# Cali/Fed Spec



## fgoodyear (Mar 18, 2005)

Autozone's scanner CAN tell you exactly which sensor it is. It will tell you which bank and which sensor. Cal spec and fed spec both have 4 sensors They are designated as bank 1 or 2 and sensor 1 or 2. sensor 1 is front sensor 2 is rear. Mine does the same thing. Both the rear ones show bad. the heaters are bad in the sensor. usually it is the rear thatgoes first. All they are is a backup to tell the computer that the front ones are working. they don't affect how it runs or anything. If you reset the computer you have to drive it at least 50-100 miles for it to be ready. mine kicks the code about every 1000 miles and then goes out on its own after a few days. after appx 40 to 80 cycles it will clear the code on its own if it doesn't kick again cycles---aka how many times the car is started. And ...... good luck getting to the reset on the computer. I have a printout from ALLDATA on how to do it. Looks easy, BUT the reset is not accessable without taking out the computer. But, mine is a '99 it may be a little different

Frank


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## Jeff (Oct 17, 2002)

That's strange...I've done headers on my car and taken off my exhaust plenty of times, I wonder where my 4th o2 sensor is...?
Fact is, FedSpec has *3* o2 sensors and CaliSpecs have 4.


fgoodyear said:


> Autozone's scanner CAN tell you exactly which sensor it is. It will tell you which bank and which sensor. Cal spec and fed spec both have 4 sensors They are designated as bank 1 or 2 and sensor 1 or 2. sensor 1 is front sensor 2 is rear. Mine does the same thing. Both the rear ones show bad. the heaters are bad in the sensor. usually it is the rear thatgoes first. All they are is a backup to tell the computer that the front ones are working. they don't affect how it runs or anything. If you reset the computer you have to drive it at least 50-100 miles for it to be ready. mine kicks the code about every 1000 miles and then goes out on its own after a few days. after appx 40 to 80 cycles it will clear the code on its own if it doesn't kick again cycles---aka how many times the car is started. And ...... good luck getting to the reset on the computer. I have a printout from ALLDATA on how to do it. Looks easy, BUT the reset is not accessable without taking out the computer. But, mine is a '99 it may be a little different
> 
> Frank


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## fgoodyear (Mar 18, 2005)

According to my dealer in Kingston NY, all '99s DO have 4 sensors. I asked, mine is a fed, not a cal . They looked it up right in front of me on thier computer. This car was bought at this dealership and has been in NY ever since. Your 4th sensor is past the cat and wires into the floorboard about the middle of the car above the exhaust. I don't know why your car would be different if it is a '99, other than the mfg. date. Mine is 12/98 and bought in may '99. Don't buy the universal sensors without a plug. Get OEM the universals have only three wires, the originals on the '99 have four. Universals won't work. OEM's are about $110 at Autozone, dealers are $139 but they are color coded as to where they go. With the code reading, the dealer can tell you which sensor and the color that matches. Makes it rather simple to change. They aren't hard to get to.

Frank.....


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## Jeff (Oct 17, 2002)

Well the dealer up there is assuming something incorrectly. No offense...I just know _my_ '99 inside and out and I know it only has 3 o2 sensors.


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## JNCoRacer (Apr 18, 2003)

My 99 has only 3 O2 sensors as well and its Fed spec. The two O2's on the y-pipe are both 3 wire and the rear sensor after the cat has 4 wires. And what is this business about having to pull out the ecu to access the reset? Its right by the freakin gas pedal? Remove the plastic foot guard, peel back the sticker covering the reset screw, insert small screw driver and get your codes. Remove the ECU? Jeez wouldnt it just be easier to disconnect the battery for a while?


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## fgoodyear (Mar 18, 2005)

I still have to insist...... Mine was bought in New York and has been here all its life. By the serial no. at the dealer it is a Fed spec and it has 4 sensors. 2 in the y pipe, 1 on the front of the cat and 1 after the cat. I asked them again an told them what people on the forum said about it. They say it might depend on the mfg. date, but as far as they have in their computer and what their mechanics say.....you are in the minority if yours only has 3. Mine even says fed spec on the original window sticker. Its not cut and dried that all fed have 3 and all cal have 4. It will go by your serial no.


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## Jeff (Oct 17, 2002)

fgoodyear said:


> I still have to insist...... Mine was bought in New York and has been here all its life. By the serial no. at the dealer it is a Fed spec and it has 4 sensors. 2 in the y pipe, 1 on the front of the cat and 1 after the cat. I asked them again an told them what people on the forum said about it. They say it might depend on the mfg. date, but as far as they have in their computer and what their mechanics say.....you are in the minority if yours only has 3. Mine even says fed spec on the original window sticker. Its not cut and dried that all fed have 3 and all cal have 4. It will go by your serial no.


A front cat?!? That is a CaliSpec emission standard.

Do this...look at the shiny metal id tag.
Post the # that is below your VIN...it should start with with a BLHUL.

Let me know what the whole thing says.


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## Jeff (Oct 17, 2002)

Started this thread so we didn't get off topic in the cel thread...


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## JNCoRacer (Apr 18, 2003)

My 99 has 3...my 96 has 3...my 98 also has 3...Fed specs all of them.
No wait, my 99 does have 4 but thats because I yanked the catalytic converter off my 96. I didnt have a plug to fill the hole so I cut the wires. My car still only has 3 O2 sensors.


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## Jeff (Oct 17, 2002)

fgoodyear...make sure you do this for us, mmkay?


Jeff said:


> A front cat?!? That is a CaliSpec emission standard.
> 
> Do this...look at the shiny metal id tag.
> Post the # that is below your VIN...it should start with with a BLHUL.
> ...


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## fgoodyear (Mar 18, 2005)

Jeff, sorry I haven't gotten back to you on the serial no. and the BLHUL. I will check it tonight and reply tomorrow. Thanks. Does the BLHUL mean it is or isn't Cal spec?

Thanks,

Frank


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## Jeff (Oct 17, 2002)

No...that's just what the code starts with.


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## fgoodyear (Mar 18, 2005)

Ok.... here is the model no from the metal plaque

BLHULEAA32EVADBGB- Does that tell you anything about cal/fed spec?
Thanks, Frank


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## Jeff (Oct 17, 2002)

The 12th letter will tell you where the car destination was.

N = Canada
V= California
U = US, not California

Your 12th letter is a V which means it is a Cali-spec Maxima.


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## fgoodyear (Mar 18, 2005)

Ok, looks like my dealership is wrong. I guess I'm going to have to have a talk with them for giving me the wrong info. I really hate when that happens. I rely on them because they SHOULD know what is correct and it makes me look like the idiot. Thank you for your information. Any steering in the right direction is appreciated.

Thanks

Frank


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## Jeff (Oct 17, 2002)

No problem...though it could just be a common mistake to consider all 99s as cali-spec.


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