Merry Xmas all,

If anyone is in need of a 2002 RS header there is one sitting over a Total. I don't know if they are worth anything.
I just had TWE headers installed today by Cody (thanks excellent service). Everything including the Cat to the back is still stock. I am still researching and gathering funds for the rest.
Anyway I already have a CEL.
My butt dyno says there is only a slight if any gain in performance but this expected because of the remaining stock exhaust.

However everything seems smoother and 5th gear does not seem bog down so.... the jury is still out.

build quality looks good.

Should these be wrapped to help keep the heat in? I forgot to ask Cody.

One thing I don't like though is part of the header hangs lower. About an inch or so. I'll have to by some armor if I want to do another TSD.

Shawn rs

Let the ecu get used to it.. give it 1.5-2 weeks tops.. should be feeling as best as it can afterwards.

Regarding wrapping, there are ups and downs to doing so. Do a search on NASIOC and im sure you'll find lots of threads. ^_^

I don't think you need a wrapping since it is in front of the car,it will air cooled.

Pantre: The purpose of heat wrapping the headers etc is to keep the exhaust gases hot so it does not loose its velocity. It also makes sure the Cat is kept hot so it can reduce the Nx (sp) gases. If I have read and understood all the threads I have read.

I'll give the car's ECU a couple of weeks before I get too concerned I guess. I'll still try and get the CEL read in the mean time.
I won't be hurting anything but driving with this code will I?
Shawnrs

I've zerosports exhaust manifold too, and there's a CEL alll the time. Well, I have more than just a manifold... ! :)

Originally posted by bwco
I've zerosports exhaust manifold too, and there's a CEL alll the time. Well, I have more than just a manifold... ! :)


Well if you guys have any sort of proper engine management, you wouldn't have those cells.

Originally posted by Happy_Days
Well if you guys have any sort of proper engine management, you wouldn't have those cells.

:rolleyes:
:lol:
I'm sure Hypa will hook me up with that !

did u get the CEL pulled? what did it say?

i'm also against wrapping, especially in this weather. i know because i've done it before and rotted out an exhaust manifold and it caused me no end in grief/$$$ :(

this is my first time heard CEL came up so fast after header is installed...

from my past experience CEL won't come up at least about a week or so...until the ECU reads when u are cruising down the HWY and the O2 sensor/Cat is not hot enough...

with exhaust wrapping it does take longer for the CEL to come up...and just reset it once awhile...

with the rest of the exhaust remaining stock...i am pretty sure u won't feel anything...the restriction is still high!

josico's RS w/ custom header, high flow cat and custom Apexi Cat Back system is NICE!!!

I didn't expect the cel to come so quickly either. Thats why I am going to drop by Total again when I get a chance. Maybe there is a leak or something that I can't find. But man does it get hot down there.

I am hoping by summer to have the rest of the exhaust installed along with good summer tires. I'm not expecting WRX performance I just want a little more umph for all around driving.
After I learn how to drive this car right, I'll think about moving up to a stronger car.

BT: Was your header made of SS that rotted out?

Thanks
ShawnRS

My Borla threw a CEL pretty fast... went away pretty quick when I put the stock manifold back on too.
The CEL you're throwing should be a P0420 or whatever it is.

I've got a pocketlogger that I can bring with me next time I head over the border if there isn't anybody up there to help.

Oh and I've gotten conflicting answers from Borla - one guy said to wrap the header, one guy said not to. Wrap will void their warranty, but I'm pretty sure it would take care of the CEL.

it was on my old suzuki gsxr. it was a yoshimura ss header. i never rode it in the rain but it was parked outside in an open carport. the wrap soaked up moisture whenever it was wet outside and it rotted out the welds at the y-pipe :(

there is many discussions on nasioc in the other forums. if u look u will find someone who posted a pic of his stock cast iron manifold that was wrapped which rotted straight thru as well.

Interesting... back when I got my headers installed when I had an exhaust and an intake... nothing showed up...

Originally posted by ashtaron14
Interesting... back when I got my headers installed when I had an exhaust and an intake... nothing showed up...

u have to cruise on the hwy for a period of time to trigger the CEL...the "period" depends on weather and speed u are travelling...i have heard stories like cruising from Coquitlam to Burnaby on Hwy 1, cruising from Hwy 99 @ Steveson to Vancouver, etc etc...and if i don't remember wrong night time takes shorter time to trigger the CEL too...

which means along daily city driving, stop and go all the time, and w/o as much "wind" blowing towards the header...it is "ok" and it does take a long while to trigger the CEL or even maybe not...

Well yesturday I pulled the neg. of my battery so I could change my spark plugs. The check engine light never came on when I started up the car again. I put about 200km on since and no CEL.

Just thought I'd pass it on. My friends say they can hear my car from a distance. Its sounds the same to me. Other than a really quiet the "Blow off" valve sound when I shift (I don't have a turbo) that I get when pushing the car Hwy.

All seems good now. Hopely it stays that way.

Just wish I had the $3000- $4000+ to finish the performance upgrades. :(

ShawnRS

Originally posted by ShawnRS
Well yesturday I pulled the neg. of my battery so I could change my spark plugs. The check engine light never came on when I started up the car again. I put about 200km on since and no CEL.

Just thought I'd pass it on. My friends say they can hear my car from a distance. Its sounds the same to me. Other than a really quiet the "Blow off" valve sound when I shift (I don't have a turbo) that I get when pushing the car Hwy.

All seems good now. Hopely it stays that way.

Just wish I had the $3000- $4000+ to finish the performance upgrades. :(

ShawnRS


That's just a temporary fix though. Is there no cel resistor fix for this?

i'm kinda reluctant to recommend the cel fix without knowing what the code is...

Originally posted by Benjamin Tang
i'm kinda reluctant to recommend the cel fix without knowing what the code is...

I agree. Get the code pulled first, then you can do the resistor thing.

Or just live with it.

As long as the CEL isn't blinking, it's not a big deal.

Yes, they are right. It could be something else that's wrong. :)

about a month after i installed borla headers for my RS, it threw up a CEL, i had it pulled and it was 1,2,3 cylinders missed fire. the guys at docksteader said if it comes back on again then maybe the spark plugs are faulty. maybe your problem was not related to the headers. Subarus are known to have cheap stock spark plugs.
You may have remedied your problem by changing them!

good luck.

Originally posted by dcgear
about a month after i installed borla headers for my RS, it threw up a CEL, i had it pulled and it was 1,2,3 cylinders missed fire. the guys at docksteader said if it comes back on again then maybe the spark plugs are faulty. maybe your problem was not related to the headers. Subarus are known to have cheap stock spark plugs.
You may have remedied your problem by changing them!

good luck.


he says he has already changed it...

Well yesturday I pulled the neg. of my battery so I could change my spark plugs. The check engine light never came on when I started up the car again. I put about 200km on since and no CEL.

btw, it's good that if CEL doesn't come back...try to note if it comes back when u are "cruising" on the hwy...:)

Hi All

Just I'd try and get more ideas about how to fix my CEL.
So far I have had several Cat ineffciency codes (spending too much time at Total) and one "low Voltage" to my front O2 sensor.
I also have the Cel resitor installed. No difference.

However the CEL turns off from time to time. About every 10 or so start up/ cool down cycles (ie driving to work) Then driving down the Hwy then it returns. So, as already mentioned, the header must be cooling the exhaust gases too fast.


So if I got a rally guard that would cover the header/ cat area it would deflect the wind, That should keep everything hot, right??

Thanks for all the input guys.
ShawnRS