OHSOFAST

Right after I installed my OBX headers, I noticed three things:
1) WOW, what an incredible difference! The car really moved! I could both feel it and hear it as the tires broke loose effortlessly!

Now the negatives-
2) My Check Engine Light (CEL) came on within a 1/2 a mile! I'm assuming emissions due to the headers, as I removed the O2 sensor VERY carefully and was sure not to touch it.
3) And this has me REALLY confused.....my VSA icons (both the "VSA" one and the caution one) lit up.

I shut off my car and restarted it. The VSA icons disappeared but the CEL stayed on. I drove the car a little and no VSA light. Then I punched it and sure enough the VSA icon lit up.

I'm thinking that somehow in the removal of the OEM headers and/or the installation of the OBX headers, we must have inadvertently messed with something related to the VSA. But I don't recall anything really in the way of this mod. Would this be covered in my extended Acura Care Warranty even though I did the work myself and put on aftermarket headers?

About the CEL. I have read that some other CL owners have had this issue after installing headers (Comptech and OBX) and it was related to a bad O2 sensor. How is this so? Does simply the removal of the header damage it? Or is it the increased airflow from the aftermarket header that just makes old O2 sensors more prone to trip a CEL? And is this also covered in my extended Acura Care Warranty?

Or would the fact that I have an aftermarket intake and headers void and/or cause Acura to deny my warranty claim?

Anyone have any ideas/insight to share?

Thanks!
Larry

AQUI NO!

the vsa lights could mean your tranny might be getting ready to take a dump

mushutofu

1st. Unhook you rnegative battery terminal for at least half an hour. This will reset the ECU.
If that doesn't fix the problem, your CEL might be due to a busted 02 sensor. Did you use WD40 on it to loosen it? Make sure theo2snesor is free of any contaminants. If its busted you need to buya new one.
Lastly, I don't know why your VSA turns on because you headers should have nothing to do with it. Hopefully reseting the ECU will fix that problem as well.

OHSOFAST

I might agree with that, but from the VSA icons to appear right after (literally minutes) the header installation makes me believe that the cause is somehow related to the mod and not the tranny. Then again....I've been wrong before....hell, many times!

jimcol711

i would put the stock headers back on, take it to the dealer, get the O2 sensor replaced under warranty, then put the OBX headers back on. O2 sensors arent cheap, no sense in paying for it when all you gotta do is put the stock crap back on and they will never know you ever did the install/de-install of the headers. once you have a functional O2 sensor (paid for by acura) go ahead and re-install the headers

jimcol711

BTW, i had OBX and NEVER had a CEL light or anything. the VSA thing is strange, there is no way that the headers could interfere with the VSA unless you broke something associated to VSA. header are nothing more than glorified exhaust manifolds, no moving parts, nothing, just steel. that has nothing to do with the VSA.

scalbert

Get the code read and report back. No reason to guess when you can know exactly what the ECU is not happy with.

Nashua_Night_Hawk

do what SCalbert said. Take it to any Advance AutoParts/PepBoys any parts store and they will most likely read the code for FREE!!

Then, we can take it from there.

nashua

OHSOFAST

I'll have the CEL checked out tonight. Would that tell me why the VSA light is on too? Or is this only something Acura can do?

Thanks!
Larry

Nashua_Night_Hawk

Just get the code and we will help you. I have helms manual and all codes are there.

danny25

when I installed my headers the same thing happened to me. The VSA light was on because I forgot to reattach a plug I pulled off the alternator. And the check engine light went away after a day.

OHSOFAST

you pulled a plug off the alternator....which plug? I didn't unplug anything, but in the process of loosening the furthest nut on the passenger side, we had to work around the alternator....maybe we didn't do a good enough job of working around this as I thought and bumped/disconnected something....

I'll check that out too!

danny25

which ever plug it was that was getting in my way for that same nut you spoke of. We just unplugged it to get it out of the way, then forgot to put it back until my dash lit up with all those lights.

OHSOFAST

These were NOT what I was expecting....

P0301 CYLINDER 1 MISFIRE
P0302 CYLINDER 2 MISFIRE
P0304 CYLINDER 4 MISFIRE
P0305 CYLINDER 5 MISFIRE
P0306 CYLINDER 6 MISFIRE
P0300 MULTIPLE CYLINDER MISFIRE

No O2 and/or environmental codes at all....

After I read the codes, I erased them and let the car idle for a little bit. Then I drove around well within the laws of our land. After about five minutes and no new CEL or VSA icon/lights, I punched it, HARD! Then.....nothing. So I continued to do hard accelerations and intermitently turning my VSA on and off, and.....NOTHING. No new codes, no CEL or VSA lights/icons. Hell, I even took it on the highway and nothing!

So....not that I'm greatful, but what happened? And did this misfire somehow put my car in a 'safe' mode and disengage my VSA (like the Prelude SH does with it's special cornering feature)?

Also, I think I've mentioned this before, but prior to the code erasing, I could shut the car off, and then my VSA would work. Then after punching it, it would turn on, but right before the VSA lights would show up, the CEL would flicker once or twice, after it was done, THEN the VSA would show up.

Anyhow.....all seems well. I've driven the car almost 60 miles (mainly highway speeds, mostly in the 80's-90'smph) and no issues.

Anyone have any insight to share?

ModAddict

Not trying to be a smart ass, but I'm stating the obvious here, and just to make sure. You do realize that when you break traction, the VSA light comes on telling you it's working, but should go off when you hook up, right?

scalbert

Very interesting. The misfires were only detected under high load situations. And yes, with a complete misfire, all cylinders, I could see the ECU going into Limp mode and disable the VSA.

As for why the misfires occured, there are many reasons. Did you get the snap shot data?? Just keep an eye on it. Do you have access to read some of the engine parameters from the ECU??

Did you grind the inside edge of the header flange??

ModAddict

Big-ass backfire upon start-up, or ECU relearn,...

Jens H.

In most cases a check engine light will also cause the VSA light to illuminate .Since the VSA system depends heavily on proper engine operation to fuction normally it will turn off if the ECU sees a problem in the engine management system .WHen the system is turned of the VSA light illuminates indicating a problem .
Jens

OHSOFAST

scalbert,
Thanks! I don't have access to analyze the data, unfortunately. We didn't grind down the flange openings as we (and my biggest mistake was listening to a friend of mine who is an automotive engineer) decided that this was designed for a reason. Meaning that we believed the OBX header flange opening was small to procuce some positive effect and that by opening it up, we may cause more harm than good. And due to the fact that I could not find anyone on the forum who had dyno numbers to prove a gain/loss from porting the opening up, I decided not to. BUT....looking back, I will do more then clean up the edges.

I'm thinking that perhaps the back pressure caused by the smaller OBX flange openings may have cuased some 'confusion' in my ECU. And as a result, a misfire occurred, many misfires, but then again, if you have one cylinder have one, others are very possible to follow.

In any event, all is well now. I could test my theory....if I reset my ECU and start the car....I wonder if I'd have the CEL and the same codes again....I'm betting YES. But I think I'll leave well enough alone.

Jens H.,
Thanks for chiming in and your input. It helps!

ModAddict,
Don't worry, I know you weren't trying to be a smart-ass. I know how people can be amazingly stupid at times. But no, the VSA light/icon just stayed on (note that I mean the "VSA" wording was illuminated too, not just the caution sign looking icon that normally goes on and off when you disengage it).

I'll keep you guys posted on how the car acts this weekend.

THANKS, EVERYONE!!!! I'm new to this forum...I'm glad I joined!

Have a good weekend!