Pulling My Hair Out

Wow, I'm pulling my hair out trying to understand your post. Can you be a little more specific about what the actual problem is?

 

Let's try this (attempt at editing for clarity, with apolgies in advance to PRussell if I've screwed it up):

Ok guys, new owner here to the 355 club.

My warning lights are going nuts! When I bought the car, the bulbs were out, but I was told about that and didn't fix them.

The minute I got the car, it went straight to the shop for a major engine out service. When this was finished, there were no problems indicated by the lights, but in the Great State of Kansas, we have had snow on the ground most of this winter, so the shop drove it very little but let run alot, and there were, no problems indicated by the dash lights.

So, we had a nice day and after driving the car for about 45 minutes, a bank of cylinders went down. However, there were no lights showing, so I checked this website, and pulled some lights from other sockets, and put them in the "Slow Down" sockets and in the "Check Engine" socket in the dash. The lights were on, so I checked the ECU on the drivers side, and it needed to be replaced. I also checked the other two on the passenger side but they looked good. They are the green ones that guys have talked about here on F-Chat.

No big deal. I called Daniel (at Ricambi), who is a great great guy, ordered, received, and installed the replacement. After the installation, I shut the battery switch off for 10 minutes (to reset the ECUs), started car, and the "Slow Down" light was flashing and the check engine light was staying on continously. I drove the car for about two hours and had no repeat of the cylinder bank shutting down.

The cats did not seem to be red hot, but here is where it gets interesting.

The cats have both been cleaned out and believe it or not, cut open, and the rings removed and the shells welded back.

The Y pipe has been replaced with a level 2 Capristo (boy does that thing sound good!).

Now, my questions are; What do I do with the lights, meaning why are they coming on? Could the cats being causing the problem (with them being cleaned out, possibly causing a problem with the oxyzen sensors, thus causing the lights to come on)?

Or, could the thermocouplers be the problem? Or (finally) could it be something else?

The car runs great! When you hit the switch and the level 2 opens up, there is an instant F-1 sound!

Thanks for all the info here on F-Chat. It really helps alot.

 

No problem Paul.... just doing what I can to help out.

Hey, post some pics of the car! I'd love to see it.

Mike in Kuwait

 

Paul,

Where did you have the work done?

Steve

 

X10-----Capitalize at the beginning of a sentence and use a paragraph----Just makes it alot easier to understand your question..

 

I think the OP is talking about the three cat ECUs and 'slow down lights'....... (green potting good and black cracked potting bad)

 

[non professional mode /ON]

Slow down light can only be triggered by cat ECU. The cat ECU is tripped by:

(1) exceeding pre-set temperature limits as measured by the thermocouple
(2) failed thermocouple
(3) failed cat ECU.

#3 is most common. Black seals = bad. Green seals = good.

Check Engine lights can be triggered by LOTS of things, usually related to the emissions system -- but not always. IIRK, a faulty brake pedal switch can through the CEL in a 360 even! (can somebody confirm for correctness in this thread?) CEL is not related to cat ECU's. Oftentimes CEL is O2 sensors related. O2 sensors are reactive... they are not the problem in themselves. If an O2 sensor is cooked, it is because something cooked it or somebody gummed it up during removal or trying to splice wires.

[non professional mode /OFF]

 

Your car is an OBDI (ie, 1995 correct)?

The catalyst is where the burning of fuel turns it to a harlmeless gas/water. (That of course is why it is called a catalytic converter). This catalytic reaction causes heat. If your cats are gutted then you have less heat but are pumping hydrocarbons (ie, unburned fuel exiting the tail pipe) in the air.

To answer your question, gutted cats would not cause a slow down light as you have less heat.

Gutted cats on a post 1995 OBDII car with a down stream O2 sensor could easily cause a check engine light as it think the cat is not working (ie, the downstream O2 sensor is ready the same dirty air as the upstream non-burned sample).

Does this help ?

 

You cannot run a 1996 to 1999 355 (which has Motronic 5.2) with no cats or gutted cats. The O2 sensors will trip the CE light detecting a lack of catalytic converter function. If you install cats, that may fix the CE light. You might want to purchase a pair of Hyperflow cats from Daniel.

The reason the CE bulb was removed, was the previous owner did not want to see it illuminated constantly. The problem with that, is the CE light is not just tripped by the O2 sensor function, there are other things that can trip it, and removing the bulb, you would never know you have a problem unless it affects drivability. Fix the light, and fix the cats would be my advice.

 

That would for sure cause the light to trip on a OBDII car. If you want to see what else is tripping the light buy an Innova 3100 code reader. Plug it in while the car is running and you can pull the codes. I bet one of them will be right bank and or left bank catayst not up to temp.

 

Mike you just went up a couple of notches in my cool books that was very nice of you to take the time to help that Fratelli out with his overzealous question, I guess the brotherhood boys still have to set a precedent to show what the Fratelli are suppose to be about.....

 

Thanks Nightlife...

I'm still WAY down on the learning curve about these cars, but getting better everyday, thanks to a lot of helpful guys on this site... really, just doing what I can do to help as well.

Mike in Kuwait

 

Congrats, sounds like you are making progress. You can drive with your code reader conneccted. If they top lights are flashing (ie, cat, o2 sensors, etc) or not lit uo at all on your code reader , can't remeber which as it has been too long, then the sytem has not cycled after you cleared your codes...Hold your breath as it could take up to 200 miles.

So here is the deal: after you reset your codes all of your OBII systems will start to run checks. If you are trying to "force" your OBDII into completeing a whole cycle, then ensure the following:

Between 1/2 to 3/4 tank of gas.

Go out to an open road and cylce the car from 25 mph to 60 mph.

DO NOT floor the car as this will prolong the time it takes to complete an entire cycle on your car. Use moderate 1/2 to 3/4 throttle positions.

The idea is to get your OBDII to complete all of the system checks (evap, cats, etc). As I recall I think there are 7 systems.

Once all systems have run a cycle and you have 7 (as I recall) solid lights, THEN you are golden.

Prior to that all of your systems have not run a cycle and the light could come on.

Bets of luck and keep us posted.


PS, am I making sense or is all of this Greek??

 

Do you still have hollowed out cats?

If so I can almost guarntee that your check engine light will come on again.

It is the same as puttting on test pipes. Most people get the CEL, very few don't.