Its been a while

Hey family, I kinda fell off the map for a while, and now of course im in need of some advice. I have a 1999 Subaru Legacy as you guys know, with a 2.2 liter and have an exhaust question. I'm getting rid of a center section of pipe and unfortunately have to get rid of the second cat. In this cat is the only o2 sensor on the car. I'm curious as to know if it will throw a check engine light if the first cat still there or if I get an extended bung. I'm doing this tonight and would like a response quickly and I know some of you have done this and have experience with it.

 

 

but none the less how have you guys been?

I had a problem with the check engine light staying on when I changed my exhaust to a UEL header/Magnaflow so I bought a plug fowler to space the O2 sensor out of the stream and my check engine light is off for good and my gas mileage is way better as well. http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx/Spark-Plug-Non-Fouler-Adapter/_/R-NDP7302442_0375753164 You have to drill it out so it will take the sensor. My issue was the cat under the cabin. Not the one coming off the downpipe coming off the header.

So its the o2 sensor in the second cat that was giving you issues? And you have both cats still?

 

Im thinking maybe I need 2 non fowlers because ive removed my second cat completely.

Holy balls Sludge!

 

It's been a while for me too. I hopped back on here to research a few things..

 

 

As to your question, I can't say for sure Phase 2 EJ22 '99 cars, but I know on all of my previous second gens, even my 99 OBL, the second o2 sensor was located BEFORE the second cat. So, gutting it, or deleting it entirely, would not effect the ECU's readings.

So its the o2 sensor in the second cat that was giving you issues? And you have both cats still?

 

Im thinking maybe I need 2 non fowlers because ive removed my second cat completely.

 

My car has a 98 or 99 cat back system on it. I bought the whole system used from UEL header to the Magnaflow for $100. What I was told was that my 1995 system only had one cat and that it is OBD 1 ECU and not a OBD 2. That is why I am having O2 issues I was told by my mechanic so he told me to try a plug fowler because we are both sick of the check engine light. Him turning it off with his hand held and me seeing it on my dash. His computer told him which O2 bank it was throwing the code and that is when I bought the fowler and he drilled it out and installed it. It was the rear cat not the small one coming off the down pipe directly off the header. Since then he reset the computer and I have way better gas consumption and no check engine light.

i have a 95 and it is obd2 with two o2 sensors. i didnt think they made two versions that year, since they were trying to beat the compliance in 96. i also get a lot of mechanics assuming it is obd1 due to being a 95. until i pop a scanner on it.

i have a 95 and it is obd2 with two o2 sensors. i didnt think they made two versions that year, since they were trying to beat the compliance in 96. i also get a lot of mechanics assuming it is obd1 due to being a 95. until i pop a scanner on it.

 

What I found out from another forum is that OBD1s were introduced long before the OBD2 models, which started in early 1990 to 1995. The OBD2 is a better system that started in 1996. I found out that if someone plugs in a OBD2 reader in our 1995 it will not give you the info. It has to be a OBD1 reader to get the codes. I had to go to a couple different places to find someone who could read the old OBD1 system. I would like to remove some emission garbage but I don't know what will work for inspection or what won't throw me a code. Now that I have the fowler installed it has been running like a champ and getting way better fuel consumption.

I found out that if someone plugs in a OBD2 reader in our 1995 it will not give you the info.

i never had this problem in my 1995 subaru legacy L.

the obd2 reader i have read those codes just fine.

 

the obd2 readers will not read the obd 1 codes.

this is correct.

but subaru went obd2 in 95, a year earlier than required by law.

most unknowledgeable folks will not even try to read the 95 codes,

since for all other car makers were obd1 in 95.

but NOT subaru.

i never had this problem in my 1995 subaru legacy L.

the obd2 reader i have read those codes just fine.

 

the obd2 readers will not read the obd 1 codes.

this is correct.

but subaru went obd2 in 95, a year earlier than required by law.

most unknowledgeable folks will not even try to read the 95 codes,

since for all other car makers were obd1 in 95.

but NOT subaru.

 

Maybe the two readers that attempted to read my codes were not programmed to read the older OBD1 codes? When I go to get a code read now I tell the people that I have had issues getting the codes read and cleared out with some readers in the past. Since I know this now I have not had any issues getting them read. Autozone was the first failed attempt to get my check engine/code read and cleared.

i have a snap on scanner that reads both, and i have a obd2 only bluetoof scanner for my phone to connect to. my car is definitely obd2, and i have access to most data with that connection. if your car is truly obd1, i would think it had to have been swapped in after production.