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Old Aug 30, 2004 | 11:34 AM
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Unhappy header installed yesterday!

i have a couple of questions i just put my headers on and i am running open headers until saturday. my car keeps cutting out at low rpm's and the simms light keep blinking i thought they were suppost to stay red? and my ses light came on after i started driving, it was off when i let it run for about 20 minutes after install, and it is running rich as hell has anabody else had this problem? please help my car is running like ****. thanks trevor
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Old Aug 30, 2004 | 11:50 AM
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If your front o2 are hoooked up and the headers are open fresh air is contaminating the o2 sensors causing the computer to keep adding fuel for what it thinks is a lean condition. The ses light came on because your trims were prolly reading 25+ for extended periods of time. Disconnect them and dont beat on it until you get the rest of the exhaust ssystem
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Old Aug 30, 2004 | 12:20 PM
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did u get o2 extensions?
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Old Aug 30, 2004 | 12:24 PM
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yes from tsp!
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Old Aug 30, 2004 | 12:27 PM
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i would see what code your getting and go from there.
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Old Aug 30, 2004 | 12:28 PM
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the light is from removing the rear o2's. did u remove air? that will also throw a code. its running rich because, as stated above, fresh air contaminates the reading. that might also be the reason for it cutting out, but i didnt have that problem so i dont know.
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Old Aug 30, 2004 | 12:32 PM
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no did not remove the A.I.R and i bought simms for the rears 02's it is cutting out bad
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Old Aug 30, 2004 | 12:35 PM
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HumpinSS has it. Your O2's are going crazy!

DEE
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Old Aug 30, 2004 | 12:35 PM
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a lot of ppl have run open headers, maybe you missed a plug wire or something.
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Old Aug 30, 2004 | 12:36 PM
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It is prolly going real rich. To verify this disconnect the front o2 sensors and see if it still does this. The light will still stay on but now for a different code. I wouldnt drive around to much with it running like that as you could end up with bigger problems.
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Old Aug 30, 2004 | 12:37 PM
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Originally Posted by hourang
a lot of ppl have run open headers, maybe you missed a plug wire or something.

Yes they have but prolly without o2 sensors. The sensors are t the collector and are too close to the end. All you have to do is either finish the exhaust system OR get some temporary extensions that are long enough to keep the o2 sensors happy
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Old Aug 30, 2004 | 12:50 PM
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so i can just unhook the o2 sensors and saturday when i get my exhaust finished i can just plug them back in and i should not have any more ses codes to throw
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Old Aug 30, 2004 | 01:05 PM
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Yes but dont get on it till you get all that stuff finished and hooked back up
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Old Aug 30, 2004 | 04:27 PM
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I ran open headers for WEEKS, WITH 02 sensors. Sure, it ran a bit rich and had no *****, but other than that it was fine. Sounded WICKED, and at WOT it hurt The only code it ever threw was because one of my damn O2 sims took a crap on me. Those things suck, BTW, just under a year later (this spring) the other one stopped working. Best to just delete the codes.
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Old Aug 30, 2004 | 09:01 PM
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i just got home and i wanted to start my car for my dad to hear and now the ****** wont start what is wrong with my car im about to drive it off a cliff and buy a mustang! please help me
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Old Aug 30, 2004 | 09:17 PM
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Originally Posted by Ta's02Ws6
i just got home and i wanted to start my car for my dad to hear and now the ****** wont start what is wrong with my car im about to drive it off a cliff and buy a mustang! please help me
Yeah, there are never any hickups when installing headers on a mustang

Thest kinds of things can happen when you start modding a car, especially when you do your own work. Most of the time, a double and triple check of EVERYTHING finds the problem. I can't tell you how many times i have seen someone have problems after a header install just due to issues with the plugs/wires not beind done properly. Did you have the front O2 sesnors in? I honestly would NOT run without them. There should be no major issues with them in. Do you have AIR restrictor plates? Is every plug installed properly, with every wire solidly snapped onto the coil pack and plug? What does it do when you try to start it? (edit: i see in sig, SLP headers) How far is it from the collector's end to the O2 sensor?
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Old Aug 30, 2004 | 09:29 PM
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Just like everyone has stated..........recheck all your plug wires, make sure they are all connected properly. Make sure you didn't leave anything unplugged (other than the spark plug wires) when you did the install. If you have access to a scanner, find out which code you are getting. I just did my install this weekend and I am running open headers and I don't have any problems or codes, that was even before I retuned it with HP Tuner. I bought O2 extensions for the front O2's and left the rear unplugged. As for the Mustang comment............my roommate and I did a header install on a 01 Mustang and it took us 2 full days as opposed to 6 hrs with the LS1.
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Old Aug 30, 2004 | 09:31 PM
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i extented the front o2 and put them in the header and put simms on the back it just sounds like it is just spinning the starter like my battery is low but all my lights are bright and i tried jumping it and nothing. the 02 sensor is about 2 inches away from the end.
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Old Aug 30, 2004 | 10:07 PM
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Originally Posted by Ta's02Ws6
i extented the front o2 and put them in the header and put simms on the back it just sounds like it is just spinning the starter like my battery is low but all my lights are bright and i tried jumping it and nothing. the 02 sensor is about 2 inches away from the end.
That is what I was afraid of in terms of running rich. I had not seen SLP's in person (just online pics) but I thought their collectors were rather short. Two inches from collector to O2's is SHORT. On my Jet-Hots it was a good bit further than that. FWIW: I had two extensions made for mine by expanding the ends of a couple pieces of 3" pipe, but when I had the headers on I realized the hard way that there is not room behind the driver's side header to come straight back so I didn't install them....but as stated it was okay. I would reconsider with the SLP's only being 2" away Get some extensions on that or limit your driving to only what is required. Not sure why it won't start, but god damn that thing must be rich when it does.....







2" damn

Yet another little thing gong against the SLP's, IMO. Coated/stainless headers as they are, they would be SO much better of they fit better/tucked up nicer and didn't have such a short collector like this.
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Old Aug 30, 2004 | 10:17 PM
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I have QTP HV merge headers and it made the car run EXTREMELY rich with them hooked up. Trims maxed at +25 and the car wouldnt pull for **** over 2k rpm because of the rich condition.

But there will always be naysayer and people that have done this and that with no ill effects so I guess my understanding of the PCM and the effects fresh air on the o2 sensors was all a bad dream.

Carry on
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