I have been getting some PMs in regards to MIL eliminators and getting rid of the SES light due to testpipes and the removal of the stock cats. So, here are a couple options that I know have been successful on other cars and are cheap and easy to install:


MIL Eliminators:
Here's a LINK to where I get mine.

I have used them on other cars of mine, but haven't driven them installed on the Z yet, but I am 99% confident they work.

Follow the intall for the ford vehicles that comes with the set as the wiring for our o2 sensors are the same.


If you don't want to cut/splice wires, here is another option to trick the ECU that I picked up from my MSP buddy's website:


LINK

Shortened version:
"i just went and got the HELP! Spark plug non fouler. Part 42002 for 3.99 from autozone.
Its a 2 pack, that you screw together, and then screw the open end into the o2, and the other into the bung.
I'm going to be getting this done tomorrow.
This does require that you drill out the hole to allow for more flow to the o2, but thats pretty easy."

 

Does anyone know if any of these methods work on the LEV ecu's on the o4's. supposedly the ECU parameters are much tighter than the 03 ECU and very picky about what signal is coming bact to the ECU from the rear o2's

I've got an 04 with headers/testpipes/and injen ses and it has ALWAYS had the 02 sensor low threshold since installing the test pipes and it comes back within minutes of being reset if not sooner.

 

I haven't driven on them yet and won't until mid to late march, due to storage/winter. I have been running them on my stratus coupe for over 2 years without one SES light, and my good friend runs them on his mazdaspeed protege for about 12K miles without a single SES light.

When I get my throttle body back, I will start the my car and pull it into the driveway and run my datalogger and get the readings off the o2s to ensure they are working correctly. I should have my throttle body back later this week

Since I already wired my o2 sensors I would like someone to try the HELP! method. It is very simple. Get two HELP! Spark plug non foulers for each side, drill the holes on them to atleast 1/2" screw them together in the o2 bng and reinstall them. If I hadn't already wired mine, I would give it a shot.

I am 99.9% confident in the MIL eliminators, but 50/50 on the HELP method as I don't have first hand experience with it. I wouldn't worry about the LEV ecu's as I have used these eliminators on cars with pickier ECUs.

 

Thanks, more than likely i am going to try the HELP method just to satisfy my curiosity.

 

pls take and post pix!

 

I bought the anti-foulers today so Prob. this weekend I'll getit done and give y'all an update.

Do you think the hole to be drilled should be a tight fit around the "stem" of the sensor or should it be big enough to allow the upper portion to "breath" the exhaust as well? How to wasn't real clear on this.

 

1/2"

use the 18mm ones and just drill out the bottom of one of them with a 1/2" drill bit (do not cut it off) and screw them into each other. it creates a chamber outside the main exhaust fow for the o2 to get a proper reading. suby guys have been doing this for a while with no cel/mil.

 

What year is your car? I have an 03 and my lights never went off. I wonder why the 04-05's go off?

 

I have an 04.5 june or july '04 build date. The reasons that the newer cars throw codes is because the ECU is more sensitve to the o2 readings. they are supposed to be more emissions sensitive.

 

 

update on MIL eliminators:


Got my throttle body back from proflow and got the car back together again. sat and watched the readings from the rears and the MIL eliminators are definitely working. They are reading consitantly lower than the upstream sensors which is what I wanted to see. I still haven't driven on them yet, but I have enough experience with o2 sensors to know they work based on what I saw with the car running.

 

I have a question. Are these eliminaotrs changing the voltage readings that are sent to the ECU? If so, won't this mess with what the ecu thinks is the current a/f ratio and change the ration in an adverse way?

 

no, the ecu uses sensors IN the engine. the cat sensors are to let you & whoever else might care that your cats might not be working properly.

 

If the cel light does come on it is more or less a idiot light letting us know that somethings isn't correct emmisions wise. But does this effect the performance of the car as well?

 

On some cars it does affect A/F ratios slightly as the ECU will attempt to heat of the catalyst by adjusting the A/F ratio at times, but most like it doesn't do anything other than indicate the cats are gone/not working.

 

On the Z the second o2 sensor doesn't do anything for A/F control; it just reports on the performance of the cats. The first o2 sensor is the one that gives feedback to the ECU to help manage A/F

 

Did the help method last night...took it out and drove the crap out iof it and everything else I could do that used to make it turn on...so far no cel

 

awesome, good to hear

 

excuse my ignorance but I'm still not quite clear on which route to go.

 

Same here... sounds like a newer ECU revision. Yuck.