i recently cut the catalytic converter out of my 1996 camaro rs. because it was breaking apart inside and sounded horrible. so i bought a O2 simulator for after the cat, and my car is still throwing a code. is the part faulty? or is this sort of a thing a waste of money and doest work to begin with?

 

i recently cutted my cat out, but i didnt cut my O2 sensors out and still i havent got a code yet.
i know like for me Advanced auto or maybe an Autozone will have a code reader where you can go and delete your code if its not important.

 

Curt, what year is your car? If it's a 93, 94, or early 95 the emission control system is OBD I which has no post-cat O2 sensor. The computer has no idea what is going on after the cat so no O2 simulator is needed.
Mid-95 and newer all have OBD II and that system uses a so-called "downstream" sensor which is placed after the cat and used to see if the cat is working. The simulator is used with that system.

 

its a 97, and it got cut in between the O2 sensors (as i think thats pretty usual) i honestly was sure i would be throwing a code, but its been days and still nothing! no code what so ever.

 

I expect a code myself and never got one. I have put about 3K on my car since I gutted the cat. I think the rear O2 sensor is shot and reporting less O2 then the forward sensor.

 

ya think thats why im not throwing a code yet? (well i havent put 3k on it yet after the cat delete lol) so its a possibility that my O2 after the cat might be shot.

 

It is the only thing I can think of. The forward sensor is reporting differently to what the rear sensor is reporting so the computer thinks the cat is working. I have been told you can just use a spark plug adapter from pep boy and it will back the O2 sensor out of the exhaust stream a little and it will give the same result.

 

I see, well after like a week or two (i cant remember) i finally threw the code, it got cold after it was really warm so maybe its condensation on my O2's.

 

I have no cat and throw a code as well. Shutting it off only last like a week for me, depending how much I drive.

 

There's a real easy fix to this. Get a Spark plug fouler from your local auto parts store and screw the O2 sensor into it, then screw it into the pipe. Because the O2 sensor is less in the pipe and not in the direct air flow, the O2 sensor will detect the right amount of flow and not throw a CEL. A fouler is about $8.00.