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I just ordered a test pipe for my 03 Civic EX. Someone told me that the test pipe will definately make my check engine light go on causing less power. What is the situation with this, will the O2 sensor absolutely make the check engine light come on with the test pipe? The shop I bought it from said I shouldn't have any problems.....

 
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im running a test pipe and i dont have any check lights

 
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What is a test pipe?

 
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it SHOULD cause a check light to come on, but its possible that it may not

 
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You will definatly run a CEL. For the guy that said he doesn't... you eventually will.

Running the car with a CEL will cause it to go into safe mode. Buy an 02 Simulator

 
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depends on your setup i guess.. i had me test pipe for 3 years now and no problems

 
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not everyone does.

 
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what is this "test pipe" your referring to? is it a resonator that goes from b-pipe to cat?

if so, most likely your malfunction indicator lamp (cel) will light up on your dashboard. since you have an EX, the bad air flow senses the 2ndary o2 sensor which wouldnt harm your car/engine at all i believe (hope ppl here can back me up on this). when i got my hi flow cat/resonator/test pipe installed, my cel went on after 2 days. no harm to my vehicle at all since a year now or so.

 
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well from what I understand it's a Megan test pipe, really just a pipe with a resonator...i know that it won't cause actual harm...but i heard it puts the car in limp mode, or safe mode, until it's corrected and that you need an O2 simulator to correct the problem

 
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from my expierence with the exact same pipe, it wont put ur car in safe/limp mode. when i hooked my on, it ran perfectly fine. just looking at the light on the dash gets me nervous. o2 simulators are optional and recommeneded when installed test pipes, hi flow pipes, resonators, etc. the light goes on because your 2nd o2 sensor bank is reading an uncorrect amount of air flow. from my thoughts, its pretty much trying to tell you "your cat converter got too much damn air flow buddy!" lol. but keep in mind not everyone encounters the cel light when installing test pipes or resonators, their the lucky batch of ppl with the lucky civics.


goodluck

(dont forget to d/c battery before any installing/uninstalling)

 
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ditto^^^ on our cars when you put a test pipe on if the CEL lights up it just telling you the 2nd 02 sensor is sensing that the cat is inefficent.. thats all it is... ur 1st 02 sensor which is located by the headers is the one you dont want to mess with. my and gearbox had a discussion on this long time ago and spanded a few pages but everyone that was in that discussion can tell you the same thing.. even gearbox.. if i find that thread i will link it for you

 
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i had a test pipe for a year now and my check engine light was on the whole time, never ran bad at all until some how the light went off, car ran ****ing awsome, then the light went back on and it ran like **** again, now its off and runs perfect....im installing an o2 simulator this weekend though.

 
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the o2 simulator...it that just moving the o2 sensor further out to mainpulate the sensor?

 
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you need to fit a o2 simulator to your second/rear 02 sensor . otherwise you will go into limp mode because your ecu thinks the cat is down..
i have a megan pipe and ecu came on . fit a 02 sim from casper electronics
it fixes the problem and its easy to fit, its about $80

 
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So how did your car(s) sound once you took your cats off? Also this 02 simulator costs 80 bucks and goes close by your manifold?

 
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make a 02 sim with 2 18mm non foulers and there you go

 
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Huh?

 
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here are some stolen pics from another forum

 
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^^^^there you go the good old ep3hatch.com diy
Thanks for the pics man i didnt want to post them cause im to lazy lol

 
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you'll probably get a CEL after 150 miles or so unless you install a mech o2 sim or buy a caspers o2 sim. The mech. sim wil cost you 5.00 to make and if u wanna know how, pm me.

 
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Offtopic:

I found out a nascar trick at school today ( I go to NTI/UTI)

To find out where the optimal place for a muffler or cutout would go

You take a can of spray paint...normal NON heat resistant paint...and paint from the header down past say 2 feet....Where the paint stops bubbling or where it stops burning off is where you cut the pipe and install a cut out or muffler!

Aint that cool........Im learning so many "tricks" kinds that apply to all motors

I love this school the one i go to is called nascar technical institute aka universal tech..inst

 
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yeah all the old timers use to use the spraypaint trick. it actually works. As for a testpipe on our cars. I had more benefit with a full exhaust. The d17s typically have more midrange with a lil less emphasis on the top end because of the cams in these cars. The test pipe takes away alot of usable power in the midrange. You will get a lil more on the highway at top speeds but its not really worth the loss you take down low. If you guys think im nuts, put your exhausts back on and drive a few miles hehe. I was shocked. I actually lost an average of 5-6 ft/lbs of tourque from 3500-5500 with only a 4hp peak gain above 6200. what happens when you shift??? you sure don't stay at 6200. Every car is differerent though. Some may have had better results.