i got a simple question. I just installed the ZZP midlength header/downpipe, and though it was tough as hell, its all on and everything seems nice and tight and torqued down. however, it smells like im running rich or something....i removed my SAI without a reflash, so i have a CEL, but that shouldnt affect my AFRs after the cars been running for more than a minute. anyone have any ideas? i definitely need to install my wideband.

 

you did make sure that you have your O2 sensor positioned correctly? That is one thing that I can think of that would toss a code immediately.

Also... are you running catless?

FYI... if you get new exhaust components they will need to be "broken in" so they will smell kinda wierd for a day or so... my GMPP exhaust stunk and smoked like crazy when I first got it... but a few days of driving around and the smell went away.

If you removed your Secondary Air Injection (SAI) you're definately gonna have issues... could also be why you are running so rich.

 

Get the reflash.

 

^^exactly what they said above.. 1 get a reflash.. and two your gunna need to let your components break in for 500 or so miles so dont get on it... your gunna need know that the smell that you are smelling is just the exhuast... its the extra carbon and the gaskets being burnt but there is nothing wrong with it... so no worries.. itll go away. youll be fine.

and your not running rich FYI... your just smelling the exhaust being broken in.. lol

 

i have afeeling you're smelling the paint burn off the manifold.
(unless you bought the ceramic one, you have nothing to worry about)

 

^^this paint does not burn off.... just an FYI.. hes just smellling the exhaust being broken in.. trust me i have this exhaust part and eveything is doing the same... i check every day under the hood to make sure everything works fine... im alittle ocd about that

 

it certainly does(i have photo proof in my photobucket). i had this manifold/dp combo... it definitly burns off. at least on the 2.0 maybe the other models dont run hot enough?

 

maybe... on my 2.2 its perfectly fine... but oh well... im sure it wouldnt burn off right away first of all lol.. but i honestly think it is just the stuff breaking in lol

 

mmmm burning cutting oil and curing /burning paint or other coating prolly sounds tinny too.

 

there should be no SAI related issues as it only runs for a few seconds at startup and even then it wouldn't affect AFR's or anything of the sort.

i just checked my CEL with a scanner, it was a "Secondary Air Injection sensor: low pressure" aka, its unplugged and I'm failing emissions. thats the only code.

and yes, these headers get INCREDIBLY hot (mine are ceramic). When you pop the hood, you can see the air rippling from the headers.

maybe I'm paranoid and its just the exhust being broken in....the only part that makes me suspicious is I've been driving a lot lately, and i always smell it when i come to a stop...and idk what the exhaust breaking in smells like but this smells just like a rich running car.
again, maybe I'm just paranoid, I've only got like 50 miles with it....they've just been very active miles

 

You don't have to let the exhaust break in for 500 miles. BEAT THE **** out of that car.

 

you do if it has a new cat.

 

Never heard of taking it easy to break in exhaust before.

 

me either....didnt know cats need to be broken in.....and if this is true, its a bit late for mine

 

cats need a bit of a break-in

 

^Correct, cats only need to be brought up to their effective running temperature a few times before you should get on it real hard. The five hundred mile thing is something that someone came up with as a precaution.

 

Exactly. Shouldn't even be running a cat

 

mine started burning off the first time i started the car, didn't even drive it yet and it was burning off.

as far as the other guy with the smell, it's normal. already been covered, so i'll leave that alone. what you're probably smelling is the unburnt gas before the cat is warmed up, since it's flowing alot more. and yes, take it easy on the cat for a while, otherwise we'll see a post in a few weeks saying "How come my cat blew out"

 

so, out of curiosity...if i didnt break in the cats....would that hurt performance? or am i just more likely to fail emissions now?

ditto to a blown out cat....

 

honestly i dont know what would hppen you definatly would fail emissons...