my check engine light came on
i went to autozone and got the code P0420
has anyone ever got this code and how do i get rid of it
i have a 1999 Acura CL 3.0 145k

 

i had it, its for the oxygen sensor. i think it might be the rear oxygen sensor, i dont really remember.

 

Its in the noob guide under 3.0 trouble codes.

 

It's the code for catalyst effiency below threshold. I would tell you to search because there are several threads on this, but i think the search function is still messed up. I got this code last december and still haven't been able to get rid of it. I had my cat replaced with an aftermarket one and the code came right back. Apparently non-oem cats are a no no on hondas. (although quite a few members have hi-flow aftermarkets. If i was you, i wouldn't change out the cat right away and try a bunch of other(less expensive) things first. good luck and post up any updates.

 

funny that you say that ive had this code almost 2 years.

 

P0420 can be difficult to remedy. It can be caused by a bad primary (ahead of cat) O2 sensor, exhaust system leaks ahead of cat, Cold Air Intakes, intake manifold leaks, and bad catalytic converter.

I had this code on a 99 Subaru Forester and checked everything carefully; inspected for exhaust leaks, rattled converter (no rattle) and monitored O2 sensors. O2 sensor monitoring pointed to bad converter. I replaced converter w/ an Eastern Catalytic converter and problem was resolved. That's been 2 yrs now. The removed converter looked fine, no cracks or distortion. Just contaminated w/ something.

good luck

 

what will happen if i keep driving with the code
what doe it do will it slow my car down or blow up the engine?

 

Most likely nothing will happen. It only means that you are likely not meeting emission requirements for your car. However, you won't be able to pass an emission inspection in any state that requires them.

If catalytic converter were damaged and caused blockage, you would experience severe loss of power, which would be obvious. It would not "blow the engine".

good luck

 

Cheapest way out of it?

Remove the cat
Gut the cat
reinstall cat
get an O2 simulator from www.o2sim.com
Wire in o2 simulator into second o2 sensor
clear codes from computer
start car
enjoy.

Sure, its not "road legal" but you dont have to worry about it unless you have visual inspections.
The + side of it is that you get a gutted cat which will give you a few more ponies and you should feel it in your butt dyno

BEST part of it all is that there will be no more CEL

 

I need someone to install my o2 spacer, cause i couldn't get the o2 sensor off myself. Does anybody know someone that could hook it up in the south jersey/philly area?

 

I had the same problem on my 2.3

I replaced the rear o2 sensor, front o2 sensor, and had an exhaust leak fixed... all of which did not solve the problem. seafoam did nothing either.

So what did i do?

http://www.energeticforum.com/renewa...n-foulers.html

^follow that TO THE LETTER. It worked for me, no more p0420 and my car runs excellent. Be sure you have access to a drill press and the proper wrench to take off the sensor with. If you've got those, go for it.

Keep in mind, its ILLEGAL, but my mechanic failed to notice it during inspection. In fact, while he was under the car, he hung a light from that o2 sensor, and still did not notice!

Oh, i almost forgot: REAR O2 SENSOR ONLY!!! DO NOT DO THIS TO THE FRONT! front o2 sensor is the one that the exhaust first runs into, the rear one is the sensor closest to the muffler.

 

thats exactly what i'm going to do, but i ordered my o2 spacer online once i realized it would be a real PITA to drill through the antifouler. Are there any tricks to removing the O2 sensor, because mine wouldn't budge?

 

while removing the rear sensor, i didnt have a breaker bar, so i put a pipe around the wrench i was using. the inside diameter of the pipe allowed some wiggling room so i could actually bend the pipe down a little bit while still having a grip on the wrench. I did all of this in my driveway with just the front lifted on stands. it was a pain to get off, but after putting a lot of faith in the support of my jack stands, i just gave it all i had and it broke free.

If youve got a spare 20 bucks or so, borrow a breaker bar and the sensor socket from autozone or something. the socket makes life MUCH easier. Drilling the spacer isnt hard if youve got the right tools, but thats the problem, not everyone has the right tools.