P0176 and P0177 - '94 cobra

[tomc3]

long tube headers, sct 4-bank, but did not have them delete cat codes (car has cats)....the codes say the car is running rich and lean (I think) - weird, if so. I have mil eliminators and did a search - this code does not seem to be common - though the new web site and search capabilities I'm getting used to.

comments on the codes and potential fixes (if it's really just an 02 sensor - how do I tell which one?) Car is running kinda funky....

Thanks for any help/advice!

 

[VibrantRedGT]

Don't know if you're posting in the correct forums. You mentioned MIL Eliminators, the 94-95 cars do not have this. If you have Long Tubes and getting 173, 174, 177, etc. codes these are O2 Sensor Rich / Lean codes. It's pretty common to get these with Long Tube Headers because the O2 Sensor is moved down far away from the stock positions they were sitting in before. I wouldn't worry about this. Although if you haven't changed your O2 sensors in 50,000 miles I'd change them out as part of regular maintenance.

 

[tomc3]

yes - long tubes are installed. I know 94's don't have mil eliminators, but would this help get rid of the codes? I presume so (used on other cars), but no experience on 'stangs. When those codes are present (car seemed to run better today), car runs bad - hesitation, etc.. Might be worth changing the sensors....are there special ones with long wires for long tubes? The ones on there now have unusually long wires.....did not realize these codes are common with long tubes. Also, what about O2 spacers vs mil eliminators?

 

[toyman]

Why do you want to eliminate the O2's? The ECU uses the O2 signals to adjust fuel loads when in closed loop. If you have a tuning device installed you can alter the fuel map and run in open loop if that's what you really want to do.

 

[VibrantRedGT]

Those codes shouldn't make the car run worse, the ECU will compensate for lean or rich to a point. I'd change the O2 sensors. The wires to the O2 sensors are long because you have to get wire extenders for long tubes. If someone soldered wires in then this can be a problem. You can buy O2 wire extenders for like $30 that connect to the stock connector. Like I said earlier its not uncommon to get these codes with long tubes since the O2 is down stream on the Long Tube header by the collector. On a stock car the O2's would be after the shorty headers at the top of the H-Pipe (better O2 reading). Again, change the O2 sensors and if you have soldered sphagetti wires instead of the correct O2 extenders then change these out too.