What does this code mean ?

mrpepsalgado

New Member


So many options, the car was misfiring so I changed the spark plugs , cables and cap and rotor and distributor and light went off, the light is now back on but no more misfire so it's something new. What is the most likely ? Please help.


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MotorMo

Respected
Misfires are Cat damaging. Dumping raw fuel into a already super hot cat can send them glowing red and damage the internals. Other possibilities are failing + old Oxygen sensors. Clear the code and see if it returns...
 


XpL0d3r

I had a Civic once.
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the light is now back on but no more misfire so it's something new. What is the most likely ? Please help.


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Have the code scanned again. It very well may be P0420 again, as that usually means a bat catalytic convertor. It could also mean a bad secondary O2 sensor, or could even be caused by a leaky exhaust manifold. I would check the manifold for cracks too.
 

mrpepsalgado

New Member
Well that work that I did was like a moth ago so I don't think it had anything to do with it .


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MotorMo

Respected
Maby, OBD2 cat codes are a "two trip" fault- meaning the ECU needs to see two consecutive failures ( ie, two "key cycles" where the primary and secondary oxygen senors give off voltage signals that inform the ECU that the cat isn't working properly) before it will store the code as permanent and turn on the check engine light. This can sometime take a while. Either way, check the basics, but chances are your cat is old and failing. This is common on older cars.
 

XpL0d3r

I had a Civic once.
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The light shut off today... What the heck is going on ? Lol


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If it comes back on.... It could be a partially clogged cat, sometimes the o2 sensors get the readings they want, and sometimes they can't. OR, the secondary o2 sensor or sensor wiring is faulty and sometimes works, sometimes doesn't.
 

daperez13

Respected
The secondary O2 sensor will not usually have an impact on performance, so the misfire was caused by something else and by performing a tune-up, it cleared it. That's always great.

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold can be caused by the problems already specified above. I would start by removing the O2 sensor from the cat (be patient and take your time, use the proper sized O2 sensor socket or wrench) and clean it with a light wire brush and some CRC aerosol cleaner (some people say gasoline works). If you are able to completely remove your catalytic converter, you can hold it up against light and see if the honeycomb cells are still in tact; give it a shake and see if there's loose pieces. If there's loose pieces or melted cells, they it's time to replace it.

Before clearing your check engine light, scan your computer to see if there's additional codes stored. If there aren't any, you can choose to clear it now or have the ECM clear it on it's own.
 


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