Possible catless up-pipe CEL

First notes: as many of you know, I just got my car. I know very little about my car, but I am learning (From you guys!).

I met up with Brian at BP suby because of this CEL I got going on. Seems that my car may have came with a catless up-pipe. When I bought my car, this was sitting in the rear trunk area: http://www.technocrew.net/wrx/uppipe.jpg

I'm assuming that's an uppipe, but I really don't know my stuff. Please educate me So onto the CEL. Per Brian, I read up on nasioc and found this helpful writeup: http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=443943

Now I will need curly and shibbs to jump in on this, but on that nasioc page he says you will get the CEL "CEL code P0546 = Exhaust Gas Temperature Sensor Circuit Malfunction (High Input)" Now I thought that I was getting Low input, not high input, but like I said, curly / shibbs please step in.

When Brian looked at the car, he pointed out to me where the resistor should go, but there was something plugged in there.

I'm wondering what other people experances are. Incase you don't know, i have an '05 wrx waggy. Assuming i'm feeling better, I plan on being down at firestone tonight to be schooled in suby 101.

Now that i've written this up, I just remember I didn't search on here. I don't really wanna delete all of this, but I will search right after posting and delete if needed.

Thank you in advance,
Ryan

 

you may have a catless dp or at one time did on that car. then when they took the downpipe off the could have messed something up. I do not beleive there is a cat related cel bung in the up-pipe.

 

Well, Curly and I cleared out the CEL and it did come back, so clearly it's still reading. I also put in a bottle of seafoam into the gas tank at that point

 

Yes, there is.
in that up-pipe, there is a bung for an EGT Probe. if you install an aftermarket uppipe, and don't install a cel-fix, you will get a CEL.

Here's some more news. the dealership just sold you a car that is technically illegal, and they can be brought up on fraud charges if they knew about it. they signed off on a legal document (the title) where it specifically says "emmissions equpment is intact and functioning"

you technically now have leverage over them. if you want the car stock. take that cat pipe out of your trunk and return to the dealership immedately complaining of the cel light and mention the above statement. doing this could save any shreds of a warranty that was on the car, because an aftermarket up-pipe pretty much blows it out. most dealerships will do anything within reason to prevent you from taking this to the govnmnt and bringing them up on chages. play your cards right and an extended warranty could be in your future.

 

Yes, that's a stock uppipe in that picture.

Me or several other people around here can reflash your ECU and tell it to ignore that CEL code.

 

Further more, the error code you have listed is exactly the one you would get if there was an aftermarket/gutted cat installed with the probe in it. with no cat in the pipe, the probe would see considerably higher EGTs and throw that cel.

 

and Further bad news...
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=671294
The engine may be damaged at this point as well... the Stock ECU has been known for not handling exhaust changes well on the 04-05 models. a simple change of an up pipe or downpipe without atleast a reflash can cause knocking and engine damage.

being that the cat is a federaly mandated device, you COULD force the dealership to buy buy the car back. but i woluld just have them install a new cat and give you a nice long warranty, because i know you love that car

 

I'd tend to agree it's not garunteed doom, but it's definetly not good for the engine. i mean, 04-05s have been known to knock STOCK depending on what version of the firmware happens to be on there. adding an up-pipe will just increase the problem's severity.

and frankly, how could a dealership let a car go out the door with a CEL relating to the emissions system? isn't that stuff supposed to be federally warranted for 80k miles?

 

Ok, so I just woke up from my cold meds indused sleep. I really don't remember which code it was, I would have to have curly or eli tell you. Like I said before, I plan on being down at firestone tonight. If someone could bring a reader and help me out that would be wonderful.

As for the car dealership, it was Luther Nissan Kia. The guy claims it was a subaru installed performance pipe. Meaning they lied. I love this car and really don't wanna give it back to them. I just don't wanna have CEL / Engine problems.

 

I'll have a code reader at FS tonight you can use. Just a basic one though...

 

Feeling a bit better, I jacked up the car. Give me 5 minutes and I'll have pics.

 

Ohhh... i beg to differ.
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=443943

 

Ok, pics are in. I used my real cam this time, but boy that was a PITA. Hopefully you get what I shot.

http://www.technocrew.net/wrx/uppipe/

 

Yup.
That's definetly an aftermarket up pipe.

 

Ok, so the ecu mapping that someone (Sorry, horrible with names) pulled off my car is here: http://www.technocrew.net/wrx/uppipe/Ryan Map.hex

I have no clue which software it was. Hopefully someone can read that and tell me what the code is.

Thank you in advance,
Ryan

 

It was wage0052 who gave me the map. I would edit my last post but apperently the i-net gods aren't liking me this morning. That or sudifed has me all messed up again. I hate having the summer/spring cold!

 

Yeah, that is the map your car is currently running.

For everyone else: when I pulled the map, the car wasn't tossing any CEL, but I didn't know how to look for past CEL codes (although a little research tells me that Tari logger can do this).

Ryan: It looks like that map is the stock map for a MY05 5MT. I have disabled the two EGT CEL's associated with the bung in the UP. Here is the new map.

You'll need a cable and a laptop to flash the map. I'm unsure as to how safe running an aftermarket UP with the stock mapping is, and from the post's above, it looks like there's some disagreement on that.

Anyone have any other thoughts on running an aftermarket UP with the stock map?H

 

before I load any mapping i want to figure out exactly which CEL i have. I guess i'll just wait until it comes back on again.

 

Ok, code came up again. P0546.

 

DTC P0546 - EXHAUST GAS TEMPERATURE SENSOR CIRCUIT HIGH-BANK 1

DTC DETECTING CONDITION:
Immediately at fault recognition

TROUBLE SYMPTOM:

• Hard to start
• Erroneous idling
• Poor driving performance

CAUTION: After repair or replacement of faulty parts, conduct Clear Memory Mode and Inspection Mode.

Wiring Diagram

Step 1 - 4
Step 5

 

Ok. The two I disabled with that linked map were 546 and 545 (I think) high and low voltage. I'd think you'd be good with that map flashed.

 

good to know, i had an egt sensor on my catless set up so i left the bung in there and never knew of a reason why to remove it.

btw, why would you want to remove your egt sensor? thats one of the easiest ways to recognize if your engine is having problems. if my engine was running hot i'd sure as heck like to know. if the engine gas is hot enought to brake up your catalytic converter it is probably running really lean.

 

Because that EGT sensor isn't built to hold up to the extreme heat that the engine puts out without a cat in the way. they have been known on occasion to burn, fatigue, and fly off into the turbo. it's a better bet to just remove it and block it off, and get a REAL EGT placed somewhere useful, close to the heads.

 

Did you correct the OL/CL Delay in that map as well?

 

Nope, I only disabled those CEL's. I can, if you'd like.

 

If someone could take my map and change it for the catless uppipe and fix those two CEL, that would be killer. Homebrew beer once it is done would be very called for.