Thread: o2 simulator questions

So I live in NY and the inspections suck here. I have a ZZP 2.5 catted DP I want to put on the car but will never pass inspection with the regular o2 sensor. I had my whole exhaust done from resonator back because it had major issuses but the shop wouldn't even touch the dp because of nys laws which I completely understand. I've searched the internet for answers but haven't found any that really satisfy what I'm looking for. So my questions are

How does an o2 simulator work exactly? I understand it fools the computer into thinking a hi-flow cat is working properly but will any codes still show when they plug in the odii reader even if the engine light is off?

If they look up and notice that I have something aftermarket on would they fail me still?

Not sure if they do in NY but if they use a sniffer will it fail?

And I read that using a plug spacer with the stock o2 will move it out of the direct airflow in the pipe so that it won't read rich. Anyone done this?

If anyone has any experience with this in NY and has passed inspections I'd like to hear you're experience. Thanks.

The plug spacer is referred to as the anti-fouler trick... And it does work sometimes... If they only do OBD2 testing and no sniffer test I say hook it up like it was stock and have all the codes shut off in the tune.

I read somewhere that when they hook it up they can tell which codes have been turned off or deleted. I know nothing about PCM tuning so that's why I have so many questions about it.

I honestly dont know if they can tell what codes have been shut off. I just know that if they only do OBD tests it will show that it is ready and no faults.

you pass inspection when they scan. all sensors show ready, all they look for.

i got like 10 codes deleted, all show ready on my scanner and t app.

thats what I thought

hell my rear o2 aint even plugged in...rear o2 is 3 codes to fully delete it.

shows ready.

Alright good thanks guys. I just didn't want to get this thing installed and then end up tearing it out because I can't get it to pass. NY I guess has adopted some stricter emission laws like CA or something. Do they sell o2 sims at part stores or would I have to get it online since it's "illegal".

What about the whole them looking up and seeing something other than stock? Can they fail for that or no since the computer says it's good?

i never read the first post. if they look at the cat like they do in NJ here you may have a issue. id try to make it look like its dirty and been there for a while. or paint it black and the dp with high heat paint. that carb BS is just that, BS.

my rear o2 maybe deleted, but i still need to get a cat installed. they drive over a camera here.

you can always drop the dp buy a cat, have some random welding shop weld it in for you. you just tell them the pipe needs to be the same length when the cats in.

if you just hook everything back up as if it were stock they would have no clue otherwise

awesome thanks lots of good info in here. I think I'll install it with zzps o2 sim for right now. There's a couple shops that I go to whenever I need something done that I can't do. Hopefully since I have a solid relationship with them they'd let things slide like if they look at the cat.

I agree with the posters above, before I got my tuning software I used a ZZP O2 sim, works perfectly on my 99 GTP. In fact, I never really got around to removing it once I bought my tuner... never needed to tune out any codes because I never took the simulator out.

I can sell you my sim cheap if you want to go that route. I can get rid of the code on my car with a couple of clicks.

Ya man, pm me and we can work something out.

While this isn't exactly on topic it's my thread to jack haha. My exhaust was in real bad shape so I had everything from the res back replaced. the shop custom bent pipe for me from the res to the muffler to get it around the sway bar because it was hitting it before. Instead of using mandrel bends they used crush bends in the pipe. Now obviously i'm stuck with it and I should've thought to ask before they did it but is there going to be a big power difference? Granted I'm n/a but i think everyone wants as much out of their car as possible. I'd say there's 3 maybe 4 bends in it.

Zzps o2 sim will only work for 97-03 vehicles fyi

thanks didn't know that but i have a 98 so it's all good.