Kooks headers with Green cats and CEL

[crashdb]

Okay peeps. I've been doing some header shopping and have a question: Is anyone running the Kooks with Green cats WITHOUT a tune having issues with a CEL?

I emailed Kooks and I got the standard company line; which is understandable.

In my neck of the woods, we have emissions testing every other year. This mostly involves a visual inspection (for cats, etc), and a plug up to the OBD port. Obviously, the OBD check is for codes (soft or hard), but it's also for readiness checks. I know that tunes can write out the CEL through disabling the rear O2 sensor. Through past experience that will result in a failed or incomplete readiness test. This will cause me to fail emissions.

So I want to make sure that these headers won't result in a CEL so that I can pass emissions without electrical wizardry.

Of course, my other option is shorties, but that's a whole other story....

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[TrackpackGT]

I wouldn't waste my money on shorties. As much of a job as it already is, I'd go longtube with cats. You shouldn't have a cel with cats. If it does, it might mean a tune is necessary and they should be able to tune it out or adjust the readings so it doesn't set a light. Driving with a cel on is not cool for way too many reasons. You'll never know if something else is going wrong with your emissions system if it stays on. I've been told that Lund said a tune isn't required with lt's and cats, but I'm sure you won't realize all the gains from them until you tune it.

 

[beefcake]

the kooks green will give you your best chance, but there is no "guarantee" let me know if we can help at all

 

[crashdb]

That was pretty much what Kooks said. Thanks for the replies you two.

 

[gsxr1300]

no CEL here ive had them on since last summer, Got them from Beefcake.
Whipple doesnt turn off the sensors

 

[Dragster]

I've had mine on with the stock tune for a couple weeks, and I haven't had a CEL (knock on wood). My understanding is that most other catted headers will still throw a CEL, so like Beef said, the Kooks green are your best bet.

I'm not sure of the accuracy of this statement, but I heard somewhere else that moving the cats is technically illegal, so if you have a visual inspection, you might want to check on that. It is only an OBD check where I live, so the green cats are perfect.

 

[crashdb]

You're right. Switching out the cats like this is illegal. For here, the inspector just looks to see if there is a cat. And this is assuming that he even puts it in the air. It's hit or miss, but something that is supposed done at inspection.

 

[Sasuketr]

The S550 from the factory comes with nice shorties, switching to aftermarket shorties will give you no gain. I would also love to hear about the kooks with green cats. For example coupling the kooks with a 3 inch exhaust setup and using PMAS type cold air intake on a stock tune quarter mile and dyno results. If the car is manual and runs low 12's all day long on good air then we have something really good.

 

[crashdb]

Welp, I made it an entire week without the light. Looks like spacers are in my future.

 

[Road Dog]

Spacers???

 

[crashdb]

For the rear O2 sensors. Pulls them out of the exhaust stream and tricks the ECU into thinking all is well.

 

[Road Dog]

Oh you mean like this: http://www.bigdaddiesgarage.com/angled-cel-fix.html

 

[crashdb]

Exactly. I'm going to try non-angled ones first.

 

[crashdb]

Just to sort of update what's going on with this: My car would last about a week without a CEL. There were soft codes, but I wouldn't hit the jackpot until about a week in. I was so hopeful. Oh well.

Anyway, I got a couple of spacers and put them in this weekend. I keep forgetting to check for soft codes, but I'll find out if they're working or not next weekend either way.

 

[stang77]

Emissions is the only thing that is holding me back from LT headers. I believe my state only checks via OBD port. In that case my rear O2 sensor needs to remain active and have no codes.

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