I'm taking my car back to shop one more time - they can run codes which will surely show some issue the cats and and O2 sensor. If they can't fix it for me I will have them reinstall the OEM cats and call it a day. Running rich with a check engine light and an O2 sensor issue is not worth the meager HP gains, if any, in running Magnaflow high flow cats....

 

Under pressure I'm on my iPhone at the moment typing this to you, but do a search under my name and you'll find a post where I have taken photos of my hi flow cats placement with o2 sensors. No cel at all, knock on wood. May I ask why you went with the resonated x pipe and not with the regular x? The proper placement of the o2s is very important, good luck. Keep us updated.
Peace.

UPdate: If anyone is interested here's the link to the pics of the HI Flow CATS with 02 placements.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...tr-pics-43505/

 

Yo Tarique! Had a CEL for a long time now. Running Magnaflow hi-flow cats. The installer placed the O2 sensors approx. 2" from the inlet and outlet of each cat. Where are yours placed? She runs the 2.5" inlet/outlet hi-flow cats but the remainder of exhaust has been reverted back to 2.25". Today Jaguar called and said the codes came up for banks lean and cat inneffiency. O2 sensors were placed on a year ago but I fear they may be out of range?

Be well,

Seth

 

Thanks after much searching I found your three pics. I will be taking them to my friend's shop tomorrow for work. But if the CEL still hangs around, back on go the OEM cats!

 

Glad you found them, fingers crossed they should work out fine for you without the CEL going off. Make sure you do a hard ECU reset afterwards. '

Good LUck.

 

Great news guys! I took it to my friend's shop and he moved O2 sensor further from the cats and viola! Problem cured! Due to time constraints he fixed some of the leaks but I needed my car back so the leaks on the top will have to wait for another day when I can go back to have whole system removed for top side welding. My alignment was also done to near Brutal's specs (some of the rear camber was close but not spot on, it ran out of adjustment but is 0.3 within range if I recall correctly).

My car is so close to being done and presented to you all with all the mods I have done, I think you guys will approve the final result!

 

Good Job! I knew you would get it to work w/out the CEL coming back on

 

There need to be NO leaks at all.

 

Also thanks to jag79's info.

 

Underpressure, how far are the O2 sensors from the cats? This may be what has to be performed on my 03 STR with CEL (banks lean).

 

underpressure, can you post pics of O2 sensors?

 

bfsgross, I will try and take a pic, but I do not have any way to get underneath my lowered car for an optimal pic. I believe what the shop told me is that other shop welded O2 sensors near the cats and that was not the best place, and that they set them further away by using O2 sensor extenders. It actually pushes them away from the exhaust assembly by about an inch or two out (not down stream) via an extender. In other words, and according to my understanding of talking to my friend, he didn't reweld the O2 sensors further downstream where they were and plug up old hole, he simply used an extender to push it out and away from the cats.

Look at the pics that jag79 provided from his Magnaflow install, the first one looks like his shop did the same thing, by using an extender....

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...tr-pics-43505/

 

My o2's are about an inch away pre and post cat. Like I mentioned before, it was my understanding that you at least need the o2's near the cats so they heat up correctly on start up. I am confused on how he is repositioning the cats without reweldng? I think this might be a case of causation and correlation, methinks u have leaks which are causing the codes. Put your hand in and around the welds to see (not a very fun process). Best of luck.

 

I def had leaks, and even have one or two remaining on top that the shop couldnt get to before I had to take car back. But the issue (other than 2 coil packs) triggering CEL was the O2 sensors. I'm no expert, but my mechanic friend told me that when the sensors are too close to eachother, you will get CEL. I think he said when they are too close to eachother, they read too similiar to eachother, which is not what you want. So he repositioned the aft O2 sensor out slightly with the extension and now I'm good to go (no more CEL after he cured that and coil packs). He knew exactly what to do, said he just got done doing the same thing (adding extendor) for a GT500. To him, it was such a no-brainer that he couldn't figure out why the other shop did not do it.

I'm just going based on my recollection of yesterday's conversation with my mechanic friend who did the work and his staff. They were truly interested in my car

Oh, and the reposition is on the O2 sensors, not cats.

The O2 sensor extendors extends the O2 sensors away from the whole exhaust unit. Here is how an extendor works (if I can get pic to post)...



THese extenders come in varying sizes so I guess its a bit of an art and experience to determine which length is best to make the O2 sensors communicate properly with eachother.

 

Got it. Thanks rasputin. What you explained is exactly what Chris of Mina Galleries suggested. He places O2 extentions on the Jags and Range Rovers recieving hi-flow cats.

 

Thing is that if there are leaks you'll have pain. The system relies on there being no leaks at all.

 

Agree John. She hasn't an exhaust leak but may leak on the top-side.

 

What do you mean "on the top-side"? There are no places between the MAF and the downstream O2s where a leak is OK.

 

I didn't imply a vaccume leak is ok, but mentioned the exhaust is not leaking but perhaps a top-side vaccume leak exists...Top-side vaccume leaks: Engines intake, intake manifold, EGR, throttle body, s/c, etc.

 

I'm pretty sure my Welder didn't use the extenders, he had to make new bungs close as possible to the Cats to make sure they are heated properly.