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So my inspection is coming due and I got to get that check engine light off. Sucks cause I'm passed emissions for my area being a 96, and I'm sure my problems are in the exhaust.
Nonetheless, that pesky light needs to go off to pass. Looks like the PO took out the cat and replaced it w/ a flex pipe? Or maybe the flex pipe was stock cause the O2 sensor is on that module. Regardless, I have no cat. The front was loose that goes to the manifold, tightened that up. The flex pipe has a small hole in it that they tried to cover with some fireproof junk. But, my real question here is, w/ the cat missing, do I have any real chance of getting the light to off in the first place? I mean, the downstream 02 sensor is never going to read correctly w/ out it - is that right?
My '98 has no cat - no CEL - & passes emissions easily every year. How/why I have no idea but can only assume that as the downstream O2 sensor is free to the air it doesn't read the same as the upstream one, so the ECU believes the cat's working. Food for thought?
Let's get the codes first...some of this might be dependent on where he lives, too, he said he passed inspection, but what all is involved there, is it just a visual safety inspection? The smog test might be more involved where he lives, laws vary from place to place, and if you have missing or modified equipment, you can fail on that alone, CEL or not.
I used to live in Kommiefornia, and you can definitely fail smog on a visual inspection of equipment...
Thanks for the input!
I'm in NC, emissions is big but, I'm grandfathered past that part being a 96. Nonetheless, I have to get the check engine light to go off.
So after a trip to Autozone to get the codes read it's P0132 bank1, sensor1 - upstream o2 sensor. Which is good because I just tightened a really looks pipe connection going to the manifold right where the upstream guy is. The down stream did not report at all which surprised me as it sits on a pretty old looking flex pipe. I'm still not sure if that was stock
or replaced where the cat used to be. Am I correct in thinking that the upstream and downstream report separately?
I'm guessing there was nothing wrong w/ the upstream sensor, it was just getting to much oxygen due to a really loose connection.
(on a side note one of my many mysterious rattles has disappeared!)
It seems all I need to do now is borrow or buy a reset tool and drive it 100miles, does that sound about right?
You can get a cheap code reader, I use a Bluetooth odd2 dongle and the torque app. The dongle is around $15, the app is only a few dollars, but there is a free version, don't recall if the free version let's you reset codes.
Even if tightening the upstream sensor doesn't work, that's a cheap enough fix
Let's get the codes first...some of this might be dependent on where he lives, too, he said he passed inspection, but what all is involved there, is it just a visual safety inspection? The smog test might be more involved where he lives, laws vary from place to place, and if you have missing or modified equipment, you can fail on that alone, CEL or not.
I used to live in Kommiefornia, and you can definitely fail smog on a visual inspection of equipment...
I don't dispute any of that but OP only wants to kill the CEL & I was just pointing out that you don't need a cat to do that.
As it happens, mine should fail for the cat being removed but as (I think) it pre-dates them being mandatory here & as the last time they saw another XJ was probably my previous one, about 5 years ago, the testers don't know it should have one, so - as long as it meets the '98 emissions levels (which it always comfortably does) I'm laughing.
Flex Exhaust pipe no Cat.
