Topic: Solo high flow cat and Mach installed, but got a CEL - FIXED!!

[KWhale]

Hi;
   First, let me just say I love the Solo high flow cat + Mach exhaust on my GXP!  Second, thanks to Jeff for his help ordering the exhaust system.  I originally was going for the Shorty Mach, but after talking to Jeff, I decided the Mach had a better chance of being "wife approved".  The sound is excellent and I'm sure if it was any louder (ie Shorty Mach) there may have been co-pilot issues.  I was finally able to get some time to have it installed yesterday.   

   My problem started after a few runs.  There was a full cool down in between each run, and no CELs.  Today the roads were finally dry enough to beat on it a little bit and once the car had been driven long enough to warm up, I ran it hard through the gears    and the check engine light came on.    There is no performance degradation with the CEL on .... ie not going limp mode or anything, just the Check Engine Light.

   I had the system installed at a nearby Midas, and the guys there had no problems following the clear instructions, and were done in 2 hours.  I have no HPTuners or any method of reading the codes, other than going to the dealer, so I'm not sure where to start.  Is there anything I can look at visually to see if something was done incorrectly and possibly spot what the problem is?  Do you know of any auto parts chain stores in Canada that offer OBDII code reading?  If I can get the code(s) for the CEL, I'd be better off with regards to fixing this.

   Any helpful suggestions you have for me would be hugely appreciated. 

[Filipp]

If you have an Autozone in Canada you can borrow a reader from them and check. Other than that I don't have a high flo cat so I cant help you sorry.

[Sly Bob]

According to my limited research these guys do. I believe that they are close to you?

http://www.autovalueparts.ca/pg/Locations_CalgaryStores.html

Call Crappy Tire too and ask them if they will read the code for free. Call around to other auto parts stores as it's literally a 30 second job to read the code.

You might try to take off the turbo heat shield when the engine is cold, start the car and put your hand down there after you start it so you can feel around for a leak. If there is a leak, that's generally where it will be.

If you were close to me you could come over, read the code and have a beer eh. 

[KWhale]

Thanks guys.  First I'll take the heat shield off and see if there are any obvious leaks.  I'll also see if I can get a visual on O2 sensor to make sure they used the extender to back the sensor out a bit.  The Auto Value Parts store would have been perfect, thanks for that suggestion, but they seem to be everywhere except in the Edmonton area.  Of course.

Question - Once I have the heat shield off, is it OK to leave it off when driving???  I would like to leave it off until I can find the problem, as it's a pain in the you know what to get that one bolt back on.  If that's not a recommended thing to do, I'll put it back in again though.

[Sly Bob]

I can't speak for the heat shield but sorry about the Calgary auto parts stores. I forgot that it's Edmonton that you are close to and not Calgary. At least I had the province right although that wasn't so tough as that's in your signature. 

[KWhale]

Hey, thank you Bob for trying to find me one!  It's -5 and snowing here this morning, so once it warms up a bit, I'll go out and take a look.

The heat shield is so flimsy, you'd think you could leave it off for a few drives, but if someone else knows that that's a bad idea, let me know please????

One more question....is there a fuse I can pull to reset the CEL?  Since I don't have a code reader, I will have no way of clearing the CEL to see if I've fixed anything.

[spicy3480]

It could be a small leak at one of the connection points...even the smallest leak will trigger a CEL.

[Sly Bob]

It could be a small leak at one of the connection points...even the smallest leak will trigger a CEL.

Used to be if you disconnected the battery for about 10 minutes it would reset the light. Not sure if that is still the case or not.

Anyone?

[Critterman]

Do you want to do that without knowing what the cell is?   High flow cat without changing the parameters in the ECM can throw a code.

[KWhale]

Good point Critterman!  It snowed and was below zero all day, so I didn't have a chance to do anything other than do a visual.  Everything looked tight.  I'll go buy a cheap code reader and see what the code it's throwing is first.  Hopefully it is just the change of the cat.  I have my appointment at Westers in few weeks, so maybe if it's just changing the cat causing the problem, I'll be OK.  I'll post the code once I get a chance to get a reader.

Thanks everyone for their opinions so far! Just out of curiosity, any opinions on driving with that heat shield off??

[Sly Bob]

I think Canadian Tire has code readers on sale this week.

[DeepBlueGXP]

Do not drive without the heatshield off.  The turbo runs upwards of 1500 degrees and things will melt.  The only reason you would get a CEL is if the installer left the CAT loose or didn't use the extender on the bottom.  Make sure they didn't install the extender on the top sensor.  Also make sure the both 02 sensors are tight.  They are a 22 mm wrench.  If the CAT is loose, you will see soot on the inside of the heat shield.  Autozone, Advance Auto parts do free code checking and resets.  You aren't too far from Westers, you could go there and get your tune.  That will reset the codes also. 

No tune is required to change the CAT and exhaust...  So that shouldn't be the reason you have a CEL.

[lil goat]

While I agree with what I think DeepblueGXP meant "Do not drive without the heatshield off" I have not had a heat shield for over a year, broken bolts and knuckles long story, I have a small exhaust blanket on there. Yes pulling the battery cable or to me easier the ECM connections inside the driver side fender will clear the codes, wait 30 minutes, but reading the code with and inexpensive scanner is a much better idea. Most likely an O2 sensor code, I get them every now and again for no appartent reason.

[spicy3480]

Used to be if you disconnected the battery for about 10 minutes it would reset the light. Not sure if that is still the case or not.

Anyone?

That would reset the light...correct...but after a little more driving, the leak would cause it to go back on.

[KWhale]

I guess the simplest method is usually the best.....I'm going to take her back to Midas where it was installed.  They have a code reader, so I can get the code, which is the key here.  Since I have it there, I'll have them check over the cat connection to ensure it's tight, and I'll show them the instructions one more time, especially the part that talks about putting the O2 extender on the sensor, and make sure they put it in the correct location as well.

Thanks to everyone who's chimed in with their help so far.  After the Midas re-visit, I should know more, and will post up what we found.

[spicy3480]

The 02 extender suggestion that deepbluegxp wrote above is a very good one.  i know of at least 2 other people who have installed the extender in the wrong 02 bung, causing a code.

[Sol Asylum]

Do not drive without the heatshield off. 

I think this is a double negative meaning that you should not drive with the heat shield installed.  Shouldn't it just be "do not drive without the heat shield?"

[Critterman]

The 02 extender suggestion that deepbluegxp wrote above is a very good one.  i know of at least 2 other people who have installed the extender in the wrong 02 bung, causing a code.

Sticking anything in the wrong bung hole is never good!

[KWhale]

Well, the guys at Midas were all over it (this time!).  The CEL code was P0420 which is a Cat low efficiency something or other.  They checked the bolts around the cat, nothing was loose, no apparent leaks.  They put the car up on the hoist to check the bottom end, nothing wrong they could see.  I noticed them standing under the car scratching their heads, so I wandered over with the Solo Cat install instructions (which they also had for the original install).  I showed them the 2 areas in the instructions that refer to possible CEL issues.  They looked at the section about bung placement, and they had that right, then they looked at the instruction to use the extender piece to back the O2 sensor out of the exhaust flow a little bit.  They looked at the car, looked at the sheet, and finally decided they missed using that piece when they did the install.  Luckily, the boxes from the weekend had not been picked up yet, so they rummaged around back, came up with it and installed it.

So far (knocking wood) no CEL.  I ran it pretty hard through the gears on the way home a few times, and had her up to 155 kph on the highway, and still no CEL.  I'm pretty sure the issue has been resolved, but I'll wait until a couple of tanks of gas down the road before I'm sure.

The sound on this exhaust just keeps getting better and better the more you drive it!!  It was borderline on the "wife approval" meter the first day, now I see a cute little smile when she hears the car start up, or when we're going up and down through the gears.

SO, Thanks everyone for the suggestions on what to do with that CEL, and hopefully we've seen the last of it!

[Mac]

yep they will get mellower as time goes by. My mach shorty was, at first a bit loud, after about a month now its much softer. On a cold start though its still a bit raspy, once warmed up, as smooth as  12 year old scotch. Unrelated though perhaps now i need to replace my intake elbo, or might just replace the IC and all pipes. since i did the HFcat and shorty i keep having to tighten those GM hose clamps. THe peak psi is higher now not sure why? perhaps the turbo is spinning up faster and getting 1 too 2 psi more from the solo? once i hit 21 22 that dam elbo starts to leak and the psi drops to 12 and i get a cell( lean fuel at idle). tighten it up and no cell(after i clear it) and has that 21 psi kick in the but again.

[spicy3480]

Glad your issue is all fixed...the issue you had is almost always the cause of that code. 

Mac,
Change all of your clamps to T-bolt style and you will not have the hose issue of losing psi.  You don't have to change the elbow, just the clamps.

[Critterman]

T-Clamps, quit messing with it, replace them