Excellent information. You really know what you are talking about. A truck I'm working on was showing 2 of the very symptoms you mentioned. Lack of power and transmission felt like it was skipping. I removed the O2 sensor and there was a big difference. Lots of noise and some smoke but the power came back (to some extend). Truck has 256k miles, so. Keep it up my friend. 👍🏼 If it helps anyone reading this. Do not be deceived with the O2 Readings You can have good readings on both Pre and Post Cat sensors. I didn't have a Check Engine light on (No Pending Codes either) but the symptoms were there. Good Luck everyone.
Watched 50 vids on this after a guy tried to sell me a remanufactured transmission for $2000 .....very helpful......also can cause high rpms and major drop in acceleration
Thank you for covering live data of the O2 sensors in such a simple manner. Too many other guys go on for 40 minutes about rich lean readings when all most people want to know is what they should expect to see and what is wrong.
I failed at checking the O2 sensors. lol I didn't have the tester with the clamps. There was four sensors and had a P0420 code popping up. I keep watching these videos and realize what you said about the warrenty. Called GM for my 2009 Tahoe with 129 700 km and still had till 130k for warranty. Called Chevy and initially was told there was no warranty until I strait up cut him off and said I spoke to GM about this coverage. Went to Chevy and still was trying to test my knowledge which is pretty much the knowledge thanks to your videos. Later got a call and was told the part was being replaced and going to be ready shortly. I was told the cost was over 1400 and im sure that didnt include labour.. THHank you very much for your videos
@14:41 you should be checking 02522 O2 sensor (Bank 2, Sensor 2) but took reading from 02512 (Bank 1 , Sensor 2) again! Already determined that Cat was bad just previous. I got the updated OTC 3208 scanner and it works great. Thanks for this video explaining how to use it.
Hey guy; Thanks as always for your informative info. Got a make or break me question. Sorry to be so windy but I feel info is crucial. I picked up from an older gentleman a 2004 Dodge Durango 3.7 with 112 thousand original miles. Spent much of its life in a garage. It ran like crap and barely got home. I replaced original plugs & coils and she started with the multiple misfiring probs. in between small periods of smooth running I noticed she was running to warm. I plan on keeping so I Replaced Water P, Thermo, and hoses. That helped but still warm. So I called a local ole guy that has been working Radiators for all his life, told him some history and he wanted me to bring it in. He showed me his test Sure enough it was. I put new one and she is very happy. I tinker and get myself in trouble regularly. I was getting dizzy with the coil plug switch game. She idles rough and coughs and sputters trying to gain speed. I took to a local garage with written down history. They said It needed a better quality plug. While there I had them do a compression & leak down tests. They were impressed with results. And the she ran rather awesome for 200 miles. Then back to same. They first mentioned catalytic converters, But I thought with only just over a hundred tho miles they should not be the issue. I just caught your vid on testing the pre /post cat temps. Bank 1 which seems to have the majority of misfires the cat temp after heated a bit were almost 600 and close to the same pre/post. Bank 2 post was +80 form pre. You mentioned it must be significant difference. So here I am/// I do want to keep her. I can do the installs. OEM Cat Y pipe is about $500. My exhaust muffler is swelled so That will be about $300. I've already put 2 new rear 02 sensors. I'm just confused as when the "correct" plugs were installed she ran very well for the 200 miles. I would just like some (a little) reassurance this will cure my problems. Best; Tom
Great spot on! My hyundai had a CEL on but they are are replacing it with no charge. Back in love with my car. This item is on back order possibly two months out, though.
I have not read all the comments and am not sure if anyone has mentioned this before. But @ 7:47 in your video, you started looking at readings from the 2 Bank2 Oscar sensors (meaning O2s21 &O2s22). You read the first one (O2S21) correctly but @ 8:09, and while you thought you were looking at readjust gs from O2S22, the display on your code reader was actually displaying the readings from O2S12... which is why you thought "what do you know, it's behaving like the post-cat on bank 1". Just thought I'd mention that. Otherwise, very informative a day understandable. Thanks.
You always give very valuable information man and you explain it so good , very very well explained and it’s very obvious that you really know what your talking about , I been trying to get my truck to pass smog for 7 years , I had lean codes galore that wouldn’t go away I changed O2 sensors both cats with used ones off another truck still nothing , my kNn cold air intake nothing Fuel injectors still not ready , cylinders coil wires spark plugs , next I think I should Check my ECU , I wish I could barrow you for a few hours so we can pin point the issue
I definitely dont know all he does but I'd think after all your checks and changes you've done your Check Engine light would have turned off by now. Since now after all you have done I've heard that by simply disconnecting your Negitive Terminal on your battery for a brief moment and reconnecting it the light should go off (after a few minutes or so).
I tried that many times my friend , I have my own scanner code reader tool , so I finally got rid of my lean code , had something to do with one of the hoses around my gas tank cap , but still , now I have a bad cat that I bought off somebody on offer up , I didn’t know how to check it before now I know with the flashlight , so yea when I opened up cat heat cover the thing was all rusted out , so I put my old one back on because it was in way better condition , now I have a exhaust leak and maybe clogged muffler
Being from Australia, I love our Native plant in the background. However, it's not native to where you are, and poses a significant problem in bushfire season. Like the way you explain stuff.
Nice video, good summary. I made a little adapter from an old O2 sensor that goes into an O2 sensor threaded hole, allowing me to measure backpressure in front of the cat. Works great but I don't often use it.
I did a video, search "make your own exhaust backpressure adapter". It was interesting to bust open an oxygen sensor on camera, although one viewer pointed out that internal parts are mildly radioactive, ha ha.
Thanks for the video. I was having a problem with sputtering at low rpm and my bank 2 came up on my CEL code. This might have shed some light on an issue i didnt think about. My f150 is a 99 4.2 bought in june of '15 and this might have been an issue building up over the year. So this might actually help me alot. Also i just fixed the IMRC retainers due to that cel but had to drive it like that for about 1-1.5 months. Lol not much time to do anything. But this coulda been the issue.
Thanks for posting this. I am pulling my hair out trying to figure out why my car can barely accelerate out of its own way. I had a hunch it was the cat because of a misfire caused by bad coil pack about 8 months ago. Unfortunately i couldn't fix it right away, being too broke to buy a new one until I saved money for about a month : ( Life's a bitch when you don't have money thats for sure...fortunately knowledge is invaluable and there are people like you who are willing to put in the time and effort to share it!
I'm having an issue with a 1997 Jeep XJ 4.0 that may be a blocked cat and I thank you for the tip to loosen the bolts on the exhaust manifold flange which I'll do tomorrow. Thanks again.
Omar, I thought the same thing.. when checking out the second cat... you read the readings for bank2 sensor 1 , but then you read bank 1 sensor 2.. ? why? 8:10
Compadre! Si comienzas a hacer tus videos en español tendrás muchos más suscriptores y muchos más likes en tus videos. By the way your videos are so helpful.
Thank you this was very informative. I'll be watching the O2 sensor video next and I'll be under my hood tomorrow! Hopefully I can get this car back on the road.
Well nailed my symptoms right on the head! My truck will kick out of no where driving down the highway. Guess I'll be taking mine off cuz where I live don't have to legally have them to pass the inspection. Mine are reading at 1600° live data test. Bet they are glowing right now. I know if you can light a cigarette with one they're too hot 🔥
Just drill a small hole in the exhaust line, commence spraying choke and carb cleaner in exhaust line while it's running. Use half a can, and drive the hell out of it for 45 min. CAT is cleaned, reset codes.
I got a check engine light on my jeep Wrangler , i scanned it and it was bank 2 sensor 2 ( p0057 ) . I changed the o2 sensor , but the check engine light is still liuminated after 40 miles .. do you think its bad catalytic converter ?? Please reply
Nice video! I must say u made a long way since then. Keep up the good work! My Chevy Sonic has the exact problem, during gear shifts sometimes car shakes back and forth. Feeling like a transmission problem. Car has no codes. First I thought it was transmission but after seeing your video I tried to give it a shot. My cat and exhaust manifold are in one piece so removing them and going for a drive is technically impossible. Should I remove the first o2 sensor and go for a drive? Thanks in advance
Great video it's told actually the way it happens I went to a Chevy dealer and they could not diagnosis the problem two weeks there they depend on there codes which are worthless use common sense
Awesome 👌 video tutorial I recently pull my cats on a 2000 V8 Ford econoline it has three cats and I noticed the main cat in the middle on the inside was gutted out the web piece was not there what's your suggestions on it being clogged?
Great video, thanks. A year ago I had my Catalytic Converter replaced. couple of days ago two codes came on P0420 and P0430. When checking a live data the A/F Sensor before the Catalytic Converter has no movement on the scale but the one after the Catalytic Converter is jumping from high to low constantly. How would I even check if the precut sensor is good or bad. Also, I think y this car had 2 precat and 2 postcat sensors. 2002 Rav4. thanks
Hey, I have a question whether my Cat really is bad or not. I got the P0420 code for a couple weeks and been going through a checklist on symptoms. The car seems sluggish lately, and will not accelerate quickly anymore, I have to slowly increase speed. I tried accelerating faster than normal and had a cylinder misfire with the P0300 code and Torque Management P2637, which eventually disappeared after 5 minutes. I cleaned the throttle body and MAF sensors, checked the ignition coils and spark plugs and all seem to be fine. The 02 sensors seemed fine on inspection. However, when I measure the temperature around the Cat, the inlet weld is about the same or up to 70F higher than the outlet, this infers a bad/clogged Cat. What I don't understand though is that through the OBD2 voltage readings, the pre Cat 02 sensor oscillates rapidly around 0.1 to 0.85V and the post Cat sensor is fairly steady around 0.8V and only dipping to below 0.15V when I push the gas. These readings tell me the Cat should be fine though, but the temperature readings tell me otherwise. Should I go ahead and assume the Cat is bad? Can I drive with the Cat removed just to see if the car responds as it's supposed to under acceleration? Thanks!
i seen how you tested upstream o2 sensor with torch in a previous video. is a downstream sensor tested the same way? i do want to check that to make sure it is good before i say the cat is bad.
@1:50 these symptoms can happen specially on hot weather or it doesn't matter? What if you live in a cold area does benefit the performance of a bad catalytic converter? Please help
Cats don't necessarily all go because they have been on the car the same amount of time. I have a 2007 Lincoln MKX and only the back Cat needs to be replaced. Be sure you get the temp reading done because the diagnostic scan will bring up the code for all cat converters P0420. You won't know which one until they do a temp check on the in and out of each cat. Don't let them tell you they all have to be replaced. Good idea to go out with the mech and watch him do the temp check on each one in front of you. Also keep in mind that the clogged cat is the RESULT of something else gone wrong. If you don't get to the problem you will be replacing another cat down the road because the same thing will happen. Cats really don't go on their own. As one mechanic put it, they don't die, they are murdered, lol. Could be fuel leak, oil leak, bad 02 sensor, bad plug...
I have a question, I had misfires/bad accelerations/bad gas miles/strong gas smell coming from my car. But, it started off doing it intermediately, coming and going, coming and going. But now it's like that all the time. What does this sound to be the problem?
Catalytic converter bro is it your exhaust making the smell of gas like did you check for leaks? My car does this 92 Buick park avenue and from his video I think it is my cat causes low power struggles when accelerating jerks at about 50 mph or when gunning it so I'm gonna loosen the bolts on the manifold tomorrow and see what happens from there keep you posted
gdm!! charles!!! my question is I have a 95 ford thunder bird 4.6 v 8. my catalyst converter. car smokes but no engine light and it has power at times.even tho it runs good.
Don’t mistake a loss of power for being your cat. It could also be the TPS so you have to diagnose the problem correctly check for codes check for engine lights.
I have an Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciara that has a host of problems. When I drive like you said it feels like its being pulled back, take off some times shuts down or has no speed. This past weekend I had a gas filter leak and now my car is making loud muffler sounds, knocking but all the noise seems to be coming from the tail pipe are but I smell gasoline in the front. There is no scanner for OBD 1 scanner so now its a guess game from these mechanics. Its a 91
I have a 2011 Chevy Equinox 4cyl. and the engine light comes on and the computer says PO420 Cat. convertor Bank 1 code comes up. Would my convertor be covered under the federal warranty? Thank you so much +Ratches and Wrenches!
The thing is, or so I heard, that if the CC is even 1% less than 95% efficient, it will trigger the check engine light. So if you're doing the temperature thermometer or another test, it might show similar numbers as a one that is 95% efficient, so the test wouldn't really work. Correct?
Good job! Are you saying, I could read Oxygen sensor data with my code reading tool?? I have one, nice one, so I could test my O2 sensors, before and after catalytic converters??? I have to do that, since I have that code, P0420/Bank 1 every now and then! Could those O2 sensors go bad too, can you clean them?? How about bad sparkplugs/ coils?? I already bought new sparkplugs, haven't change them yet! thanks, youtheman =) My car Infiniti FX 45/ 2004, about 118000 miles....
Have you had any luck with infrared thermometers? I've tried those tests and they've always shown my catalytic converters to be bad even though live scanning proved otherwise.
Oh, I get it, Ericthecarguy taught me this additional test incorrectly. he tested on the front and then the back of the catalytic converter and your testing the pipe before and then the converter itself. That makes a lot more sense, and from that perspective, this technique would have worked for me, but since it got me into a live scanner, I won't fault Eric for it. It really opened the world of cars to me to use live data. :)
Thanks for the video. I am trying to diagnose my own catalytic check engine code too. Question is how can I diagnose other engine issues that caused my catalytic converter to go bad? Thanks.
+2Phast4Rocket Things that will make a cat go bad are usually misfires that go untreated for a while, an engine that burns oil and poor quality gas. More or less if you have too much fuel/poor fuel going through your cats or dirty exhaust fumes due to the burning of oil your cats will be damaged/clogged. hope that helped, cheers.
I've developed a mini misfire no CEL, I have a 2012 Toyota Camry I used to get 25mpg. Now I'm stuck at 20. I noticed the stumble when it's at idle and in neutral, no symptoms when driving but when I stop at a light in drive, I get a vibration, also not all the time but there's instances when my trans shifts like it's slipping badly, and others when it shifts like it only has 114k on it think it could be a clogged cat? It's attached to the exhaust manifold which isn't cheap or just a leak? It can it possibly be both?
I have a 2007 Nissan frontier 2.5L. on my scan tool O2S11 voltage is constant at 0.295-0.300 and O2S11 is a constant at 0.340 at idle. when holding rpm at 2500 rpm the readings pretty much stay the same. from what I understand am I correct to suspect the O2S11 sensor is bad as its not oscillating between a rich and lean voltage?
On my 95 chevy the exhaust has to reach 600 degrees and system has to go into closed loop before O2 readings oscillate drastically. Was 02 bad in your situation?
Great video, about the code reader it looks like they discontinued the one you show in the video.Is this one the same with the live data, Autel AutoLink AL319 OBD2 Scanner Automotive Engine Fault Code Reader CAN Scan Tool or Bafx Products - Wireless Bluetooth OBD2 / OBDII Diagnostic Car Scanner & Reader Tool .Thanks one more thing will it pick up the bad cat while warmed up and running because the problem is only happening when i'm doing 50 to 80 mph i smell a rotten egg smell bad coming from the dashboard area .The vehicle is a 2013 ford edge and how do i find out the correct volts for my vehicle.Thanks
Excellent information. You really know what you are talking about. A truck I'm working on was showing 2 of the very symptoms you mentioned. Lack of power and transmission felt like it was skipping. I removed the O2 sensor and there was a big difference. Lots of noise and some smoke but the power came back (to some extend). Truck has 256k miles, so. Keep it up my friend. 👍🏼 If it helps anyone reading this. Do not be deceived with the O2 Readings
You can have good readings on both Pre and Post Cat sensors. I didn't have a Check Engine light on (No Pending Codes either) but the symptoms were there. Good Luck everyone.
Are you saying you removed the upstream 02 sensor to let air flow out of the hole, to see if you had a clogged catalytic converter?
Watched 50 vids on this after a guy tried to sell me a remanufactured transmission for $2000 .....very helpful......also can cause high rpms and major drop in acceleration
Thank you for covering live data of the O2 sensors in such a simple manner. Too many other guys go on for 40 minutes about rich lean readings when all most people want to know is what they should expect to see and what is wrong.
I try to keep my videos with what you said in mind, basically get to the point while not forgetting the point haha
s0nnyburnett j7
I failed at checking the O2 sensors. lol I didn't have the tester with the clamps. There was four sensors and had a P0420 code popping up. I keep watching these videos and realize what you said about the warrenty. Called GM for my 2009 Tahoe with 129 700 km and still had till 130k for warranty. Called Chevy and initially was told there was no warranty until I strait up cut him off and said I spoke to GM about this coverage. Went to Chevy and still was trying to test my knowledge which is pretty much the knowledge thanks to your videos. Later got a call and was told the part was being replaced and going to be ready shortly. I was told the cost was over 1400 and im sure that didnt include labour.. THHank you very much for your videos
@14:41 you should be checking 02522 O2 sensor (Bank 2, Sensor 2) but took reading from 02512 (Bank 1 , Sensor 2) again! Already determined that Cat was bad just previous. I got the updated OTC 3208 scanner and it works great. Thanks for this video explaining how to use it.
this guy knows what hes talking about
Tarah Bl I know right. I have the exact problem
abooooot*
I agree but he said catalytic converter waaaay too many times.
this guy knows what he is talking about
Car diagnostic professor. Better than college 😊thank you , star 👍
Hey guy; Thanks as always for your informative info.
Got a make or break me question. Sorry to be so windy but I feel info is crucial.
I picked up from an older gentleman a 2004 Dodge Durango 3.7 with 112 thousand original miles. Spent much of its life in a garage.
It ran like crap and barely got home. I replaced original plugs & coils and she started with the multiple misfiring probs. in between small periods of smooth running I noticed she was running to warm.
I plan on keeping so I Replaced Water P, Thermo, and hoses. That helped but still warm.
So I called a local ole guy that has been working Radiators for all his life, told him some history and he wanted me to bring it in. He showed me his test Sure enough it was.
I put new one and she is very happy.
I tinker and get myself in trouble regularly. I was getting dizzy with the coil plug switch game.
She idles rough and coughs and sputters trying to gain speed.
I took to a local garage with written down history. They said It needed a better quality plug. While there I had them do a compression & leak down tests. They were impressed with results.
And the she ran rather awesome for 200 miles. Then back to same.
They first mentioned catalytic converters, But I thought with only just over a hundred tho miles they should not be the issue.
I just caught your vid on testing the pre /post cat temps.
Bank 1 which seems to have the majority of misfires the cat temp after heated a bit were almost 600 and close to the same pre/post.
Bank 2 post was +80 form pre.
You mentioned it must be significant difference.
So here I am/// I do want to keep her.
I can do the installs.
OEM Cat Y pipe is about $500.
My exhaust muffler is swelled so That will be about $300.
I've already put 2 new rear 02 sensors.
I'm just confused as when the "correct" plugs were installed she ran very well for the 200 miles.
I would just like some (a little) reassurance this will cure my problems.
Best; Tom
Great spot on! My hyundai had a CEL on but they are are replacing it with no charge. Back in love with my car. This item is on back order possibly two months out, though.
Thank you for the info! I like your voice and calm/funny delivery. It would be cool to swap car stories with you. Best wishes!
I gotta be honest when the vid first came on, I didn’t think I was going to learn much. How wrong I was!!! Great video Bro, you know your 💩!!!
2:55 You’re the only one who gave me that excellent info and that is what my car is doing, my cat btw is melted.
I have not read all the comments and am not sure if anyone has mentioned this before. But @ 7:47 in your video, you started looking at readings from the 2 Bank2 Oscar sensors (meaning O2s21 &O2s22). You read the first one (O2S21) correctly but @ 8:09, and while you thought you were looking at readjust gs from O2S22, the display on your code reader was actually displaying the readings from O2S12... which is why you thought "what do you know, it's behaving like the post-cat on bank 1". Just thought I'd mention that. Otherwise, very informative a day understandable. Thanks.
You always give very valuable information man and you explain it so good , very very well explained and it’s very obvious that you really know what your talking about , I been trying to get my truck to pass smog for 7 years , I had lean codes galore that wouldn’t go away I changed O2 sensors both cats with used ones off another truck still nothing , my kNn cold air intake nothing Fuel injectors still not ready , cylinders coil wires spark plugs , next I think I should Check my ECU , I wish I could barrow you for a few hours so we can pin point the issue
I definitely dont know all he does but I'd think after all your checks and changes you've done your Check Engine light would have turned off by now.
Since now after all you have done I've heard that by simply disconnecting your Negitive Terminal on your battery for a brief moment and reconnecting it the light should go off (after a few minutes or so).
I tried that many times my friend , I have my own scanner code reader tool , so I finally got rid of my lean code , had something to do with one of the hoses around my gas tank cap , but still , now I have a bad cat that I bought off somebody on offer up , I didn’t know how to check it before now I know with the flashlight , so yea when I opened up cat heat cover the thing was all rusted out , so I put my old one back on because it was in way better condition , now I have a exhaust leak and maybe clogged muffler
Being from Australia, I love our Native plant in the background. However, it's not native to where you are, and poses a significant problem in bushfire season. Like the way you explain stuff.
Nice video, good summary. I made a little adapter from an old O2 sensor that goes into an O2 sensor threaded hole, allowing me to measure backpressure in front of the cat. Works great but I don't often use it.
Nice, that a pretty good idea. Everyone has a couple of self made special tools I guess :) Thanks for your comment.
That sounds ingenious. How did you do it? I guess you 'd need to know what the pressure would have been for a working CAT to compare with?
I did a video, search "make your own exhaust backpressure adapter". It was interesting to bust open an oxygen sensor on camera, although one viewer pointed out that internal parts are mildly radioactive, ha ha.
spelunkerd k
Thank you for this videos....
Ima smarter because of you.
awesome video. answered all questions. i am replacing my oem manifold with headers. thanks again!
Thank you for your step by step instructions, suggestions etc.
great video man! nice to see the temperature readings and see something that is straightforward.
Thanks for the video. I was having a problem with sputtering at low rpm and my bank 2 came up on my CEL code. This might have shed some light on an issue i didnt think about. My f150 is a 99 4.2 bought in june of '15 and this might have been an issue building up over the year. So this might actually help me alot. Also i just fixed the IMRC retainers due to that cel but had to drive it like that for about 1-1.5 months. Lol not much time to do anything. But this coulda been the issue.
Thank you, I'm teaching myself about vehicle repairs and I found this very informative.
this helped a lot totally what I'm going through with my 1993 Honda accord lack of power can't even go over 20mph
+brandon vasquez That's normal on a Honda 4 banger (JK!).
Great video! I thought I had trans problems! Thanks so much for this information!
Lol,let me know...hope it is this problem
Awesome information brother 👍 thank you so much God bless you
Great video. The concepts were simply put.
My respect for you from Iraq
Thanks for posting this. I am pulling my hair out trying to figure out why my car can barely accelerate out of its own way. I had a hunch it was the cat because of a misfire caused by bad coil pack about 8 months ago. Unfortunately i couldn't fix it right away, being too broke to buy a new one until I saved money for about a month : ( Life's a bitch when you don't have money thats for sure...fortunately knowledge is invaluable and there are people like you who are willing to put in the time and effort to share it!
I'm having an issue with a 1997 Jeep XJ 4.0 that may be a blocked cat and I thank you for the tip to loosen the bolts on the exhaust manifold flange which I'll do tomorrow. Thanks again.
And yes the old owners didn't take care of the van bit the dealer didn't care when selling it to us but I am making the van come back to life
Another great video and information from RatchetsAnd Wrenches!
+Charles Almond Thanks Charles, appreciate all your comments. cheers
Very helpful. I'm glad you said that it can resemble a transmission issue and that it can give misfire codes. Thank you for sharing!
Bro, I love your videos. Very very helpful. Keep it up.
Very good explanation Thanks
Awesome job explaining everything 👏
Thanks for the info I really thought it was my transmission
Omar, I thought the same thing.. when checking out the second cat... you read the readings for bank2 sensor 1 , but then you read bank 1 sensor 2.. ? why? 8:10
Yep bank 2 o2 would be O2S22. He was wrong on his Bank 2 sensor 2 explanation.
hey your vidios are very well done and well explain for person with a little knowlodge on car
thank you
gonz garr np, glad you like them. cheers
i like this guys videos for some reason!
Start at 3:28
Compadre! Si comienzas a hacer tus videos en español tendrás muchos más suscriptores y muchos más likes en tus videos.
By the way your videos are so helpful.
nogara garcia seas mamon
no lo deja hablar español su presidente 😅
Thank you this was very informative. I'll be watching the O2 sensor video next and I'll be under my hood tomorrow! Hopefully I can get this car back on the road.
@@IMSOHIGH619 I posted that 6 months ago. I fixed it already. The car is running great. Lol but thanks for offering :)
Well nailed my symptoms right on the head! My truck will kick out of no where driving down the highway. Guess I'll be taking mine off cuz where I live don't have to legally have them to pass the inspection. Mine are reading at 1600° live data test. Bet they are glowing right now. I know if you can light a cigarette with one they're too hot 🔥
can you gut the cats in a 2003 escalade 6.0 awd and it not have bad effects on the engine?
Just drill a small hole in the exhaust line, commence spraying choke and carb cleaner in exhaust line while it's running. Use half a can, and drive the hell out of it for 45 min. CAT is cleaned, reset codes.
How is this different from overheating it with normal gas
Really like this guy
I got a check engine light on my jeep Wrangler , i scanned it and it was bank 2 sensor 2 ( p0057 ) . I changed the o2 sensor , but the check engine light is still liuminated after 40 miles .. do you think its bad catalytic converter ?? Please reply
So if I remove the Pre Cat 02 sensor, and take it for a spin, what do i need expect and diagnose? and where is it located
Super good job man, thanks!
Nice video! I must say u made a long way since then. Keep up the good work!
My Chevy Sonic has the exact problem, during gear shifts sometimes car shakes back and forth. Feeling like a transmission problem. Car has no codes. First I thought it was transmission but after seeing your video I tried to give it a shot. My cat and exhaust manifold are in one piece so removing them and going for a drive is technically impossible. Should I remove the first o2 sensor and go for a drive? Thanks in advance
“I know what you’re thinking” 😭 I lost it, because I was.
very nice video with useful information. thanks
Great video it's told actually the way it happens I went to a Chevy dealer and they could not diagnosis the problem two weeks there they depend on there codes which are worthless use common sense
Awesome 👌 video tutorial I recently pull my cats on a 2000 V8 Ford econoline it has three cats and I noticed the main cat in the middle on the inside was gutted out the web piece was not there what's your suggestions on it being clogged?
10q sir you add some improvements on my knowledge about emission systems
GOOD VIDEO!!
JUST ORDERED NEW CAT.
+Randie Grainger Nice, thanks for your comment.
Great video, thanks. A year ago I had my Catalytic Converter replaced. couple of days ago two codes came on P0420 and P0430. When checking a live data the A/F Sensor before the Catalytic Converter has no movement on the scale but the one after the Catalytic Converter is jumping from high to low constantly. How would I even check if the precut sensor is good or bad. Also, I think y this car had 2 precat and 2 postcat sensors. 2002 Rav4. thanks
Hey, I have a question whether my Cat really is bad or not. I got the P0420 code for a couple weeks and been going through a checklist on symptoms. The car seems sluggish lately, and will not accelerate quickly anymore, I have to slowly increase speed. I tried accelerating faster than normal and had a cylinder misfire with the P0300 code and Torque Management P2637, which eventually disappeared after 5 minutes. I cleaned the throttle body and MAF sensors, checked the ignition coils and spark plugs and all seem to be fine. The 02 sensors seemed fine on inspection. However, when I measure the temperature around the Cat, the inlet weld is about the same or up to 70F higher than the outlet, this infers a bad/clogged Cat. What I don't understand though is that through the OBD2 voltage readings, the pre Cat 02 sensor oscillates rapidly around 0.1 to 0.85V and the post Cat sensor is fairly steady around 0.8V and only dipping to below 0.15V when I push the gas. These readings tell me the Cat should be fine though, but the temperature readings tell me otherwise. Should I go ahead and assume the Cat is bad? Can I drive with the Cat removed just to see if the car responds as it's supposed to under acceleration? Thanks!
My Reno has come up with the catalytic efficiency below threshold one and also check anti pollution systems,does that sound like it?x
i seen how you tested upstream o2 sensor with torch in a previous video. is a downstream sensor tested the same way? i do want to check that to make sure it is good before i say the cat is bad.
very good and clear info ... thanks a lot !
@1:50 these symptoms can happen specially on hot weather or it doesn't matter? What if you live in a cold area does benefit the performance of a bad catalytic converter? Please help
Cats don't necessarily all go because they have been on the car the same amount of time. I have a 2007 Lincoln MKX and only the back Cat needs to be replaced. Be sure you get the temp reading done because the diagnostic scan will bring up the code for all cat converters P0420. You won't know which one until they do a temp check on the in and out of each cat. Don't let them tell you they all have to be replaced. Good idea to go out with the mech and watch him do the temp check on each one in front of you. Also keep in mind that the clogged cat is the RESULT of something else gone wrong. If you don't get to the problem you will be replacing another cat down the road because the same thing will happen. Cats really don't go on their own. As one mechanic put it, they don't die, they are murdered, lol. Could be fuel leak, oil leak, bad 02 sensor, bad plug...
The a clogged cat will cause missfires
I have a question, I had misfires/bad accelerations/bad gas miles/strong gas smell coming from my car. But, it started off doing it intermediately, coming and going, coming and going. But now it's like that all the time. What does this sound to be the problem?
Catalytic converter bro is it your exhaust making the smell of gas like did you check for leaks? My car does this 92 Buick park avenue and from his video I think it is my cat causes low power struggles when accelerating jerks at about 50 mph or when gunning it so I'm gonna loosen the bolts on the manifold tomorrow and see what happens from there keep you posted
gdm!! charles!!! my question is I have a 95 ford thunder bird 4.6 v 8. my catalyst converter. car smokes but no engine light and it has power at times.even tho it runs good.
Eric, thanks man very very helpful! 👍
Don’t mistake a loss of power for being your cat. It could also be the TPS so you have to diagnose the problem correctly check for codes check for engine lights.
I have an Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciara that has a host of problems. When I drive like you said it feels like its being pulled back, take off some times shuts down or has no speed. This past weekend I had a gas filter leak and now my car is making loud muffler sounds, knocking but all the noise seems to be coming from the tail pipe are but I smell gasoline in the front. There is no scanner for OBD 1 scanner so now its a guess game from these mechanics. Its a 91
P0300 Random Misfire Detected
P0141 02 Heater Circut ( Bank1, Sensor 2) is it my catalic converter?
Most likely, or a precat
I have a 2011 Chevy Equinox 4cyl. and the engine light comes on and the computer says PO420 Cat. convertor Bank 1 code comes up.
Would my convertor be covered under the federal warranty?
Thank you so much +Ratches and Wrenches!
Thx for your videos buddy! Q: would I’d be ok with a after market CC, or I must use dealer cc instead.? Chevy traverse 2009 ...thank you in adavance
Great video!
Great video man thanks for the upload,great help
Have you heard of people using lacquer thinner is that safe or what’s your opinion thanks
The thing is, or so I heard, that if the CC is even 1% less than 95% efficient, it will trigger the check engine light. So if you're doing the temperature thermometer or another test, it might show similar numbers as a one that is 95% efficient, so the test wouldn't really work. Correct?
You showed the same sensor, O2S21. Bank 2 post cat is actually O2S22.
Great video
Good job! Are you saying, I could read Oxygen sensor data with my code reading tool?? I have one, nice one, so I could test my O2 sensors, before and after catalytic converters??? I have to do that, since I have that code, P0420/Bank 1 every now and then! Could those O2 sensors go bad too, can you clean them?? How about bad sparkplugs/ coils?? I already bought new sparkplugs, haven't change them yet! thanks, youtheman =) My car Infiniti FX 45/ 2004, about 118000 miles....
nice tutorial,
great information
do i have to have my o2 sensors there? what if i unplugged the downstream and like didnt have it in there at all?
Good question I'm waiting on his reply 2 your question about the O2 sensors not having to be there.
"I know what you're thinking, that there's no way this scanner will read live data"
Perfect video
Some people say to add a gallon of Lacquer Thinner to half a tank of gas to clean out catalytic converter. Is this safe and does it work ??
The pipe before the cat is hotter then the pipe after the cat. Is this a good way of testing it.
Thank you
hey I pass smog but p0420 cam on? any ideas what it might be
Have you had any luck with infrared thermometers? I've tried those tests and they've always shown my catalytic converters to be bad even though live scanning proved otherwise.
Oh, I get it, Ericthecarguy taught me this additional test incorrectly. he tested on the front and then the back of the catalytic converter and your testing the pipe before and then the converter itself. That makes a lot more sense, and from that perspective, this technique would have worked for me, but since it got me into a live scanner, I won't fault Eric for it.
It really opened the world of cars to me to use live data. :)
Thanks for the video. I am trying to diagnose my own catalytic check engine code too. Question is how can I diagnose other engine issues that caused my catalytic converter to go bad? Thanks.
+2Phast4Rocket Things that will make a cat go bad are usually misfires that go untreated for a while, an engine that burns oil and poor quality gas. More or less if you have too much fuel/poor fuel going through your cats or dirty exhaust fumes due to the burning of oil your cats will be damaged/clogged. hope that helped, cheers.
+RatchetsAnd Wrenches GETTING MINE REPLACED 350 DOLLARS PLUS TAX
$289 for my Mom's and there was no misfire with 80K. I kept it tuned up.
If you have an exhaust leak that will cause engine to run rich and choke that cat with unburnt fuel
My car is 10 yrs old with under 45000 mi on it. So if I understand it correctly, mine is still under warranty for another 25000 miles?
No the STD warranty is miles or time, in CA it is 80k miles or 8 years, you missed the years
And how is the ex temp on your car under 200 degrees? Mine was like 510-530F
We're lucky, we don't have emissions testing.
Mentioned it could mimic transmission problems. Could that cause stalling putting it gear in an 08 Patriot 2.4?
Thanks for the vid
blinkskaterkc np thanks for watching.
I've developed a mini misfire no CEL, I have a 2012 Toyota Camry I used to get 25mpg. Now I'm stuck at 20. I noticed the stumble when it's at idle and in neutral, no symptoms when driving but when I stop at a light in drive, I get a vibration, also not all the time but there's instances when my trans shifts like it's slipping badly, and others when it shifts like it only has 114k on it think it could be a clogged cat? It's attached to the exhaust manifold which isn't cheap or just a leak? It can it possibly be both?
I have a 2007 Nissan frontier 2.5L. on my scan tool O2S11 voltage is constant at 0.295-0.300 and O2S11 is a constant at 0.340 at idle. when holding rpm at 2500 rpm the readings pretty much stay the same. from what I understand am I correct to suspect the O2S11 sensor is bad as its not oscillating between a rich and lean voltage?
On my 95 chevy the exhaust has to reach 600 degrees and system has to go into closed loop before O2 readings oscillate drastically.
Was 02 bad in your situation?
Great video, about the code reader it looks like they discontinued the one you show in the video.Is this one the same with the live data, Autel AutoLink AL319 OBD2 Scanner Automotive Engine Fault Code Reader CAN Scan Tool or Bafx Products - Wireless Bluetooth OBD2 / OBDII Diagnostic Car Scanner & Reader Tool
.Thanks one more thing will it pick up the bad cat while warmed up and running because the problem is only happening when i'm doing 50 to 80 mph i smell a rotten egg smell bad coming from the dashboard area .The vehicle is a 2013 ford edge and how do i find out the correct volts for my vehicle.Thanks
If the o2 sensor is bad will the converter temperature read good?