No "check engine light" with headers!!!

Originally Posted by pat

This is bad news. I was hoping to get my o2sim installed when it warmed up

I'm surprised that more people are not having this issue. Some people have gone thousands of miles on the O2sim too with no engine lights coming on...

Originally Posted by aggieE46

$40 at o2simulator.com works just fine, too

I apologize in advance for the noobish question, but i'm considering headers. If i purchase an o2 sim, will my car pass emission tests? My residence is in the "city". Any insight would be much appreciated.

I couldn't pass because I'm still throwing codes. Also - you will not pass a visual inspection if you are not running cats.

Just a heads up, but I am running stock software with supersprint headers and supersprint cats and I have no CEL. My code reader lists a 'pending' code for the rear o2 and the light came on briefly for a day, but I have been driving around for 2 weeks now. I had the shark injector installed, but removed it so I can have a custom tune done(being installed next week).

If you are running the Supersprint cats you might get the smog guy to let you pass on a visual, but that is a very slim chance. Your car has the pending rear O2 sensor codes because well..... it's looking the rear O2 signal to mimic a good catalytic converter.
You didn't say what O2 sensors you had hooked up and where, but I would think that if those cats are of a decent cell count (some way they measure the cats?) it might work. I would try installing O2 sensor bungs after your cats and installing the rear O2 sensors there, the tricky part then becomes finding connectors.
I dont know what kind of junkyards you have where your at but I was able to cut some connectors out of a car that had been in a crazy wreck and the engine harness was incomplete. One more thing, I would recommend using twisted pair wire wire to cut down on interference, you can find this in long lengths in most body wiring harnesses for the cars audio system.

How are you mounting the resistors?

Originally Posted by SmokeyDP

Just a heads up, but I am running stock software with supersprint headers and supersprint cats and I have no CEL. My code reader lists a 'pending' code for the rear o2 and the light came on briefly for a day, but I have been driving around for 2 weeks now. I had the shark injector installed, but removed it so I can have a custom tune done(being installed next week).

This is old so I am going to update it...

With stock software I ended up throwing an o2 code after 2 weeks of driving. The good news is, all monitors passed and the car threw no codes long enough for me to get the car inspected then reinstall the shark injector.

In the end I ended up going with a custom tune because the AFR was all over the place with my mods and the Shark Injector. The car runs much smoother with the custom tune and will even pass smog.

Originally Posted by SmokeyDP

This is old so I am going to update it...

With stock software I ended up throwing an o2 code after 2 weeks of driving. The good news is, all monitors passed and the car threw no codes long enough for me to get the car inspected then reinstall the shark injector.

In the end I ended up going with a custom tune because the AFR was all over the place with my mods and the Shark Injector. The car runs much smoother with the custom tune and will even pass smog.

Let me get something clear here. Did you pass emmissions while having condes in pending status? The codes for the rear o2 sensors will sit there for a while before the actually light up. The require several cycles (on/off) and cycle lenghts (x amount of miles per interval) before they will actually come up).

I'm just curious if you can actually pass emissions where you have codes in pending status. The rear monitor(s) would not be in ready state (I think?) and should therefore fail.

I still haven't installed the O2 sim but I do have cats. It usually takes me a 4-8 weeks for the codes to come up once I've reset them but that's only due to my driving needs. (It can be different for everyone).

Thanks!

Originally Posted by pat

Let me get something clear here. Did you pass emmissions while having condes in pending status? The codes for the rear o2 sensors will sit there for a while before the actually light up. The require several cycles (on/off) and cycle lenghts (x amount of miles per interval) before they will actually come up).

I'm just curious if you can actually pass emissions where you have codes in pending status. The rear monitor(s) would not be in ready state (I think?) and should therefore fail.

I still haven't installed the O2 sim but I do have cats. It usually takes me a 4-8 weeks for the codes to come up once I've reset them but that's only due to my driving needs. (It can be different for everyone).

Thanks!

Yes, you can pass with PENDING codes. The only codes that they look for is MIL codes.

Originally Posted by SmokeyDP

Yes, you can pass with PENDING codes. The only codes that they look for is MIL codes.

So do they look for readiness status? I think the rear o2s would not be ready? Either way, if it works... I may just do that and discard the o2 sim.

Originally Posted by pat

So do they look for readiness status? I think the rear o2s would not be ready? Either way, if it works... I may just do that and discard the o2 sim.

Pending and permanent codes will not be throw until the readiness status for the corresponding device is set. First the rear o2's are marked at 'ready', then the 'pending' code pops up after a while, then it switches to a 'permanent' code.

Does it really matter if you're post cat sensors are working or not (in terms of efficiency and performance), or is it just the OCD in people that makes them want to get rid of that dash light?

Its the dash light.

Originally Posted by Keno

Does it really matter if you're post cat sensors are working or not (in terms of efficiency and performance), or is it just the OCD in people that makes them want to get rid of that dash light?

If your dash light is always on then how will you know if your car throws a second code for something unrelated.

Originally Posted by SmokeyDP

If your dash light is always on then how will you know if your car throws a second code for something unrelated.

makes sense. I figure I'm just gonna end up getting a USB OBDII reader kit and check the codes every so often.

I have the LC-1 installed. I made it 450 miles before it threw a SES light. I read the codes and got these:



The one that is actually throwing the code is a resistor problem... I'm using the suggested 50ohm resistors.

i havent been able to pass inspection since Nov. 2009 (thats teh date it was due). It is now july 4th and i still have yet to pass. i HAD the ebay headers, took it to private inspection...FAIL (obviously, but at the time i didnt know my facelift would be such a bitch to pass cuz of the ECU being ridiculously sensitive). then i got the AA ECU reflash and all they did was turn off the o2 sensors, and the codes i was throwing went away...thought i would pass, went to inspection and got a big fat FAIL. THEN, i took the ebay headers out, put the stock ones back in, reflashed it AGAIN so that AA could turn the o2 sensors back on, thought i was in the clear and took it to inspection and, FAIL FAIL FAIL FAIL FAIL!!!! why do facelift ECUs have to the such little b!chez!!!! and because of this...i ended up spending INSANE amounts of money to get the headers installed, then gettin AA software for fix the problem, and because that didnt fix the problem, i had to pay to but my stock manifold back in, then pay to get it reflashed to turn the O2 sensors back on, and that didnt work so i had to go to BMW to pay to get it reflashed back to stock....AANNNDDDD I STIL HAD TO PAY TO GET MY THERMOSTAT REPLACED CUZ APPARENTLY THAT WAS SCREWED UP TOO!!!!! ughhhh.....FML!!! SERIOUSLY! i spent so much money on making my car slower! why me?!?!



/rant

In '03 for the model year E46 '04s and up, BMW switched ECUs from a Bosch to a Siemens. Not sure if this is the reason you're having the issues, but it could be.

oh boy... sounds like I may be on the same boat. I have till august to get my plates renewed.

Follow up for my situation. The heater code that i'm throwing (189) is actually a pre-cat sensor. I'm at 70k miles so maybe its time to replace them. Once the SES light comes back on, I'll clear the codes and then switch the pre-cat sensors between bank 1 and bank 2 to see if the code then moves to bank 1.

F1004fun also has a more refined voltage curve, so I've been told.