Martin S.

California emission testing?

Yup, at least mine did today...I had tried the drive cycle with 0 results...gave the car to my mechanic at SGS Porsche in San Luis Obispo...had several bad O2 sensors, replaced them...bingo, I passed!!!!

Thanks Fabspeed, you told me they would, and they did!

shadow993

They did in Texas

Martin S.

Texas and Cali, that's pretty much the world as I know it!

k722070

martin, you had bad o2 sensors but weren't getting a cel or code to let you know?

Martin S.

sensors were replaced. No CEL, I know that.

Martin S.

The two (2) down stream O sensors were replaced with.....from the FVD web site in BLUE:

Oxygen Sensor Simulator (Minicat)
FVD 111 LAM SIM
$79 Ea.

Having problems with your Check Engine Light? Want to run Cat Bypass pipes or a free flowing sports catalyst set up on your vehicle without having to reprogram the DME (ECU)?

Our adapter achieves a sufficient measurement for the air/CO ratio and increases the tolerance range between the pre and post cat oxygen sensors. In addition, the sensitivity of the oxygen sensor is also reduced allowing you to run a nearly any exhaust or catalytic set up, including bypass pipes, without the need to reprogram your ECU! Use only for the 2nd oxygen sensor (after catalytic)!

After replacing the two O sensors, my tech forced two of the codes to reset...then drove around a bit and watched the remainder of the codes reset. As far as the $79 X 2, more than worth it to me to pass smog. It would have cost me more than that to put the stock cat back in, test for smog, remove the stock cat, re-install my Fabspeed X pipes and sport cats. Now I am STREET Legal again!!!

brucec59

My '95 (only one O2 sensor) passed with DACH 200 cell sport cats without needing to trick the ECU. Theoretically, you could fail visual inspection, but the smog guy doesn't know what a 993 exhaust is supposed to look like anyway. I installed my sport cats over a year before my next smog check so they would have some patina.

k722070

thanks for the update.
I have read about those minicats before, I just assumed I would get a cel indicating bad or poor performing cats or bad o2 sensors before I had to try the minicat.

Martin S.

Apparently the ECU needed just a wee bit more delta, upstream VS downstream that my 200 cell sport cats were not providing, or, the stock downstream sensors had lost some of their dynamic range, gotten old. They have been on the car since 1997 and 78,XXX miles. Regardless, the minicats worked and I passed smog!!!! Yeaaaa!:reckon:


I posted the info up as in all the years of participating on Rennlist, from day 1,
I had never heard of a minicat. This was all news to me...so I had to share with my Rennlist brethren. "Is this a great place, or what?"