Hello fellas, i have a 2008 TL type s manual, and i keep getting this code. Sometimes its one, sometimes its the other or both come up at the same time. The check engine light will come on and go away on its own but im stumped.
ive owned the car almost a month and ive been battling this code. All i keep hearing is change oxygen sensors but i have no codes for it. It was brought to my attention that this issue was on the Acura service bulletin, and that an ecu flash/update should fix the issue.
I went to the dealership, did the update. The next day the code came right back....

Car has a Short ram pipe with filter, Pre cat delete and j pipe. Has anyone gone through this to shed some light? its getting really annoying, i need to pass inspection not to mention my gas has been around 9/10mpg from what i was told the lean condition...

PLEASE HELP!

 

O2 sensors? Says that's what the codes mean right there on the bulletin. Or maybe your O2 sensors.

they are testable.

Are you sure they did the update? Says that it might show it doesn't need an update?

 

you have PCD's.
the 02 sensors are READING EXTREME LEAN CONDITIONS from the PCDs
the PCDs are Pre-cat-deletes.
which means you are running CATLESS!!!!
which throws the code, which means you wont pass emissions.

you need to fuck with the PCD/02 sensor's Defoulers.
they need to be positioned JUST RIGHT, in order not to throw a code

 

The code says the bank is running lean, it never said anything about heater circuits being shorted, voltage high or anything to that extent.

P0420
P0135
these are failed oxygen sensor codes, which i am not throwing. I guess ill need a scanner that shows live data or something.

 

SMH if i have to go through this i might as well remove them and go back to stock. I know plenty of dudes running PCD's and not throwing any of these codes.
How exactly do you adjust? i bought the car with them, and will this cause the shitty mpg im getting? i changed the plugs, NGK iridiums and the gas mileage is still shit

 

the defouler needs to be repositioned.
it's a little 90 degree flange that lets the 02 sensor sit above the stream, sometimes if not tightened correctly or positioned correctly, 02 sensor sits IN-stream picking up the lean condition

 

Well the acura dealership said they would take the car back Saturday and do diagnostics free of charge since i paid for a service that didnt work. Do you think one of the techs would be able to know how to remedy this?

 

they wont touch it.
it is ILLEGAL to touch catalytic converters. once they find out that you've removed factory cats and replaced it with a straight pipe (not you, the previous owner) they'll tell you to kick rocks

unless you get a cool ass college aged tech to help you on not on acura's dime...ie; become buddies and send him off with a six pack

 

shiiiiidd i'll give him a 12 pack lol. Yeah hopefully i get someone cool, the car is out of warranty so i dont think theyre gonna care that much. While i was at the dealership last weekend,
i saw a few modded acura's there and apparently it wasnt a big deal. lol

 

i dont think you grasped the legality of catalytic converters!!
it's illegal and Acura WONT touch it. they will immediately tell you to come pick up the car without bothering to fix it and might even charge you that diagnostic fee

you will need to become friends with a tech on the side.

 

I do have a guy, hes a friend of a friend but hes in PA. Ill go see him next weekend. As for acura, i wont say shit lol ill play dumb til they figure it out lol

 

but like how I knew it was the PCD's, they're gonna know as soon as they run the HDS. the code will pop for a lean condition and the first thing they'll check is the 02 sensors on the cat.

really, your best bet is to take it to your guy in PA and ask to reposition the defoulers on the straight pipes.

 

Would the car triggering that code cause the bad mpg as well, on top of the plugs i also did two cans of fuel treatment. Does a pcd and jpipe addition to the car negatively affect the gas mileage or could it be just this code popping up and going on its own?

 

usually, a lean condition IMPROVES gas mileage.
a rich condition will rob MPG.

additionally, sometimes 02 sensors get lazy and in result offer poor fuel economy.
it's also winter time and gas stations use winter fuel that results in poor fuel economy

 

From what i was told, lean conditions would also negatively affect it, due to the computer dumping to compensate for it running lean, so it wont run lean throughout the entire rpm range, but at the certain points it does the ecu will compensate.

I know for a fact it runs lean at idle cause sometimes ill let the car run for a little while-15-20 mins and i come back and see the needle has moved a tad just from it sitting at idle. Also at idle the code has come up on its own.

Would the live data scan tell me if a 02 sensor is operating out of spec? if thats the cause, id change both primaries one time.

 

the idle -CEL is because of the PCD's!!!!
the 02 sensors are sitting directly in the path of the exhaust stream, picking up the lean condition.

this happens to me, on occasion!!
literally, an hour after getting my car inspected...it threw a lean condition because I was idling. then it will go away if I drive.
but I fixed it by repositioning and tightening the 02 sensor defouler

 

Damn, thats just shitty..... i know people who have PCD's and never ever get codes =/

 

thats cuz the defouler is positioned correctly.

cause and effect, my brother

 

haha of all the rotten luck i had to get a car with a badly positioned PCD non fouler lol. ill keep you updated with what goes on next.

 

Hey fellas, so heres an update...... i brought the car back to the dealership that did the Ecu update, and they offered to do a diagnosis free of charge. After waiting many hours and still checking the car, i was given a Loaner car; 2017 RDX. This thing is sweet!! I'm also on the acura TL pages on facebook and i saw two guys posting up that have 2008 tl's and that they are having the EXACT same codes as me, only thing is neither have pre cat deletes or j pipe..... no mods whatsoever so is it safe to rule out that my pre cat delete has nothing to do with this code? One guy noted that at a quarter tank or less is when that code fuel system too lean would pop up, could this be a fuel pressure or fuel pump related issue?!

 

U need a valve adjustment.

 

What made you come to this conclusion? the car runs perfectly fine, no noises, weird idle nothing. Motor was serviced at 108k miles

 

Bump has anyone resolved this? my inspection is due the end of next week....

 

so what did the free inspection reveal?!!?!?!? LOL

look im telling you, it's either the 02 sensors or the defoulers..
GET IN THERE AND DO WORK SON!

 

There are many others who had this issue, some who i am in contact with now that do not have Pre cat deletes and have changed 02 sensors and the problem persists. im waiting to hear back on live data from the o2 before i go blowing money on parts that might fix the problem or not....

 

adjusting defouler is free.

 

How do defoulers explain the others that are bone stock plagued with the exact same issue?

 

gotcha

 

you cannot compare to some one who is stock, as your car IS NOT STOCK!


your car is modded. with PCD's...that THROW's lean conditions....
what is a lean condition?

when you have MORE air than fuel....that is a lean condition.
PCD's FLOW more air!!!!!!!!

 

So how do you explain the Service bulletin posted up above? is that for modded cars too? -___-

 

so, work one thing at a time. do the process of elimination.
BUT since your car is modded, stock things DO NOT APPLY TO YOU!!!

so work from the PCD's. you need to adjust the defoulers to see if that makes a difference. if no difference, then go on to the next solution

 

you also said you went and got a free diagnostic from honda...what was the diagnosis?
I'm SURE if they FOUND the PCM that needed to be updated, they would have taken care of the TSB at that time.

 

have you checked spark plugs to see what kind of condition they are in? or if they are even the correct plugs?

you need to get in there and do work son!!!

 

The Acura service advisor called me an hour ago and i re emailed her the picture i posted above. They are going to recheck the Ecu, the did smoke tests and found no leaks.

I will have a friend check the PCD, but i am in denial that is the issue, as i have done a wide search this morning and found many of threads of the issue but not one person documented fixing it, all were stock. One guy inboxed me and said it was his valves..... Acura suggested adjusting it for $700 so thats a no go. ill go to my Plan B guy, they are going to do one more check for the update to confirm then they will call me back and let me know.

 

Spark plugs were replaced the day after new years with OEM NGK iridium plugs....

 

again, my PCDs throw that same code.
and only happens when I idle for a long time.

 

So how am i supposed to pass inspection, how do you pass inspection?

 

i fuck with the defouler.

i repositioned the defouler where it didnt throw the CEL any more. that's what IM ASKING you to test!
mess with the defouler to see if it improves, if NOT move on to the next trouble shooting step.

 

ill ask the guy to do that for me this weekend, im going to order two primary sensors on rock auto, could you help me find the primaries?

 

you might as well ask your guy to do a valve adjustment as well