What is SAP Removal? Everything about Secondary Air Injection system

With the continuous advancement of the automotive industry and the increasing prevalence of vehicle usage, the need to control the emission levels of vehicles became more pressing in the second half of the twentieth century. In response to this need, various systems were tested on diesel and petrol engines to further reduce emission levels, many of which you can see today in the form of systems such as DPF, AdBlue, EGR and so on. The operational logic of most of these systems is based on re-circulating air and completely burning unburned or partially burned fuels.

One of these systems is "Secondary Air Injection." First, let us explain what the Secondary Air Injection system is and how it works.

What is the Secondary Air Injection system?

The Secondary Air Injection system is one that uses a pump to send air directly from the air filter to before the catalyst, thereby aiding in more complete combustion to produce fewer pollutants. The initial designs of this system were such that air was injected as close to the engine as possible. In fact, the injection of air before the catalyst occurred alongside subsequent advancements and updates, making this system and the catalyst system more efficient, as it allowed the catalyst to reach its operational temperature in a shorter time.

However, the question that arises is what potential problems such an apparently efficient system might have.

Signs of Secondary Air Injection System Failure; Cons of the Secondary Air Injection System:

At the outset of this section, it is important to mention that the secondary air injection system is primarily used in vehicles manufactured before 2006. However, due to the continued popularity of these vehicles in some countries, we at Ninja Remap have decided to offer services for them.

Every mechanical system is built with a specific lifespan, after which the possibility of various issues arising is present. Therefore, failures due to tension, stress, and similar problems are inevitable for mechanical systems. Considering this point, the failure of the secondary air injection system can manifest in various signs, although some are more common than others. A malfunction or any operational defect in the secondary air injection system can lead to noticeable fluctuations in the engine. It can also cause damage to the exhaust valves.

In newer versions of this system, which are synchronised with the vehicle's catalytic converter, any failure can result in a significant and noticeable drop in power, as the data from the second oxygen sensor will be incorrect. This causes the ECU to operate in Open-loop mode with variable and inconsistent data, which disrupts the vehicle's air-fuel ratio (AFR) and consequently leads to a decrease in acceleration and power.

To address these issues, in addition to remapping, which we will discuss further, you may consider repairing or replacing the fuses related to this system, servicing the pump, and fixing any leaks in the associated hoses. However, our final recommendation is "SAP Removal."

What is SAP removal?

The secondary air injection pump system can be removed from the circuit via remapping so that the data related to this system is not detected by the ECU. This process is referred to as SAP removal or the elimination of the secondary air pump.

Carrying out this task correctly not only does not harm your vehicle but is also the best way to eliminate malfunctions, additional costs, and the loss of power caused by the presence of this system.

This service can be performed on many brands such as Mercedes Benz, Lexus, Porsche, VAG group vehicles, and several other brands (if this system is present on the models of these brands). This means that SAP removal can be carried out for ECUs such as Bosch, Denso, Siemens, Delco, and a limited number of other ECUs.

To inquire about your vehicle, you can refer to the ECU remapping service at Ninja Remap.

DTCs related to the secondary air injection system:

The most common error associated with the secondary air injection system is error P0410. Following this error, error P0420 is also common, which is more related to the catalytic converter system. For more information on this, you can read our article "What is DTC?"

At Ninja Remap, SAP removal will be done accurately and without causing future issues, such as the aforementioned fault codes. In fact, with SAP removal, one can be free from these DTCs once and for all.

 

The best way to contact us and get answers to your questions is via WhatsApp +44 781 8419 058 and email info@ninjaremap.com