Service Engine Soon Light is on

[03_silver_coupe]

I was on my way home from work tonight and the damn light came on. I had that problem when I ran an offroad h-pipe on my old GT. :bash: I disconnected the battery. I hope that will fix it. I have a bassani x-pipe with cats. Magnaflow cat back and 95 mm MAF on the car.
Anyone else having this problem? :shrug:
I have also noticed since adding the catback that the boost gauge won't even go up to the first line anymore. My first dyno was running really rich with just the x-pipe and 95 maf. My guess is that the catback is making me run more rich. :shrug:
Could running really rich be the reason the boost gauge doesn't peg out anymore?
Any suggestion to fix would be very much appreciated.
Thanks in advance. :beer:

 

[03_silver_coupe]

FYI My car is a QUD2

 

[StangD281]

Install the CAI. The car isn't inhaling properly...all it is doing is exhaling! You've most likely richened it up with the exhaust. The MAF & CAI will take some of that away.

As for the check engine light, maybe you have a bad cat. :shrug:

 

[ALA G8R]

Get to an Autozone and get the OBD II code read for free. I had the SES light come on and I thought it was my exhaust causing the problem. Turn out to be a Fuel Vapor EVAP system leak.

Get the codes read next time the SES comes on.

 

[Hunter]

I remember reading something about Bassani cats causing the SES light to come on.

 

[EasyMoney]

I have bassani x with cats and Magnaflow cat back also densecharger with no problems pegs boost guage when i want it to.

 

[One Fast Cobra]

03 Silver Coupe,

Easy fix, just call Dallas Mustang at 1-800-MUSTANG, get a set of MILS and your troubles are over. I had the same problem with my 03 Cobra. In my case the "Service Engine Soon" light came 2 months after I put on the Bassani X Pipes with cats & Cat Backs.

Bassani says that you may not need the MILS but if you read their instructions carefully they definetly mention them on the bottom of the page. If I remember correctly they also tell you to get them from Dallas Mustang as they carry the largest inventory.

I hope that this helps.:coolman: :beer: :beer: :beer:

Let me know how things work out and enjoy that 03 Cobra

 

[Ron Short]

All round Bassani cats will trip the MIL, but the new larger cats on the 03 pipe is supposed to work a little better. Are you sure whoever sold you your X pipe sold you the new 03 pipe? They may have sold you a 4699-3 or 4600-3 instead and you will get the MIL from it for sure. As for Dallas Mustang's MIL Eliminators, I hate them. Back when Wesley worked there, and shortly after that, they worked great. Then they changed the suppier for the caps and they've gone down hill ever since. Every single set I've sold in the past year have failed. Now I use Pony Express' MIL eliminators and they're batting 1000. They're half the price of DMP's too, but you do have to spend ten minutes wiring them in. I actually like wiring them in though because you don't have to worry about the added length from DMP's. They'll just look like stock.

Before you do anything though, go to AutoZone or someone else and get the codes read. You're really pissing in the wind until you do (unless you have one of those two pipes listed above, then it is the pipe).

 

[One Fast Cobra]

Ron Short,

I bought the Bassani X Pipes with cats & Cat Backs when they first came out for the 03 Cobra in September 2002. I got the correct Bassani system as my friend from Ford ordered them for me, and I reconfirmed it with Bassani in Southern CAL. They have the 2.5 inch pipes with high flow cats and mufflers.

My 03 Cobra was delivered to me on July 3, 2002 and was among the first to hit the pavement in the S.F. Bay Area. The Bassani system bolted right on to my car and sounds great.

Bassani does admit that although they haven't had many reports of MILS being needed, they admit that some cars may require them. As far as Dallas Mustang goes, I have not had any problems with them, but I will keep what you said in mind.

Thanks for the feedback...
:beer: :beer: :beer:

 

[03DOHC]

Less boost after installing your exhaust is an indication of your car breathing better. That's what happens when you free up a restriction.

As for the CEL, did you install the O2 sensors in the same spots they were removed from? If not, that can cause a CEL. An exhaust leak can also cause a CEL.

 

[Ron Short]

Have you looked at your cats? Either of the older 99+ X pipes will fit on 03's, but Bassani released a newer pipe that has better cats that they call their 03 Cobra pipe (it also works on 99+ GT's and Cobras). If the cats are about 4" round with the bottom flat, it's the older set. If they're about 7-8 inches wide x 3-4 inches tall, they're the newer set. None of Bassani's older pipes used to trip the MIL, but a new cat they started using in 99 or so became a problem. They added the "you might get a MIL" disclaimer after a lot of people complained, but they really shouldn't be tripping the MIL anyway if the cats are working. This newer 03 pipe has had a good track record though (you're the first that I've heard about if you do have the newer pipe) and it's because of the larger cats it's using. Let me know what your cats look like. I'm genuinely interested if one of the new pipes is doing it or not.

As for the MIL eliminators, that's kind of a sore subject with me. I used to sell tons of DMP MIL eliminators, but they started failing all at once. They were replacing them for us, but the new ones failed as well. Then they admitted they had a bad supplier, but the new batch was fixed. Again, none worked. Then they tried blaming it on 99+ cars, but they wouldn't work on 96-98's either. Then they just stopped warrantying them all together and acted like it wasn't their problem. When I say they wouldn't work, what I mean is they'd work for a few days or weeks, but eventually you'd still get the MIL. After months and months of having to swap them for people, I finally gave up and tried something else (Pony Express'). I also do installations for a local speedshop that doesn't do work like this and they still send DMP MIL eliminators with the customers for either Bassani pipe. Then it gets a MIL and they'll come back thinking something is wrong. I'll pull them out, install Pony's, and all is well. I'm not at all trying to pat Pony Express' back in particular or anything like that, but I am saying I've had nothing but failures from DMP's eliminators for the past several years. If you're having good luck with them on your car, that's great. I hope they don't fail so you'll have to buy new ones like so many people I've dealt with have had to.

 

[One Fast Cobra]

Yeah,

I went as far as measuring the bassani X pipes Sesors locations and compared them to those on the stock H pipes. The difference was less than an inch give or take a notch or two. I don't think that is enough to make a difference.

By the way Ford changed the processor as it was defective and that could have been another reason for the light going on.

Oh well, the next mod is a trhotle body. I am now researching what make to go with. Its between an AccuFab or a Billet Flow
which do you think is the way to go...

:read: :read: :read: :coolman:

 

[Ron Short]

It's not the sensor bung location, it's the actual cats themselves. The 03 pipe has totally different cats. They have at least twice the affective brick surface area as the round cats.

I don't think I'm allowed to talk about those throttle bodies on here. I've installed three of them so far, all with less then stellar results, but was scolded for trying to ask one of the manufacturers why these reacted as they did. Feel free to e-mail me though and I'll be more than happy to tell you what I've experienced so far.

 

[lifter213]

If you wanting to go the Mil Eliminator route give Ron a call and he can hook you up :thumbsup: 817-798-7667 oh yeah and he's in our area so you can pick them up or get him to stick them in :beer:

 

[03_silver_coupe]

Originally posted by Ron Short
All round Bassani cats will trip the MIL, but the new larger cats on the 03 pipe is supposed to work a little better. Are you sure whoever sold you your X pipe sold you the new 03 pipe? They may have sold you a 4699-3 or 4600-3 instead and you will get the MIL from it for sure. As for Dallas Mustang's MIL Eliminators, I hate them. Back when Wesley worked there, and shortly after that, they worked great. Then they changed the suppier for the caps and they've gone down hill ever since. Every single set I've sold in the past year have failed. Now I use Pony Express' MIL eliminators and they're batting 1000. They're half the price of DMP's too, but you do have to spend ten minutes wiring them in. I actually like wiring them in though because you don't have to worry about the added length from DMP's. They'll just look like stock.

Before you do anything though, go to AutoZone or someone else and get the codes read. You're really pissing in the wind until you do (unless you have one of those two pipes listed above, then it is the pipe).

I believe the x-pipe is for the 03. I forget the part number but I got it from rpmoutlet. The check engine light never came on when it was just the x-pipe. I installed it first and ran it around a month. Then I put the catback on. The SES light is off this morning because I disconnected the battery last night. The boost gauge actually went to the first line this morning. I will try Autozone to get the code.

 

[03_silver_coupe]

Originally posted by Ron Short
Have you looked at your cats? Either of the older 99+ X pipes will fit on 03's, but Bassani released a newer pipe that has better cats that they call their 03 Cobra pipe (it also works on 99+ GT's and Cobras). If the cats are about 4" round with the bottom flat, it's the older set. If they're about 7-8 inches wide x 3-4 inches tall, they're the newer set. None of Bassani's older pipes used to trip the MIL, but a new cat they started using in 99 or so became a problem. They added the "you might get a MIL" disclaimer after a lot of people complained, but they really shouldn't be tripping the MIL anyway if the cats are working. This newer 03 pipe has had a good track record though (you're the first that I've heard about if you do have the newer pipe) and it's because of the larger cats it's using. Let me know what your cats look like. I'm genuinely interested if one of the new pipes is doing it or not.

As for the MIL eliminators, that's kind of a sore subject with me. I used to sell tons of DMP MIL eliminators, but they started failing all at once. They were replacing them for us, but the new ones failed as well. Then they admitted they had a bad supplier, but the new batch was fixed. Again, none worked. Then they tried blaming it on 99+ cars, but they wouldn't work on 96-98's either. Then they just stopped warrantying them all together and acted like it wasn't their problem. When I say they wouldn't work, what I mean is they'd work for a few days or weeks, but eventually you'd still get the MIL. After months and months of having to swap them for people, I finally gave up and tried something else (Pony Express'). I also do installations for a local speedshop that doesn't do work like this and they still send DMP MIL eliminators with the customers for either Bassani pipe. Then it gets a MIL and they'll come back thinking something is wrong. I'll pull them out, install Pony's, and all is well. I'm not at all trying to pat Pony Express' back in particular or anything like that, but I am saying I've had nothing but failures from DMP's eliminators for the past several years. If you're having good luck with them on your car, that's great. I hope they don't fail so you'll have to buy new ones like so many people I've dealt with have had to.

I can't exactly remember what the cats look like but I think they are flat on the bottom. I am pretty pissed if it is the older x-pipe. I ordered it thinking it was the new one from RPMOutlet. The add said 03 X-pipe. Not 99 up that fits a 03 cobra. I will check it out over the weekend.

 

[03_silver_coupe]

Originally posted by 03DOHC
Less boost after installing your exhaust is an indication of your car breathing better. That's what happens when you free up a restriction.

As for the CEL, did you install the O2 sensors in the same spots they were removed from? If not, that can cause a CEL. An exhaust leak can also cause a CEL.

Yes everything is installed like it should be. I might need to get back under tge car and tighten everything up again. The nuts might've vibrated a little loose. I know the rear tailpipes shifted a little on me.