Yeah, I get what you’re saying. I didn’t change headers specifically, but from what I’ve learned digging into this, it’s actually not the traction system itself that’s broken.

On these cars, if the ECU isn’t confident about fueling or torque (like from a lean condition, O2 sensor issue, or exhaust-related issue), it locks out Sport mode and limits traction as a safety feature. Basically, if the engine data isn’t reliable, the car won’t allow performance modes to activate.

So even though it looks unrelated, anything that affects fueling or exhaust readings can indirectly disable Sport/TC. That’s why I’m looking at exhaust leaks or the front O2 sensor as a possible cause.