midpipe FINAL ANSWER
 

ok so I have been reading multiple threads about the rx8's cats and mid pipes.

I have come to the understanding that if you gut you cat to keep it cheap the car will throw a CEL.

I have also read that there has been people who got a mid pipe and still have a CEL.

the next part is the only way to rid the car of the silly CEL is to use an accessport and delete it.

so if anybody could correct me in my way of thinking or the way I understood what I read it would be a lot of help.

I understand that at this point its beating a dead horse but most of these posts about it has been on a S1 not a S2 and so many things that worked for some and not others etc.

I'm honestly considering gutting my 09 r3 cats because I have read the horror stories of clogged cats hurting the engine and I already have low compression. on the flip side though I am a firm believer in if it aint broke don't fix it and I really hat CEL.

all in all I'm just trying to get a solid answer if that's possible in this situation.

2009 RX8 R3

Racepipe will throw a CEL, so by the one you want, replace your cat and save it until you are ready for inspection. Some states allow to pass inspection with one code not ready, so if you are in one of these states, you are in luck and you may pass insp with a race pipe.
Do some research, accessport does not work with our S2, get Mazda Edit.

Just get a catted midpipe?

mazda edit is your friend.

ZiG: what kind of midpipes are you talking about? only ones i have found online i have linked back to a forum on this site and they almost always have a CEL unless they have some sort of work around.


ok so where would be the best place to get mazdaedit? is it something people will do a group buy on?

You can use apps on smartphones with OBD Bluetooth dangles to read and clear CELS.
I use the Torque app for Android to clear the occasional CEL from my BHR midpipe.

I thought I read somewhere that the BHR Midpipe was really the only way to get rid of the cat and NOT throw a cel?

No way to get rid of the cat and not throw a cel. You can also bit universal cats and weld them in. Just make sure you get stainless steel substrate, ceramic can't take the heat.

How often do you have to clear the code from it? And if you leave the code on, will it affect anything? Besides not knowing if the cel is on for a different reason.

It fluctuates on mine.
For a time it was coming on every few days, now it's a couple of weeks.
I don't know for sure, but it seems like it takes longer when I use E0 gas.

That's the good thing about the Torque app, you read it, then clear it.
Takes a minute or two, plus you can monitor all of your car's systems through the OBD in real time.

The cat you're about to gut is worth close to $2000, are you sure you want to destroy it?

Spend a bit and get a catted midpipe, they do exist. I have a used one for sale at the moment. But before all that, like Charles said, fix your car. Isn't it still under engine warranty?

Every third drive cycle for me, which translates to every other day if I'm DDing to work and back.

Do you race? Maybe it's ok on the street but only a problem during a longer autox run or something, not sure.. But the stainless ones seem to claim to handle higher EGT.

When I had my BHR midpipe installed on my S2, the CEL would pop up roughly every 50 miles. I eventually purchased an HJS race cat and had it welded in, as I quickly tired of the stench, the CEL, and swapping the OEM cat back in to pass emissions. I should have just had the HJS drop-shipped to BHR in the first place.

As Charles said, take care of your ignition, and you won't need to worry about your cat, assuming it is still healthy.

Yeah, that's a PITA.
I swapped mine out for inspection & they didn't even put it on the lift.
Being without it for a couple of weeks made me appreciate the sound of the BHR resonator though.