I have a 2002 Chevrolet Camaro, 35th anniversary edition, LS1 V8- My Check engine light is on. I have an o2 sensor reading bad, obviously. If i remove the o2 sensor and put in o2 simulators and remove the cat and put in straight pipes how will this effect how my car runs? Is there a certain type of o2 simulator I have to purchase? Also, I read somewhere that it is illegal to remove the o2 sensors... this is an every day driver... should I not proceed with removing the cat and putting in o2 simulators? This is just the first problem with my car I am attacking, so any camaro LS1 experts out there I NEED YOU!!!!

 

Which O2 sensor is "reading bad"? Your car has 4 O2 sensors - 2 in front of the cats, which can not be removed. The PCM needs those to control the engine's A/F ratio.

The two additional after-cat sensors can be removed, and replaced with "O2 sims"..... if you can find them. Casper was making them, but they were fined $70,000 by the EPA and forced to stop making them, because, yes, installing them is a violation of FEDERAL law. Ditto with the cats. You can not legally change the number or location of the cats, can not replace them unless they are certified defective, and cannot delete them. I believe the FEDERAL penalty for violation of those rules is a $10,000 fine.

But rather than start buying sims and deleting cats, tell us the specific code you have for an O2 sensor. Not all O2 sensor codes are due to faulty sensors.