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Originally Posted by Modshack
200 miles now on my catted LG Long Tube install and NO check engine light yet. HP Tuners just arrived so I'm all set to turn off the offending codes, but curious why it hasn't thrown one yet...('08, LS3).....Lucky? Smarter '08 ECU?
LG & Vararam, my check engine light lit up like a Christmas tree


all cleared/shut off now
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Old Dec 3, 2007 | 05:09 PM
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check under pending codes and I bet you will find it. The problem has to persist for a while before they come on. I clocked over 500 miles before mine came on in my 07 with kooks. It showed up in pending codes after the 2nd day.
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Old Dec 3, 2007 | 05:29 PM
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Originally Posted by lemans 07
check under pending codes and I bet you will find it. The problem has to persist for a while before they come on. I clocked over 500 miles before mine came on in my 07 with kooks. It showed up in pending codes after the 2nd day.
Ah...Ok. I also have a list of the P-codes to turn off. I have to install the Tuner software tonight. I'll check tomorrow.

Thanks!...
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Old Dec 3, 2007 | 06:10 PM
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Originally Posted by Bushong572
Just wait............it took mine 3 mos and 1500 miles before the CEL came on.
I had AR headers and a tune done back on Nov14, my engine light just came on last week. The car is running perfect.

My tuner told me to stop by whenever i can.
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Old Dec 3, 2007 | 10:58 PM
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The P0420 and 430 codes have a specific driving/condition test that needs to be met then the tests will run and likely fail. Mine did it at the same place on my daily drive every day. Reset in the morning, light on at the same exit ramp every afternoon. In my case it happened after my 2 mile highway drive almost every day.
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Old Dec 5, 2007 | 12:14 PM
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I can only assume you guys with headers are getting codes for cat temperature delay or lean codes?
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Old Dec 5, 2007 | 12:34 PM
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High flow cats are 2-way (not OBD II compliant), not 3-way like the factory cats. Your 02 sensors will pick them up sooner or later. Unless you get it tuned-out your CEL is on his way, just taking his sweet time.

Last edited by DJackman; Dec 5, 2007 at 12:37 PM.
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Old Dec 5, 2007 | 12:36 PM
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I guess its ok the CEL to stay on, my car is running like a dream.
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Old Dec 5, 2007 | 12:48 PM
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I almost got nausia from all your deleted codes.

I have:
L92 heads
A ported L75 manifold
cam
Air cleaner swap
Lg headers
ported TB
4.10's
N2O
UD pulley
modded MAF

the list I'm sure goes on but the point is that with a proper tune and all my mods I didnt have to delete a single code for CEL's. All of those codes are there for a reason.

Maybe if the tune was proper you wouldnt need to.

As to why you get the CEL in the first place: The car monitors the fuel trends lean or rich and they swing back and forth as the O2's correct. The range they can correct for is limited. When a car is tuned properly especially for a VE tune, the car should be at zero for the long term fuel trend. That means neutral. When I tune relatively stock cars they tend to run with positive fuel trends. That mean that if the car wasnt correcting with O2 sensors it would be lean. The range is can compensate for is +24 to -15 or so. So if it gets more than 24% lean the car cant compensate and you actually do run lean which runs hotter and thus makes the O2's read that and it tirggers a lean code and a CEL. When you put on headers it leans you out at part throttle even more than stock. An air cleaner even more. The result is it comes close or over the +24% and triggers the CEL for some while others get a +23 and it doenst trigger. When a basic tune is done the car will run nominally at zero or non-positive most of the time but if the VE table isnt tuned there often is a place wher the car can run lean at part throttle under certain loads. When scanning on the hiway you may see +11 at 3500rpm in 3rd and +2 at 2300 in 5th while it may be zero in oher places. My point is that they have to be tuned properly. Turning them off is what a bad tuner does to not have to tune the VE table. There are conditions such as car damaging one that require the CEL intact or possible. Once that is done you will always be a zero Long Term Fuel Trends no matter what load and rpm....thus no lean codes or cat light off issues.

Last edited by SpinMonster; Dec 5, 2007 at 12:52 PM.
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Old Dec 5, 2007 | 02:19 PM
  #13  
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Originally Posted by SpinMonster
I almost got nausia from all your deleted codes.

I have:
L92 heads
A ported L75 manifold
cam
Air cleaner swap
Lg headers
ported TB
4.10's
N2O
UD pulley
modded MAF

the list I'm sure goes on but the point is that with a proper tune and all my mods I didnt have to delete a single code for CEL's. All of those codes are there for a reason.

Maybe if the tune was proper you wouldnt need to.

As to why you get the CEL in the first place: The car monitors the fuel trends lean or rich and they swing back and forth as the O2's correct. The range they can correct for is limited. When a car is tuned properly especially for a VE tune, the car should be at zero for the long term fuel trend. That means neutral. When I tune relatively stock cars they tend to run with positive fuel trends. That mean that if the car wasnt correcting with O2 sensors it would be lean. The range is can compensate for is +24 to -15 or so. So if it gets more than 24% lean the car cant compensate and you actually do run lean which runs hotter and thus makes the O2's read that and it tirggers a lean code and a CEL. When you put on headers it leans you out at part throttle even more than stock. An air cleaner even more. The result is it comes close or over the +24% and triggers the CEL for some while others get a +23 and it doenst trigger. When a basic tune is done the car will run nominally at zero or non-positive most of the time but if the VE table isnt tuned there often is a place wher the car can run lean at part throttle under certain loads. When scanning on the hiway you may see +11 at 3500rpm in 3rd and +2 at 2300 in 5th while it may be zero in oher places. My point is that they have to be tuned properly. Turning them off is what a bad tuner does to not have to tune the VE table. There are conditions such as car damaging one that require the CEL intact or possible. Once that is done you will always be a zero Long Term Fuel Trends no matter what load and rpm....thus no lean codes or cat light off issues.

Spin are you running the rear O2's on your cats?
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Old Dec 5, 2007 | 07:34 PM
  #14  
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Originally Posted by SpinMonster
I almost got nausia from all your deleted codes.

I have:
L92 heads
A ported L75 manifold
cam
Air cleaner swap
Lg headers
ported TB
4.10's
N2O
UD pulley
modded MAF

the list I'm sure goes on but the point is that with a proper tune and all my mods I didnt have to delete a single code for CEL's. All of those codes are there for a reason.

Maybe if the tune was proper you wouldnt need to.

As to why you get the CEL in the first place: The car monitors the fuel trends lean or rich and they swing back and forth as the O2's correct. The range they can correct for is limited. When a car is tuned properly especially for a VE tune, the car should be at zero for the long term fuel trend. That means neutral. When I tune relatively stock cars they tend to run with positive fuel trends. That mean that if the car wasnt correcting with O2 sensors it would be lean. The range is can compensate for is +24 to -15 or so. So if it gets more than 24% lean the car cant compensate and you actually do run lean which runs hotter and thus makes the O2's read that and it tirggers a lean code and a CEL. When you put on headers it leans you out at part throttle even more than stock. An air cleaner even more. The result is it comes close or over the +24% and triggers the CEL for some while others get a +23 and it doenst trigger. When a basic tune is done the car will run nominally at zero or non-positive most of the time but if the VE table isnt tuned there often is a place wher the car can run lean at part throttle under certain loads. When scanning on the hiway you may see +11 at 3500rpm in 3rd and +2 at 2300 in 5th while it may be zero in oher places. My point is that they have to be tuned properly. Turning them off is what a bad tuner does to not have to tune the VE table. There are conditions such as car damaging one that require the CEL intact or possible. Once that is done you will always be a zero Long Term Fuel Trends no matter what load and rpm....thus no lean codes or cat light off issues.
The standard 420/430 code is set by the rear o2's. There only function is to ensure catalyst efficiency. The fuel enrichment is controled by the front o2's. Moving them back may have an effect on their accuracy, but I highly doubt the effect would be substantial enough to cause the o2's to go out of range.
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Old Dec 5, 2007 | 08:53 PM
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Do a google search for p0420 test parameters and you'll find the answer. I'm posting from iPhone or would paste up.

Front O2 sensors switch from lean to rich in normal operation. Basically the rear O2 lean to rich switching frequency is compared to a weighted average switching of the front O2's and if the rears are switching too fast then it indicates the cars aren't storing enough oxygen so the code of inefficient cats is set. Apparently new high efficiency cats will store enough O2 to make the rears switch hardly at all in closed loop. It can take a few drive cycles to get enough information to make the calculation.
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Old Dec 6, 2007 | 05:44 AM
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Originally Posted by SpinMonster
...the list I'm sure goes on but the point is that with a proper tune and all my mods I didnt have to delete a single code for CEL's. All of those codes are there for a reason.

... My point is that they have to be tuned properly. Turning them off is what a bad tuner does to not have to tune the VE table. There are conditions such as car damaging one that require the CEL intact or possible. ...
underlines added for emphasis.

Originally Posted by Joe_G
Do a google search for p0420 test parameters and you'll find the answer. I'm posting from iPhone or would paste up.
show off...
Originally Posted by Joe_G
Front O2 sensors switch from lean to rich in normal operation. Basically the rear O2 lean to rich switching frequency is compared to a weighted average switching of the front O2's and if the rears are switching too fast then it indicates ....
the before and after cat o2 sensors are compared to each other to determine cat efficiency.
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Old Dec 6, 2007 | 02:19 PM
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I should have known by starting this thread that they were right around the corner! CAT Low efficiency Codes popped up today at the 250 mile mark. Turned em off with HP tuners and all is good with the world.. Thanks for all the feedback. Also from my first scan, LTFT's and STFT's are right in line........(-3% on LFTF)

Last edited by Modshack; Dec 6, 2007 at 02:22 PM.
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Old Dec 6, 2007 | 02:34 PM
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Originally Posted by 06.Z51.MontRed.Vert
Spin are you running the rear O2's on your cats?
Yes to both questions and I have tuned over 40 cars and never deleted a code. Tune it properly and you will not need to.
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Old Dec 6, 2007 | 02:37 PM
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Originally Posted by lemans 07
The standard 420/430 code is set by the rear o2's. There only function is to ensure catalyst efficiency. The fuel enrichment is controled by the front o2's. Moving them back may have an effect on their accuracy, but I highly doubt the effect would be substantial enough to cause the o2's to go out of range.
When you exceed the car ability to run stoic and the long term fuel trends are too positive it will actually run lean at part throttle which over heats the cats and that why the rear O2's trigger.

Running that positive in closed loop causes the car too be too rich at WOT which is the source for insufficient light off. Hence the codes some cant get rid of.
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Old Dec 6, 2007 | 02:42 PM
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Originally Posted by Modshack
I should have known by starting this thread that they were right around the corner! CAT Low efficiency Codes popped up today at the 250 mile mark. Turned em off with HP tuners and all is good with the world.. Thanks for all the feedback. Also from my first scan, LTFT's and STFT's are right in line........(-3% on LFTF)
E-mail me a scan of your car running at closed loop and at WOT and I will let you know why it is doing what it is doing. If you send the scan and a current tune in your car, I will adjust it so it doenst set off the code without it being deleted. Your car isnt maintaining -3 to zero at the speeds and rpms I stated. I think you tuned the car for idle LTFT's and that is the issue. You tune for off idle too unless you want problems. You can be -3 at idle and +20 moving. At WOT it is cooling the cats too much.

The scan needs to have cruise at 45mph in as many gears as you can sustained for at least 20 seconds each.....a little less high in speed is ok and understandable. Include a short idle.
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