Will my Check Engine Light (CEL) come on if I install Kamakaze's header+down-pipe? I've heard a few places that the RRM header can make your CEL come on, but what about the Kamakze Header? Can anyone with the Kamakaze header+down-pipe combo tell me if their CEL came on?


Also, if my CEL does come on, doesn't performance suffer? I have heard when the CEL comes on, the ECU resets the engine to the most conservative settings in order to preserve your engine until you can get into a dealership to have it looked at. And if performance does suffer, is it worth even installing a header+down-pipe?

- Jason

 

The CEL for the header will not hinder your performance nor make the car run any different than before. It is just telling you that you have a catalytic failure/error which you do since you don't have a cat there anymore. It is just reading temp of the exhaust and comparing the them as it travels at two points. One point is in the header and the other is in the second cat/test pipe. With no cats the temps are much lower and there is a negligible difference in temp from sensor 1 to sensor 2. This is throwing the code to a possible fault which there is since you don't have any cats.

Don't follow any myths or urban legends in regards to how the car will run. It will operate the same but the motor will be free'd from a lot of backpressure allowing your hp/tq to increase.

 

kamikaze and rrm headers both turn on ses light

 

Boeturbolancer: Thanks for the help. I see you are an "EvoM Guru", so I'm sure your info is right on the money.

Do you know if there are _any_ cars, aside from the lancer, that are effected by the Check Engine light? My old Nissan pathfinder had a faulty wire that twice made my CEL come on, and I could swear that the pathfinder was running slower and shifting earlier (it was an automatic) when the light was on. As soon as I went to the dealership and reset it, the engine seemed to be back to normal.

One more question: Do you know anyway to fool the sensors? Meaning, do you know how to get the CEL to go off after you've installed a full exhaust?

- Jason

 

You can get a MIL eliminator which splices into the 2nd o2 sensor. It alters the signal coming from the sensor and the difference in readings between the 1st and 2nd o2 sensors will prevent the CEL.

I've also heard here and there that you can flip the 2nd cat, placing the o2 sensor after the filtering material, and extend the wiring for the sensor and that will prevent a CEL.

Personally, my RPW header/downpipe hasn't thrown a CEL in over two years of having it installed, not to mention no CEL after almost a year of no cats period.

 

since i've gotten my kamikaze header, its thrown the cel at 50 miles exactly. i resetted my ecu twice, and right on fifty miles, the light comes on. i'll be putting on my mil eliminator today

 

just a little update: i put on my MIL eliminator over the weekend, drove around a bit, and as i was gunning it onto this 55mph highway, my dam cel light came on.

i guess i would have been worried, but i'm somewhat comforted in what boe said about it not running lean or anything because of hte light, so i guess i'll keep on keepin' on

 

My SES light came on with my RRM header at about 525 miles, which were all highway miles at 85 MPH. I reset the ECU and it has yet to come on.