Hello fellow Ferrari owners, I need you help with something that my car needs. I live in California, smog laws crazy around here. I have read mixed reports about Check Engine Light coming on after Header's on F430 are replaced to fix weakness in stock headers. I am looking at Capristo Exhaust Headers to replace, but worried once I spend the money on them I will get a check engine light because they do not have the factory pre-Cats. A salesman said I would have no issue that it is rare to get a check engine light? Of course he is trying to sell them to me. What are you guys replacing your headers with in California? Any problems with check engine lights? Anyone use Capristo? What headers did you use? Much appreciated anyone who can respond with some experience, I don't want to spend 6k and then not be able to get car smogged.
Some cars will throw a light and some won’t. It can be a little bit hit or miss. In my case, I have Fabspeed headers and sport cats, and I did get the light - codes P0420 and P0430 if I recall correctly, ‘Catalyst Efficiency Below Threshold.’ Next time in the shop I installed a set of O2 extenders, basically small extensions that fit between the post cat port and the O2 sensor that fool the ECU into believing all is well. Haven’t had a code since.
The salesman is doing his job to try and make a sale but he is 100% wrong. It is rare NOT to get a check engine light. All aftermarket headers without the pre-cat will flash the CEL sooner or later. Some do it with more frequency than others, kind of a luck of the draw situation. There are ways around it with O2 sensor extenders, mini cats, turning off the monitors via an ECU flash but obviously that won't work when it comes time for a smog check every other year. However, with that said, I think the reward of replacing the stock F430 headers outweigh the risks of keeping the stock headers in. Also, if you have a OBD2 reader, you can plug it in and clear those CEL whenever they turn on. Keep in mind that if a CEL pops up, and you clear it, it will also clear your readiness monitors and you'll need to perform a drive cycle to reset those monitors before you can take your car in for a smog check
Rosso328, That is good to know, I heard about those extenders but never heard if they really worked. What year is your car and how many miles on it? I am still thinking of going with Capristo, since I assume I could get the extenders for those as well.
timwu12, That makes more sense, yes the salesman said they rarely cause a light, but in fact from what I have read it will eventually happen, just a matter of time. So I am thinking of using the Capristo Exhaust headers with Mini CATs, I read will full the ECU into thinking the precats are still installed? What do you think?
Has anyone installed the mini cat extenders and had problems passing smog with after market headers installed? I wonder, since in California they just hook it up to a computer and rely on the cars electronics to say it is OK, as long as the smog tech doesn't know what he is looking at probably would not know aftermarket headers were even installed? Would they notice the mini cats?
Mine is an ‘05, bought three years ago with 25K miles and blown headers, now with a bit over 40K miles. The Fabspeed extenders or mini cats screw right in to the existing ports, so you should have no issues with whichever cats you choose. If they were designed to fit with stock 430 components, the Fabspeed bits will bolt right up. I don’t know whether Capristo makes a similar extender type solution, but I assume they probably do. If so, it’s your choice on which to go with as I think both are solid companies with quality products.
Anyone know a good source for Mini CATS. I am in Southern California. Just in case you are not sure I think this is what I need: https://aldousvoice.com/2016/11/13/ferrari-f430-catalytic-converter-efficiency-error-codes/
Timwu12, You convinced me, I need to get aftermarket headers. And thanks for bringing up the idea of the Mini CATs, do you know of a good source for them?
I have not seen any from Capristo, but I did look up the FabSpeed ones. I assume they should all work in theory as it goes into the same place, the back end of the stock CATs to check Cat efficiency? So you are bolting into the same place, which is not on the header itself, but the back of the CAT, and I still plan on using my stock CATs. Is that right?
If you didn't see the link I posted before, this appears to illustrate were they go: https://aldousvoice.com/2016/11/13/ferrari-f430-catalytic-converter-efficiency-error-codes/
I have a 07 with 16k miles, bought it with 9k, love the car but I am seeing a little white powder at the front of the engine bay, does't look like dust probably failing headers. I can't see anything from the bottom, assume it is under the heat shields they put over the stock exhaust. So I have to replace them.
Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login I live in socal. My headers were cracked in my '07 and I had them replaced with Fabspeed and O2 extenders. Had these installed at Fast Cars. No CEL to date.
Take a look at Steve's post (bisel): https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/p0421-p0431-trouble-codes-catalytic-converter-anyone-have-good-fix.552866/ The fabspeed mini cats look like a nicely packaged design, but for what they are, they're pretty expensive. You can get the same thing for a lot less through other companies like bid daddies (http://www.bigdaddiesgarage.com/mini-cat-cel-fix.html) Page 18, post 174 on Steve's thread above shows how he stacked the 90 degree adapter + cat extender + mini cat to alleviate his issues with the CEL light.
I have a pair of fabspeed mini cats if someone is interested. It's not the 90 degree but 45 degree. it has about 300 miles on them. They were too heavy on my test pipes and came of putting a hole where the bung was. I don't need them now since Mase tune out my CEL. They are a bit scratched up but not too bad....pictures upon request.
I had check engine light come on after switching to AP headers. Every 4-5 engine starts I get the light and the car drives and sounds weird. I do a battery reset to clear it. I got my ECU reflashed by a company down in Huntigton Beach area. Car runs even better with tune and never had a light come on.
I did my extensive research on headers and mufflers prior to buying one as one thing I hate is resolving CEL issues. Based on my research, for F430, using Agency Power Headers and Kline Exhaust - not one thread I read had a check engine light issue so I went that configuration. Its been 4,000 miles now with AP headers and Kline Exhaust = No CEL. Dan
Wow that's impressive. I switched to challenge headers, (no precats) with the rest stock and got a CEL straight away and mines euro spec. Fixed it with o2 extenders though. Goes to show all cars are different.
Quick update, following up on an old post of mine. I have since upgraded to Capristo Exhaust and white powder no longer appears. I assume it was coming from the OEM silencer as since it was removed no white powder in engine bay.
Dan, that is good to know. I ended up going with a Capristo Exhaust, still on original headers. I read that depending on the ECU's some may be more or less sensitive to the changes in the exhaust gases when removing the pre-cats that were in the OEM headers? This could explain why there are mixed experiences out there on them. I am glad you are having a good experience, but not yet convinced others would have the same experience if the ECU's are different? Have you heard anything like that?