Here are the pics of the code reader and what its saying. I replaced the o2 sensor already and after 20 miles it turned back on. There are 2 codes them both being the same code but if you notice in the second set of pictures, there is a p and a d on the right hand side of the screen. No clue what that means...






Anyway, it says: Catalyst Eficiency Below Threshold (bank 1) on both codes.

Any thoughts?? Like i said, i replaced the o2 sensor today.

 

which o2 did you replace ??

 

both...

 

im not too familiar with the 3.2 engine. does it have an o2 upstream and downstream of the cat? the p0420 code usually means the downstream o2 sensor is out of range and also doesnt necessarily mean the o2 is bad could be a pinched wire between the o2 and the ecm, or even a bad ground from the ecm.

 

I'm pretty sure that it has upstream and a downstream. But i think that in that case im going to go thru all the wiring and see if i can find anything.

 

Does anyone have any ideas?

 

Are the codes still being thrown after you clear them?

 

Yup. I'll clear them and then 20 miles later it comes back on.

It suprised me too. Oh and by the way, when i replaced them, i used BOSCH universal ones that i had to solder onto the harness that came originally. Before you say anything, i checked my work twice before i put them back in and i also checked for continuity in the wires before they went back in.

 

What that code is telling you is that the downstream catalyst monitor sensor is not sensing proper operation of the cataltytic converter. It could be a bad catalyst monitor sensor, wiring, or even a cataltic converter. You need to monitor the sensor's operation with the vehicle warmed up and the idle held up to 2000 rpm for about two minutes. You compare the cat monitor sensor to the oxygen sensor. The cat monitor sensor should be pretty steady at about a half volt. If the cat monitor sensor is switching real close to that of the oxygen sensor, than the catalytic converter is bad. Hope this helps.

 

Ok, i see where you are going with this. may i ask which one is bank 1 and bank 2?

Since i replaced the sensors, my only other thought is that i need to get the cat changed by next year when inspection time comes round again...

And i guess my other queston is, for those of you who have high flow cat's on their cars, do you have any problems with them throwing codes?

 

my next mechanical question was the catalyst too. if the sensors are brand new the cat could be going bad. as long as a high flow cat has is set in there the same as the OEM cat...then no problems should arise. Excelerate sells high flow cats and his customers don't see any issues with them. The only good is more power .

EDIT: There could be too much carbon build up and other crap that is robbing your car's potential for running smooth.

 

I'll go take a quick pic of how the exhaust is done and maybe someone with some good eyes can tell me what kind of cat it is.

Its in the stock location, i know that, but the only thing that annoys me is that the entire exhaust is welded together meaning that I'll have to go to a shop and have them take care of it. It just looks like i'll be resetting the codes every so often until i get down there and replace the cat.

How much are high flow cats usually?

 

You really want to know...search first.

The exhaust system is all bolt ons. Goes like this...

Headers to downpipe, downpipe to cat, cat to cat back, cat back to axle back.

All of these are bolted together.

 

in short, the p420 means a bad cat, if u replaced both o2s and you still see it, get a new cat.

 

I agree, but the thing is, the downpipe is welded to the cat that i have and the cat is then welded to the cat back:

 

Librarian for CEL codes

 

what did they do to your exhaust? that's an awful job. that's not stock at all, i hope you know that. first off our cat is a midbed. ask them to move the 2nd o2 to the middle of the cat or to the rear, and you might rid yourself of the code. basically the 2nd o2 is reading almost exactly what the first is... actually whoever installed that cat probably but it in backwards.

please refer to my original post. you need a diff cat. www.car-sound.com, search for your car. there is a midbed cat that is legal and has a midbed o2. just get a muffler shop to weld it in replace of that disgusting thing you have now.

 

Welded together...damn...your gonna have to go to a shop that can replace the cat... and reweld...

 

I got the car the way that it is. I knew that it was not stock. I knew that it was welded together with comptech everything... Well mostly (other than the cat). Either way, the O2 that i took out was an original one and the wires where at the length that they were supposed to be so if they put the O2 in the back of the cat it would not reach without extending the wires. As for it being in backwards, well I dont know as i never worked on anything that had to do with exhausts...

Can a good shop just weld a new bong into the cat or should it be turned around? I'm not worried about the wiring as i can extend it.


Yeah it kinda sucks but if they do it right then there be no leaks right? haha no need to worry about rusted gaskets...

 

it might be easier to just flip the cat around and extend the wires.

i'm sure they can weld a new bung, but then you need to close the old one.

 

Will the insertion of the new bung screw anything up inside the cat or not?

 

No, it should not


at your exhaust. No wonder whoever sold you the car left the headers on and the exhaust on. Chopping everything off would have been too much of a bitch and he probably didnt' have the stock cat-back

 

Haha. Eh, I'm pretty sure that the guy who had it had good intentions behind it. I'm thinking that he got everything together but the flanges were either not there on the cat or he just opted to have the entire thing wleded. What the reasoning behind it was i do not know, but i'll be the first to say along with many of my neighbors and friends that it sounds good. Nice deep tone. I'd record it so that you guys can hear it but when i do, it sounds really raspy on video...

 

^ Yup, like i said, the guy knew what he was doing. he wanted sound and power...

This:



my friends is not a catalytic converter. It is a glasspack...

So, I am driving around catless right now as illegal as it is. And i have decided that when I need inspection is when I am going to get it done right.

 

ok, just make sure you buy 2 new o2 sensors as well, cause they are probly burnt up by now.

 

there are 2 new ones in it as we speak.

 

By time you get to replacing it there is a chance that you will burn up the rear O2

 

True now that i think of it, but my best bet right now is to check the codes every so often and see what its throwing. Then if something else is bad other than the fact that there is no cat is when i'll start worrying about it.

Thanks for the insite