For a long time I wanted a Toyota mechanic to create their own UA-cam channel hoping for that mechanic to give great advice on how to take care of your own Toyota and not only tell you but also demonstrate how to. I can say that you sir have done that. I'm so thankful and grateful that you decide it to take time out of your day and make videos for us.
Some people are born natural coaches or teachers. Others can be trained to be good. I believe this man is a born and trained teacher/explainer. Much appreciated.
Holy heck man, this video is soooo good. I had a P0420, Toyota said it needed a new catalytic converter, but there were some fishy aspects to the diagnosis. 1) they spent maybe 5 minutes diagnosing it, and 2) the truck only had 96K miles on it... I remembered that I hadn't changed my spark plugs in awhile (at least 60K miles on copper plugs), so I had them change the plugs. The light hasn't been on since I cleared the code after they installed the plugs. Like you, I wanted to know if the catalytic converter was bad, why was it bad? The Toyota tech told me cheap gas, but again I just felt they were reaching for the easy answers. In context, my truck has 96K miles on it, but it's 15 years old. I don't drive it much, only to the grocery store about a mile away. It doesn't even warm up in-route. That combined with well over-due spark plugs tells me (based on your video) that the catalytic converter is probably prematurely worn. This is why I went to Toyota for a diagnosis -- THIS IS WHAT I NEEDED TO KNOW -- but instead they said my catalytic converter on bank 1 was 'non-functional' due to cheap gas and didn't even ask or check my spark plugs in their service history or ask about its driving conditions... It was such a scam, the dealer was, and to think how much you offered here totally for free, I just feel cheated by the dealer. But at least I now have my answers... at least I think I do. Of note, the dealer said it wasn't an exhaust leak because if it was, they'd hear it... You're telling me they had time to pull the code, plug the exhaust, listen, and fill out the paper work in 5 minutes? I don't have to be a mechanic to know they just pulled the code and made up the rest -- so sickening. This was Toyota of Mt. Pleasant, TX for reference.
Did you mention your driving cycle? Did you mention the plugs?? When we pull codes we look at the freeze frame, and ask for compare AF SENDOR or on older cars we compare o2 sensors values. As a toyota tech we only get so much information from the customer.
@@jakemillson7190First, I appreciate all that you do... Not all techs are bad, actually the vast majority are great at what they do, and I respect them greatly... I did not mention my driving habits, until watching this video, I didn't even know it was a contributing factor... I did not mention the plugs, either, until I was told that I either had to pay a diagnostic fee ($120 if I remember) or get the diagnosis for free if I approved and paid for the fix ($2000 if I remember) -- I asked if I HAD to do what they wanted to avoid the diagnosis fee (i.e. replace the catalytic converter) or could I instead use the fee toward new plugs cause I hadn't changed them in awhile. They said I could use the fee toward new plugs, so that's what I did... As an update, I'm at 120K miles now on the same catalytic converters and no check engine light. A combination of new plugs, a couple runs of "Cataclean", Shell only gas (i.e. no more whatever's cheapest), and every time I take it for a short trip, I let it get up to temperature and then almost floor it on a 4-lane wide open highway from about 15mph up to about 60mph... I am not sure what info they'd have from a 'freeze frame' as you call it. My understanding, and you'd know more, is that the computer does a catalytic converter check every so often, and if it fails enough times to meet a criteria, it throws the code. Because of this, I don't think a freeze frame tells you much because it sounds like Toyota knows that a catalytic converter check on a cold engine will fail, but that this would have to happen many, many times in succession for a code to be thrown. It was my driving habits that allowed for this to happen, and if looking at a single freeze frame, it would likely appear as though my catalytic converter was non-functional, but the larger context needed is that the check(s) were done on a cold engine, most likely. It is worth noting that the dealership is well over an hour away with mostly interstate driving between me and them, so when the truck arrived, it was already warm. If they'd looked at current data rather than freeze frame, I think they'd have seen that the catalytic converter was likely fine. Again, you have to remember that it took them all of 5 minutes to diagnose it. I'm to pay $120 for what I can get from AutoZone for free? i.e. someone to read the code and tell me what it means? That's the issue, for me. If they'd spent some time, I'd have been OK with the fee, but I think if they'd spent the time and, when advising to replace an expensive part, rules out everything else, they'd have thought to ask about my driving habits, or the spark plugs, or anything else that they'd have known could have caused the issue. I think in that world, I'd have gotten the answer from them and thus would have felt I'd spent the diagnosis fee wisely rather than waste it.
@@deadduck8307 know what you mean! My local dealer Acura in Yonkers NY said the drive shaft was bad because it was squeaking at a cost of 1,200 , went to auto zone got the lithium grease fixed in 5 minutes, bogus diagnosis fixed for 5.00 $
Totally agree with that. What makes him a gem in my book is not only is he knowledgeable but very few are willing to share what they know with others freely.
AMD gives back to the community. Apparently he has a good job and shares his knowledge. Like HVAC guys, most mechanics just look at commissions, not truth and aren't far above the converter thieves mentioned here. I wouldn't doubt if they were the same people.
@@OCgraftedin77 True, I hate to generalize, but I shouldn't be so ecstatitic over the one extremely honest guy I got after half a dozen trying to sell me new $4000 units. This one fixed it same day for under $500 - small, self owned shop, sought customers not commissions.
Very informative about P0420. I'll keep in mind about the exhaust leak on my 2005 RAV4 322000+ miles. I kept deleting the P0420 code about almost every 300 miles in the past, but now it's more like 100 miles. Thanks for the great diagnostic tips. 👍
I have a 2000 Corolla with an original 70K with a check engine light on, I went to AutoZone and got a P0420 code. How can I reset the code or cheap fix it without having to replace the CAT. I would appreciate any help.
@pall5114 - I kept getting the annoying P0420 every 100 mi, so I installed a foul plug at the inlet of O2 sensor and then the O2 sensor. Since then the code or CEL hasn't come back for over 8 months. But I don't recommend this method. It's just a temporary and cheap fix. Don't know if you will fail Emissions Inspection in your state if they see that foul plug installed.
@pall5114 - my 2005 RAV4 now has about 341k mi on it. Still runs and has good pick up speed. Best car with Timing Chain that will never need to replace according to Scotty Kilmer 🤔. Can't argue with a mechanic that has 55 yrs of experience...🤓😁.
Another thoroughly detailed video with so much relevant substance that you won't find anywhere else. Toyota/Lexus should have recognition awards for folks like you. 👏
no, every person who watches a video and fixes their own car, is a lost customer for the dealership shops. Dont expect a metal or award from the corporation.
This is real world 🌎 instruction brother, not another lecture by a boring professor. I’m not a car guy, but a good teacher like you has made this car topic so interesting!
Great video as always. I put a cat guard from Cat Security on my 2012 Tacoma. It fits like a glove and has saved my cats at least twice while other people's were stolen in my work parking lot.
I bought a 2006 Honda Jazz a few weeks ago and bought a galvanised cat guard on ebay for £40. Peace of mind as I don't have a garage. Thefts in my County are hundreds mainly target Honda Jazz, Crv Toyota Prius.
SIR, THE BEST VALUEABLE EXPLAINATION ON PO420 EVER. IN ADDITION, LACK OF INTERVAL SERVICES ON THE ENGINE WILL CREATE THE DREAD CODE. BY THE WAY I AM LICENSED TEST AND REPAIR TECHNICIAN SINCE 1977. SIR YOUR PRESENTATION IS AMAZING THANK YOU.
WOW! This is probably the most enlightening video - car or otherwise - I have seen in a very long time. Lots and lots of details I didn't know about how the ECU interacts with the converter, how to find an exhaust leak so small that only the converter cares about it, and other things that could have led me in the wrong direction.
I suspect a crack in exhaust pipe on my 07 corolla, where the 4 pipes combine into one. I had forgotten about the exhaust pulses pulling a partial vacuum on the pistons after the exhaust stroke, pulling fresh air into the cat... That explains my 0420 code. I can smell exhaust when I stop for red light with the windows closed and the cabin fan is running....
if you have a blower or, even a shopvac you just have to put hose on the exhaust part of the shopvac to get the blow effect, use that. hose it up on your exhaust, seal it, then start spraying soapy water on your exhaust. same as you try to find leak from tire. make sure car is cold though so it wont evaporate right away.
Thank you for another great video. My 03 Corolla threw a 420 and I immediately smelled the exhaust and it was clean. Allergies make it obvious to me when I'm behind someone who has ditched their cats. Toyota is so picky about that 2nd sensor reading. I'm an EE so I designed an RC filter to slow that second sensor's response- problem solved. If the cat was actually bad I'd gladly replace it. Now I'm going to double check for small exhaust leaks. It would be a bit more complicated but entirely doable to design a circuit to circumvent Big Brother's order to richen/lean as a test. Simply have it look at the upstream and mirror it with appropriate delay and attenuation on the downstream signal. For anyone else considering it just know that tapping into the O2 sensor wires is tricky because that high-temp wire is very difficult to solder.
Hi Randy! Between you and me what you did is a severe violation of the emission standards and if the EPA gets wind of it you’d be fined! Much harder for them to catch you but very easy to catch a shop doing this. If I’m not mistaken some of these corollas had a software update to resolve the issue you’re referring to
If you have an exhaust leak and you spoof the O2 sensor, all you are doing is keeping the check engine light off. If the sensor is getting extra air thru the exhaust leak, its going to make the ECU run richer or leaner... Richer will foul out the cat, leaner will burn your plugs, the valves, and possibly even burn holes in the head of your pistons. I have an '07 and I can smell exhaust when I stop for a red light with the cabin blower on. I found some videos that say its common for the exhaust manifold to crack where the 4 pipes come together. Some people try to braise the crack closed, but the long term solution is to replace the manifold - it costs about $200 if you do it yourself. And yes, this throws an 0420 fault every couple hundred miles. The 2003 to 2010 generation of corollas can be 300,000 mile cars if they dont rust out on you first. Why go out of your way to spoof the ECM and destroy your cat in the process, or your engine?
@@kenwittlief255 My car has almost 250K and I neither smell nor hear exhaust leaks. It also shows very little in the way of LT fuel trim. Toyota has a reflash to make the ECU less sensitive to the rear O2/420 but I haven't bothered. There is also no rust. 300K seems pessimistic given that this car runs about like it did when brand new after a quarter million hard miles. But I agree that if the exhaust manifold leaks I will simply replace it.
I bought a 03 sequoia with those codes for Catalyitic converters . Dealer has discontinued the part from what I was told . Aftermarket installed is about 2,000 . The truck was a original owner well kept so imo it was worth the save . The prior owner had a bad radiator and drove it miles to just make it home . Blowing the head gaskets severely. I replaced the engine with a lower mileage used engine . Runs amazing now but I now have theses codes . I think the cats were damaged from the excessive heat and coolant going though the pipe .
The CAT on my 2008 Prius became suspect after the ECU threw a PO420 on a 9 year old car with 178,000 miles. At first, the light would stay on for a day or two - then turn off. But as time went by, the light would come back on and stay on for longer and longer, until there came a time where it remained on. It took around nine months to get to this point, The engine has always had it's oil changes at 4-5000 miles (full synthetic 5-30) and everything was intact - no exhaust leaks, no misfires, no nothing. This was the first time the CEL came on since I had the car. The dealership wanted $2200 plus change for a carryout converter for the car. I elected to replace the exhaust system and the converter pipe/resonator with a system made by Walker Automotive. I've used Walker exhaust parts for my cars while I was in HS during the late 70's and they make quality components. A little welding was necessary, but not a deal breaker. The actual CAT pipe was bolt-on and exactly the same as the OEM. I purchased the entire system for around $600 and some change back in 2017. Five years later, the light has remained off. The mileage is nearly 240K as I type this. After some research and digging around, another phenomenon is hard at work inside of the CAT: as exhaust gasses pulse through the device, the precious metal load within the honeycomb is ever-so-gradually being worn away and subsequently reduced with the passage of time and passage of exhaust gasses; a process akin to erosion. Have you heard of this explanation? Love your videos and I'm waiting on the day you replace the ABS actuator on a second gen Prius!
Me too my buddy has a corolla that has an evap problem I believe it's with the canister but I don't have a smoke machine gotta have that to test evap guys
Ahmed thanks for explaining things. Awhile back the cat went out on a 2002 Camry I owned. I got the error code while on a road trip to Chicago. My friend was a mechanic and diagnosed it for me. The car still ran fine and I got it replaced when I came home from the trip. Wasn’t cheap fix though. But it was the only thing I ever had go in that car. My mechanic says that the 02’s were known for this. I had about 100,000 miles on the OD.
My 07 Lexus RX350 threw a code P0430 and used Cataclean to see if it'll work.. well it didn't.. but i'm wild guessing now that there could be a very tiny exhaust leak that I'm not hearing... the car currently has 88k in it.. will be bringing it to a nearby exhaust shop to see if there is a leak.. great video by the way!.. these info's were helpful!
Wow perfect timing! We are looking into a hybrid Toyota 2018 RAV4 from an auction and the one we found has a missing catalytic converter which I had no clue what that was. Thanks for the info!!
I once used a cheap chinese downstream sensor as part of a parts cannon diagnosis. $20 was cheaper than a scan. It fixed the problem of the failing sensor code but later gave me a P0420. I replaced the sensor with a good one. 50K miles later it is still good at 198K. My 03 Camry with 120K miles threw a P0420 code and it definitely has an exhaust leak up front.
Bought my 08 4Runner used. Year later p0420 came on and off intermittently. Then the p0430 came on. I used cat cleaner but didn’t work. I had hoped it was the sensors so I bought them. Now with your video I just need to check for exhaust leaks. I do have two universal cats already but my car uses 4. So now I’m researching how to tell which one went bad. Mechanic said there were no misfire codes. Idk. Should I replace the sensors anyway or return them? I do hear a rattle so I’m assuming one cat is bad. Again, why did they go bad? I replaced my spark plugs after I had bought the car and they were seized and old. Wish you were local. Most mechanics I meet don’t have time to diagnose and explain honestly. thanks sir!!!
I appreciate ur video. I have a 05 Honda Element in state CA & the cat was stolen 4yrs ago. Took it to a shop & exactly 1 yr later that cat failed. I paid $500 for my deductible & insurance paid a bit over $200. My machine friend said, that the cat inside broke. Since he couldn't work on the replacement of the cat due to the EPA rules, he smashed the inside & the honey comb stuff came out. It's a temp fix, it bought me some time to decide what's next. Well I bought a cheap cat & put that onto my vehicle, 6 months later P0420 code showed up. I was driving my car for long periods. But when that code showed up again I had only been running it for a very short time to go to the store & the weather got cooler in November. Since I'm moving out of CA I have to go decide what to do next again. But I think my vehicle is running rich because my fuel is going down fast if I'm understanding ur video correctly? The other thing is, since catalytic converters play such an important role, all cats should be made with the correct material & after market cat should not be permitted. 😡 Pius all that crap about EPA crap is just to charge us more $$ while all the really polluters get away with polluting. They r the cause of our environmental condition. And that cat has hardly any amount of pressures metal in it. That metal was in shortage for electric stuff, thus the theft of cat exploded. Do u not wonder why nothing was done about that for 2 yrs? Just like that wonderful jab that we where told would save us. I love how we r so protected by our elected representative. 👎🏽
Thanks AMD! I have a 2006 Sienna with 155,000 miles, and a P0430 code. I hope to smoke the exhaust system next week to see if I can find a leak. I want to find the reason for this code, rather than just replace the cat. Great video!
@@DylanL69 In May, I smoked the exhaust by removing the air/fuel sensor on bank 2. You can see the smoke exiting at the flange between the cat and oxygen sensor here drive.google.com/file/d/1p5fjdGIE1vrhlpXQia26AOWaGi6Mtvos/view?usp=sharing The cost of the repair was less than $10, vs hundreds to replace the bank2 cat.
Subscribe to both! I like Scotty but I prefer TCCN's lack of click bait or threats of quitting. I hope AMD (TCCN) passes his knowledge as an instructor if he retires from wrenching.
I'm time to time come back to your videos again. AMD, you said catalytic converter will start to work only on they are fully wormed up. Is catalytic converter temperature related to engine temperature? How we gonna know that catalytic converter is fully wormed up?
Hi Marjan! So when the computer goes into closed loop the catalytic converter have warmed up sufficiently to operate. They warm up rapidly as they essentially have a torch on them. If you’ve seen an engine running without an exhaust manifold you’ll remember the flames that come out. Some models especially the newer ones will show you the temperature of the catalytic converter
It will vary depending on many factors. Usually hybrids get into closed loop rapidly after first start up but the best way to know for sure is to watch the data list
Also a low quality downstream O2 sensor can also trigger P0420. Happened to my 04 Tundra double cab. Replaced the sensor 2x with cheap made-in-China ones from eBay and the same code keeps popping up after I’ve reset it. Thinking the CC is bad, I got a quote from a muffler shop to replace it for $2k (cat has to come from Toyota dealer they said, no aftermarket units). Too expensive. So I tried one more time, this time using the more expensive Denso OEM sensor. 1.5k miles later, the code has not reappeared. Nothing wrong with the cat. Lesson learned: don’t use cheap, no-name Chinese- made parts. Almost spent a fortune trying to save a buck.
They definitely lied to you. Lol. Well I have a 04 Lexus gs300 and my exhaust manifold with 2 cats cost 4k from Toyota, meanwhile I bought aftermarket for $500 and as you said I used the Denso sensors and haven't had a problem in 15k miles.
I have a Sienna 2008 with 130K miles on it. It started to set P420 once a month after I added Chevron Fuel system cleaner to my gas tank. Sparks on Bank1 never been replaced ))) Will see what is there soon.
Avoiding cat thefts by making units harder to cut out reminds me of the following phrase: When running from a bear that is chasing you and your pals you don`t have to be faster than the bear, just faster than the guy next to you. Putting up obstacles will make them look elsewhere.
Hi I’ve been watching your channel for a few months now. I was wondering if you can give me some tips about how to know if my catalytic converter is bad or my o2 sensors are bad. I have a 2003 Toyota Tacoma 2.7l. What should the reading be from the upstream O2 sensor in volts and the downstream O2 sensor. My current reading is between 3.2-3.3. Upstream and 0.00-0.7 downstream. The MAF sensor is giving me at idle 3.3 g/s to 33 g/s at 2500 rpm. I don’t have a misfire but I think IAC is kind of messing up a little but 2:17 other than that everything is good. I would appreciate your feedback a lot.
I have a 2004 Lexus Rx 330 and when I got it 5 yrs ago... Occasional I would get a PO420 code for Bank 1 cat converter. Used the fouler method and it held it away for a while... Once a month I would have to clear out the code. Now it's pretty constant. Seems like all these 3MZFE engines have a bad cat eventually. Love the engine other than that.
I have the same problem, with the same vehicle. I'm going to try to clean it with some CataClean, & see if that will help me out, a bit. Trying to get my vehicle to pass an inspection. So, I can register it, in the state I live in now.
Hello sir, you will be a legend. There is no doubt about that. I started watching you in your early UA-cam days. I'm a big Toyota /Lexus enthusiast. I own Tundra,Camry, GX, and LX . Sir have a question. I recently bought a 2007 Lexus LX470. Super clean no rust. Absolutely gorgeous. Previous owner replaced the Cats with aftermarket. Me being me I want to go back with OEM. The car is to nice to be running cheap CaTS. My question is. Do the aftermarket Cats effect the performance of the engine? Will OEM Cats make the car run better. Also do want to state that the sensors have Adapters. Meaning that the sensor is backed further away from the original place. I hope you can answer my question. Thank you.
Hi AMD, As you say, catalytic converter theft is a big problem these days due to the value of the precious metals inside. My neighborhood is so rough they are stealing the tips off the iridium spark plugs ;-).
Thanks for an informative video! Would you recommend adding one additional form of diagnostics, taking the temp of the Cat before and after to see if it is clogged? I have heard this is a thing, but have never tried it. Thanks for your helpful videos! I have a 2007 4Runner V8 with P0430 (bank 2) codes that trigger every 500 miles or so. I'm assuming I have a bad cat, but really don't want to spend the $$ to replace. Could a bad cat cause or lead to poor gas mileage? I'm getting about 13.5 MPG but would love to get that up to 15-17 MPG. Thanks!
I’ve got a 2008 4Runner with the V8. The exhaust manifolds are notorious for leaking, I would start there, especially since you are only getting the code on one side.
My favorite part is where we have to drive around to get the readiness monitors ready because it’s beyond ridiculous with a permanent code, the epa says we can’t pass emissions with a check engine light on, but they have zero issues with us wasting time and fuel non stop to in an attempt to get these bs monitors ready.
Hi, Awesome video! Very eye-opening! At the 12:00 mark in this video, you talk about early Highlanders having a weird O2 sensor. Would this apply to a 2007 Highlander Hybrid 3.3L V6 as well? I have that dreaded PO420 code right now, and I am hoping it isn't something major. The exhaust is a little loud, so it might be an exhaust leak. Should I take it to a shop for an actual diagnosis? I'd rather not take it to a dealer for repairs, but if there are certain types of mechanics I SHOULD bring it to vs. ones I should avoid, I'm open to recommendations. I love your videos. You have a great personality and a way to present things without sounding like a robot. Your videos are very informative and you have TONS of insight that helps me understand my car better. I just bought this vehicle last week with 250,000 miles on it for $1,800.00 KNOWING that it was going to have some issues. Since then, I have been going to "UA-cam University" to learn as much as I can about it, what to expect, how to fix current issues, and hopefully how to prevent other issues from happening. Thank you again, for your great videos!
great video. i have an 06 impala ss and the cat failed. it broke inside and clogged up on me. i was having terrible misfires, fuel injector issues, and the chevy ss has always leaked oil like crazy. auto shop wanted to charge me almost 3000 for an aftermarket magnaflow but i decided not! since this is the second cat failure I'm beginning to understand more and more what to look for. popped a new cat and downstream o2 sensor in and I'm good to to. No codes at all. just waiting for the evap system to do its cycle which on my car takes a couple of days of driving for some reason.
I have a 1996 base Toyota 4Runner with this problem. rpm’s run up and it doesn’t accelerate. I had the Trans checked today. It’s ok. Going to have the CC checked ASAP. TYVM
With COVID-19, the case of stolen Catalytic converter exploding more than 3x in some places. I hope Toyota, especially the hybrid have catalytic converter shields installed from factory. Not just USA, the epidemic of Cat Theft also exploding in UK.
Absolutely love your channel! I have a 2006 Toyota sienna 3.3 L. I bought it because I just absolutely have always loved Toyotas, but it has turned out to need a good bit of a little work down here and there. Every since I’ve bought it for the past year, the check engine light and the traction control light has been on. It is throwing codes for the O2 sensors and catalytic converter‘s. Why would this be? Could it be just an exhaust leak causing both or something definitely wrong with O2 sensors.
Chrystal, issues you have described here could be caused by several different malfunctions. You failed to mention any specific codes. Generally this video emphasized there are two possible causes for a P0420 code, you either have an exhaust leak in your exhaust between the engine exhaust manifold and the O2 sensor at the output of the Catalytic converter or indeed you do have a faulty Catalytic converter. Also, it was emphasized that if you don't run your engine long enough periods and normal operating temperatures you may get a False P0420 code. In addition, there are certain year manufactured Toyota's that have the Second O2 sensor mounted with a Gasket that if it fails it will create an exhaust leak and therefore generate a P0420 code ! Other than these scenarios for your issues you described , you need to provide exact Codes that your vehicle is experiencing.
Keep on doing what you are doing! Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
AMD, maybe I missed it, but a bad downstream sensor sending inconsitent readings to the ECU might also cause a P0420. For example, if the ECU tests using a rich condition, and the downstream o2 does not respond with a higher voltage, then the CEL might get triggered.
Darn it. I was loading the parts canon already 😂😂. Yeah, even a dirty MAF sensor, 5 minutes fix, can throw the A/F ratio off and the codes will light up the dash. Diagnosis is essential
I appreciate your channel, Thank You! What about using lacquer thinner to clean catalytic converter? Or remove them and soak in soap, like Dawn, to clean when removed? Or using a special Cat clean mix?
Yes. If you use clamps in the exhaust use also exhaust paste because you may have the bad luck of having a car that also uses downstream o2 sensor to adjust AFR.
I have a 2000 4Runner Limited with California emissions and the two stud mounts for the sensors. It also has only one Air Fuel and one Oxygen sensor, just like the one you have pictured. I have seen the P0420 code. Ive reset it and it takes some time before it comes back. There does not seem to be a set time. I have replacement sensors, (Denso), hoping to fix the problem. After watching your video I'm a bit more hopeful that it will fix the problem. I'm going to do the exhaust test to see if I can find a leak. The prior owner had the exhaust replaced from the second catalytic converter back. Suggestions for plugging the exhaust?
2002 Toyota Tacoma v6 5vz engine. One hundred 34 thousand miles, runs great no engine check engine lights but it is leaking some oil from rocker/valve covers. Cleaned the Mass Air Flow sensor then removed and cleaned the throttle body along with the Idle Air control valve. Replaced every thing being careful to hook everything back properly ...runs great and a lot smoother idle too. Commonly I drive very short distances , less than 15 miles with lots of stops in between. About week after cleaning the above items, I get a check engine light. Haven't scanned it yet but what are chances I've got P0420 code waiting for me?
I’m dealing with this on my RX350 now. I changed the o2 sensors, maf sensor, gas cap, and today I corrected an exhaust leak. So hopefully that would do it and I don’t have to replace the catalytic converter 😅
Thank you for this video. We noticed an exhaust smell in the cabin of our 2008 Corolla recently. We only notice it when we're not moving. It doesn't smell like rotten eggs at all to us. I took it to independent mechanics and they said it was the catalytic converter. Shortly after that the check engine light came on and the code read PO420. Wondering if I should question their assessment. Any thoughts are welcome.
Does your car have any of the warning symptoms of a bad catalytic converter? Oil consumption? Short trips? Never warms up? You could throw a new cat at it, but if you're burning a lot of oil, it might go bad again sooner than you like.
My ‘03 4Runner with the ultra reliable 2UZ V8 is beginning to throw the dreaded P0430 code more persistently than it has in recent times😟 I’ve come to expect something of that nature may happen… it’s been in our family since my grandma drove it off the lot brand new and now has 293,700 miles. I’m also really stringent with 5k mile oil change intervals, belt/fluid changes and always use 91 grade gas, but even with meticulous ownership, it’s not that surprising the system would start wearing out with the mileage it’s seen 😅 I’m really hoping that when it comes time to smog it again (I live in a state with yearly emissions testing) I can just get away with running a gallon of lacquer thinner in a half tank of gas and cross my fingers haha! And if it doesn’t work, I’ll just have to bite the bullet and either replace the cat for a couple thousand $’s or just throw an entirely new exhaust system in it, because I intend to drive that truck until the wheels fall off it!
"Pinhole"...I ordered a new exhaust manifold gasket for my 2000 Corolla w/P0420 because I found a tiny stream of bubbles out of it when sprayed with soapy water. But looking sat the work involved, I was wondering if that could cause it. Your initial premise would say so, but at 180k miles, it may just be the cat. I changed out upstream O2 already and double checked it's tightness. I'm now going to read the in/out temp on the cat to see if it's working before I tear open the engine.
@@TheCarCareNut No noticeably, I should monitor it exactly, but I only had to top it off once. Compression is great, but my 2000 is known for burning oil. I measured temps again and both in and out were closer to the same. I don't have O2 waveform output but I did see the downstream sensor not being consistently steady. I already tried G2P cleaner, which worked well on my dad's van, but did nothing for this. It does feel like there is some back pressure, I'd like to put a pressure gauge on manifold.
@@TheCarCareNut Follow up: I won't belabor this, but I did a longer run with better warm up today, the temperature reading were much better with the outlet ove 10% higher than input. However, the O2 sensor (downstream) was initially pretty steady, around 0.7v with upstream doing it's dance, but then looking agauin it was pretty erratic. The biggest tell was the low end responsiveness and high speed limit, as if it's not breathing. I tested for leaks or rattling and tried cleaner, but I think at 186k miles, something is on the edge, as if melted or broken and varying in plugging. I'll swap it as soon as I can, but since it seems like added back pressure (which I might test, but exhaust at idle seemed fine), can that damage other things like gaskets or misfire? I did have misfire code a while ago and replaced coil, never ha 420 then, I also had a bad upstream O2 sensor that I think caused it to run lean, could too much fuel have gone in then to damage cat? Anyway, I'm more confident it's just the cat now.
For me, with my ancient almost 29yr old car, its always been about the exhaust leaks.. sure the answer for most people would be just replace Everything in the whole path, from header ,to flexpipe to cat to resonator to rear pipe to muffler..that would do it, for sure, but im cheap and i happen to like that the original exhaust is still On the car after all this time..LOL however, the damn flanges that the cat attaches to on either side, are not that good...pitted and rough surfaces along with a slight bowing make them no longer flat.. thus gaskets do not seal well. end result besides a crap sounding engine note is fuel/air mix is off...Ironically, I just replaced my cat, which didnt smell but i;d always wondered if it were restricting the power , maybe plugged up.. the new one stunk like a pig and is still almost making me sick... gotta be the leaks at the flanges...the old one had a good seal and no smells..and of course, once i installed it, the retailer wouldnt accept a return..This was an excellent vid and ultra in depth.. loved it!
Ahmad. Very professionally done video. Hope you can help. Lexus ES 350 2008 po420 code but the car is very powerful no symptoms of a bad cat, good acceleration etc. red triangle,tracking control and couple more lights on cluster. You suggested plugin exhaust for a leak, if there’s no leak where would the built up pressure go. Thanks Andre Ethier
I have the exact same car exact same issue. Tried everything. Lights always comes back. Changed o2 sensor.lights off two days. Came back. You posted a year ago. Ever figure it out?
Yeah mine is a2007 and it does have an oil burning issue apparently with the rings not sealing well. Put a new cat in three years ago and hers the P0420 again.
For a vehicle burning a quart of oil every 500 miles, would you recommend adding catalytic converter cleaner such Cataclean as preventative maintenance? Maybe not paint thinner as Scotty Kilmer recommends but any aftermarket cleaners you would recommend that doesnt damage the vehicle?
Hi! Honestly the cleaner won’t do much if the car is still burning oil. I would fix the oil consumption first then use a cleaner specifically designed for catalytic converters
@@TheCarCareNut Hi! I'm pleasantly surprised by your reply thanks! The vehicle is an old 2008 Toyota and has the common 2AZ engine's piston ring defect (reference POL 14-12) which is causing the oil consumption. Honestly, the Toyota dealerships in my area did me a great disservice that I won't get into and would not cover the cost to replace the defective oil control rings when it was still under the extended warranty. I 100% agree with you, it would be great to fix the oil burning, but in my situation, it doesn't make financial sense to do so. 1) Based on your years of experience, are there any specific cat cleaners you would recommend? 2) Any other issues that I should be on the lookout for if it's consuming oil this badly? This doesn't make up for the way Toyota has treated me, but your help is greatly appreciated. Thanks again!
Ana angry Asian: start changing the oil with Amsoil OE Oil. That’s their inexpensive 100% synthetic oil that’s better for oil burning engines. They have other tiers for their motor oils I have the same exact engine on a 2004 and have been able to slow down the oil burning issues to 1 quart every 2K miles instead of 1 quart every 1200 miles when using Mobil 1 after 1 month switching over. Do 2K oil changes instead of 5K oil changes as mentioned in car manual. Quick oil changes with 100% Synthetic is your best bet unless you want to fix the piston heads on that engine. I’m driving my vehicle until the engine dies.
Honestly at this high rate of consumption I would look into fixing it if the rest of the car is perfect. If not consider moving on from it. In the meantime keep topping off the oil and that should keep it running. Cleaning the cats at this point is money down the drain honestly. I don’t have specific experience with cat cleaners. Spark plugs at some point will start oil fouling and causing misfires and if that’s not the case and still there’s misfires it might just be low compression. That would be the worse case scenario.
@The Car Care Nut I have a 2004 LS430 w/ P0430. At a warm idle, Graphing the 02 sensors seems to show the downstream bank 1 is pretty constant at around 0.8V, but the bank 2 downstream is pretty flat at around 0.06V. Why would it be so low? It doesnt seem to oscillate like the cat is bad. Is this likely an exhaust leak, bad cat, or something else? The car has about 120k miles and seems to run fine.
Thank you for the explanation Amd. Do you have any customers who have tried Scotty Kilmer method for cleaning the cat by putting 1 gallon of pure lacquer thinner in half full tank of gas and driving 150 miles on older cars?
2004 4Runner v6 had a bad coil/misfire on #2 cylinder…. Fixed that, but now a persistent bank 2 cc code… assuming the misfire trashed the cc… question is, at that age & 190000 miles, is it worth buying the OEM part?
Wow this was a beautiful explanation. AMD I need your help please. I have a 2002 ls430 with 126k miles. Only when I accelerate hard I smell sulfur or rotten egg smell. I have no codes and no drivability issues. Idle is smooth. I replaced Spark plugs, fuel pressure regulator, air filter, fuel filter, pcv valve, there are no oil leaks. Please help thanks. 🙏
Hi thank you for amazing video! I have a question about the Engine Air Filter. I have 2014 toyota venza LE and 4 Cylinder. I just bought and used the STP Premium Engine Air Filter (from Autozone). I just realized that this air filter has the oil in the filter. Therefore, I took it off and replace with the other air filter (air filter without oil). I’m very worry about the oil in the air filter. Will the oil from the air filter damage my vehicle (engine, mass air flow sensor, intake, etc)? I just drove with the STP premium air filter about 25 miles. Thank you so much!
For a long time I wanted a Toyota mechanic to create their own UA-cam channel hoping for that mechanic to give great advice on how to take care of your own Toyota and not only tell you but also demonstrate how to. I can say that you sir have done that. I'm so thankful and grateful that you decide it to take time out of your day and make videos for us.
Thank you for watching my channel! I’m happy to help!
@@TheCarCareNut Am A Toyota mechanic, can I get ur whatsapp contact I need ur Assitance
Contact me via Instagram or facebook
@@TheCarCareNut whats ur User id on instagram and facebook
Thecarcarenut
Some people are born natural coaches or teachers. Others can be trained to be good.
I believe this man is a born and trained teacher/explainer. Much appreciated.
Holy heck man, this video is soooo good. I had a P0420, Toyota said it needed a new catalytic converter, but there were some fishy aspects to the diagnosis. 1) they spent maybe 5 minutes diagnosing it, and 2) the truck only had 96K miles on it... I remembered that I hadn't changed my spark plugs in awhile (at least 60K miles on copper plugs), so I had them change the plugs. The light hasn't been on since I cleared the code after they installed the plugs. Like you, I wanted to know if the catalytic converter was bad, why was it bad? The Toyota tech told me cheap gas, but again I just felt they were reaching for the easy answers. In context, my truck has 96K miles on it, but it's 15 years old. I don't drive it much, only to the grocery store about a mile away. It doesn't even warm up in-route. That combined with well over-due spark plugs tells me (based on your video) that the catalytic converter is probably prematurely worn. This is why I went to Toyota for a diagnosis -- THIS IS WHAT I NEEDED TO KNOW -- but instead they said my catalytic converter on bank 1 was 'non-functional' due to cheap gas and didn't even ask or check my spark plugs in their service history or ask about its driving conditions... It was such a scam, the dealer was, and to think how much you offered here totally for free, I just feel cheated by the dealer. But at least I now have my answers... at least I think I do. Of note, the dealer said it wasn't an exhaust leak because if it was, they'd hear it... You're telling me they had time to pull the code, plug the exhaust, listen, and fill out the paper work in 5 minutes? I don't have to be a mechanic to know they just pulled the code and made up the rest -- so sickening. This was Toyota of Mt. Pleasant, TX for reference.
Its good to see that some people are not afraid to call out bad dealers and mechanics.
@@JohnSmith-pk4xy I agree. Bad dealers need to be exposed.
Did you mention your driving cycle? Did you mention the plugs?? When we pull codes we look at the freeze frame, and ask for compare AF SENDOR or on older cars we compare o2 sensors values. As a toyota tech we only get so much information from the customer.
@@jakemillson7190First, I appreciate all that you do... Not all techs are bad, actually the vast majority are great at what they do, and I respect them greatly... I did not mention my driving habits, until watching this video, I didn't even know it was a contributing factor... I did not mention the plugs, either, until I was told that I either had to pay a diagnostic fee ($120 if I remember) or get the diagnosis for free if I approved and paid for the fix ($2000 if I remember) -- I asked if I HAD to do what they wanted to avoid the diagnosis fee (i.e. replace the catalytic converter) or could I instead use the fee toward new plugs cause I hadn't changed them in awhile. They said I could use the fee toward new plugs, so that's what I did... As an update, I'm at 120K miles now on the same catalytic converters and no check engine light. A combination of new plugs, a couple runs of "Cataclean", Shell only gas (i.e. no more whatever's cheapest), and every time I take it for a short trip, I let it get up to temperature and then almost floor it on a 4-lane wide open highway from about 15mph up to about 60mph... I am not sure what info they'd have from a 'freeze frame' as you call it. My understanding, and you'd know more, is that the computer does a catalytic converter check every so often, and if it fails enough times to meet a criteria, it throws the code. Because of this, I don't think a freeze frame tells you much because it sounds like Toyota knows that a catalytic converter check on a cold engine will fail, but that this would have to happen many, many times in succession for a code to be thrown. It was my driving habits that allowed for this to happen, and if looking at a single freeze frame, it would likely appear as though my catalytic converter was non-functional, but the larger context needed is that the check(s) were done on a cold engine, most likely. It is worth noting that the dealership is well over an hour away with mostly interstate driving between me and them, so when the truck arrived, it was already warm. If they'd looked at current data rather than freeze frame, I think they'd have seen that the catalytic converter was likely fine. Again, you have to remember that it took them all of 5 minutes to diagnose it. I'm to pay $120 for what I can get from AutoZone for free? i.e. someone to read the code and tell me what it means? That's the issue, for me. If they'd spent some time, I'd have been OK with the fee, but I think if they'd spent the time and, when advising to replace an expensive part, rules out everything else, they'd have thought to ask about my driving habits, or the spark plugs, or anything else that they'd have known could have caused the issue. I think in that world, I'd have gotten the answer from them and thus would have felt I'd spent the diagnosis fee wisely rather than waste it.
@@deadduck8307 know what you mean! My local dealer Acura in Yonkers NY said the drive shaft was bad because it was squeaking at a cost of 1,200 , went to auto zone got the lithium grease fixed in 5 minutes, bogus diagnosis fixed for 5.00 $
I wish every mechanic was as knowledgeable as Car care nut 🙂
Me too!
Totally agree with that. What makes him a gem in my book is not only is he knowledgeable but very few are willing to share what they know with others freely.
AMD gives back to the community. Apparently he has a good job and shares his knowledge. Like HVAC guys, most mechanics just look at commissions, not truth and aren't far above the converter thieves mentioned here. I wouldn't doubt if they were the same people.
@@Johnslist Sounds like you had a bad experience with the HVAC guy!
@@OCgraftedin77 True, I hate to generalize, but I shouldn't be so ecstatitic over the one extremely honest guy I got after half a dozen trying to sell me new $4000 units. This one fixed it same day for under $500 - small, self owned shop, sought customers not commissions.
Very informative about P0420. I'll keep in mind about the exhaust leak on my 2005 RAV4 322000+ miles. I kept deleting the P0420 code about almost every 300 miles in the past, but now it's more like 100 miles. Thanks for the great diagnostic tips. 👍
I have a 2000 Corolla with an original 70K with a check engine light on, I went to AutoZone and got a P0420 code. How can I reset the code or cheap fix it without having to replace the CAT. I would appreciate any help.
@pall5114 - I kept getting the annoying P0420 every 100 mi, so I installed a foul plug at the inlet of O2 sensor and then the O2 sensor. Since then the code or CEL hasn't come back for over 8 months. But I don't recommend this method. It's just a temporary and cheap fix. Don't know if you will fail Emissions Inspection in your state if they see that foul plug installed.
@pall5114 - my 2005 RAV4 now has about 341k mi on it. Still runs and has good pick up speed. Best car with Timing Chain that will never need to replace according to Scotty Kilmer 🤔. Can't argue with a mechanic that has 55 yrs of experience...🤓😁.
Another thoroughly detailed video with so much relevant substance that you won't find anywhere else. Toyota/Lexus should have recognition awards for folks like you. 👏
no, every person who watches a video and fixes their own car, is a lost customer for the dealership shops. Dont expect a metal or award from the corporation.
This is real world 🌎 instruction brother, not another lecture by a boring professor. I’m not a car guy, but a good teacher like you has made this car topic so interesting!
Thank you for watching my brother!
Great video as always. I put a cat guard from Cat Security on my 2012 Tacoma. It fits like a glove and has saved my cats at least twice while other people's were stolen in my work parking lot.
I bought a 2006 Honda Jazz a few weeks ago and bought a galvanised cat guard on ebay for £40. Peace of mind as I don't have a garage. Thefts in my County are hundreds mainly target Honda Jazz, Crv Toyota Prius.
SIR, THE BEST VALUEABLE EXPLAINATION ON PO420 EVER. IN ADDITION, LACK OF INTERVAL SERVICES ON THE ENGINE WILL CREATE THE DREAD CODE. BY THE WAY I AM LICENSED TEST AND REPAIR TECHNICIAN SINCE 1977. SIR YOUR PRESENTATION IS AMAZING THANK YOU.
Great explanation on CCs... it's nice to hear a simplified explanation of how they function etc.
WOW! This is probably the most enlightening video - car or otherwise - I have seen in a very long time. Lots and lots of details I didn't know about how the ECU interacts with the converter, how to find an exhaust leak so small that only the converter cares about it, and other things that could have led me in the wrong direction.
Thank you for watching!
I suspect a crack in exhaust pipe on my 07 corolla, where the 4 pipes combine into one.
I had forgotten about the exhaust pulses pulling a partial vacuum on the pistons after the exhaust stroke, pulling fresh air into the cat... That explains my 0420 code. I can smell exhaust when I stop for red light with the windows closed and the cabin fan is running....
if you have a blower or, even a shopvac you just have to put hose on the exhaust part of the shopvac to get the blow effect, use that. hose it up on your exhaust, seal it, then start spraying soapy water on your exhaust. same as you try to find leak from tire. make sure car is cold though so it wont evaporate right away.
Excellent presentation. Concise and free from useless extraneous stuff. Don't have to try to find where the info starts. Thank you!
Thank you for another great video. My 03 Corolla threw a 420 and I immediately smelled the exhaust and it was clean. Allergies make it obvious to me when I'm behind someone who has ditched their cats. Toyota is so picky about that 2nd sensor reading. I'm an EE so I designed an RC filter to slow that second sensor's response- problem solved. If the cat was actually bad I'd gladly replace it. Now I'm going to double check for small exhaust leaks. It would be a bit more complicated but entirely doable to design a circuit to circumvent Big Brother's order to richen/lean as a test. Simply have it look at the upstream and mirror it with appropriate delay and attenuation on the downstream signal. For anyone else considering it just know that tapping into the O2 sensor wires is tricky because that high-temp wire is very difficult to solder.
Hi Randy! Between you and me what you did is a severe violation of the emission standards and if the EPA gets wind of it you’d be fined! Much harder for them to catch you but very easy to catch a shop doing this. If I’m not mistaken some of these corollas had a software update to resolve the issue you’re referring to
If you have an exhaust leak and you spoof the O2 sensor, all you are doing is keeping the check engine light off. If the sensor is getting extra air thru the exhaust leak, its going to make the ECU run richer or leaner... Richer will foul out the cat, leaner will burn your plugs, the valves, and possibly even burn holes in the head of your pistons.
I have an '07 and I can smell exhaust when I stop for a red light with the cabin blower on. I found some videos that say its common for the exhaust manifold to crack where the 4 pipes come together. Some people try to braise the crack closed, but the long term solution is to replace the manifold - it costs about $200 if you do it yourself. And yes, this throws an 0420 fault every couple hundred miles.
The 2003 to 2010 generation of corollas can be 300,000 mile cars if they dont rust out on you first. Why go out of your way to spoof the ECM and destroy your cat in the process, or your engine?
@@kenwittlief255 My car has almost 250K and I neither smell nor hear exhaust leaks. It also shows very little in the way of LT fuel trim. Toyota has a reflash to make the ECU less sensitive to the rear O2/420 but I haven't bothered. There is also no rust. 300K seems pessimistic given that this car runs about like it did when brand new after a quarter million hard miles. But I agree that if the exhaust manifold leaks I will simply replace it.
Man you are the best teacher there is. You explain things better than any teacher I ever had. Your amazing.
I bought a 03 sequoia with those codes for Catalyitic converters . Dealer has discontinued the part from what I was told . Aftermarket installed is about 2,000 . The truck was a original owner well kept so imo it was worth the save . The prior owner had a bad radiator and drove it miles to just make it home . Blowing the head gaskets severely. I replaced the engine with a lower mileage used engine . Runs amazing now but I now have theses codes . I think the cats were damaged from the excessive heat and coolant going though the pipe .
Thanks for your elaborations on how the emission systems work with the integrate components....
The CAT on my 2008 Prius became suspect after the ECU threw a PO420 on a 9 year old car with 178,000 miles. At first, the light would stay on for a day or two - then turn off. But as time went by, the light would come back on and stay on for longer and longer, until there came a time where it remained on. It took around nine months to get to this point, The engine has always had it's oil changes at 4-5000 miles (full synthetic 5-30) and everything was intact - no exhaust leaks, no misfires, no nothing. This was the first time the CEL came on since I had the car. The dealership wanted $2200 plus change for a carryout converter for the car. I elected to replace the exhaust system and the converter pipe/resonator with a system made by Walker Automotive. I've used Walker exhaust parts for my cars while I was in HS during the late 70's and they make quality components. A little welding was necessary, but not a deal breaker. The actual CAT pipe was bolt-on and exactly the same as the OEM. I purchased the entire system for around $600 and some change back in 2017. Five years later, the light has remained off. The mileage is nearly 240K as I type this. After some research and digging around, another phenomenon is hard at work inside of the CAT: as exhaust gasses pulse through the device, the precious metal load within the honeycomb is ever-so-gradually being worn away and subsequently reduced with the passage of time and passage of exhaust gasses; a process akin to erosion. Have you heard of this explanation? Love your videos and I'm waiting on the day you replace the ABS actuator on a second gen Prius!
Love these Toyota diagnosis videos!! cant wait for the evap system video
Me too! I haven't had to deal with an evap system problem and have no confidence in my present level of understanding.
Me too my buddy has a corolla that has an evap problem I believe it's with the canister but I don't have a smoke machine gotta have that to test evap guys
Ahmed thanks for explaining things. Awhile back the cat went out on a 2002 Camry I owned. I got the error code while on a road trip to Chicago. My friend was a mechanic and diagnosed it for me. The car still ran fine and I got it replaced when I came home from the trip. Wasn’t cheap fix though. But it was the only thing I ever had go in that car. My mechanic says that the 02’s were known for this. I had about 100,000 miles on the OD.
Thank you for watching Alex! Was it a V6 or 4?
@@TheCarCareNut it was the 4 cylinder.
My 07 Lexus RX350 threw a code P0430 and used Cataclean to see if it'll work.. well it didn't.. but i'm wild guessing now that there could be a very tiny exhaust leak that I'm not hearing... the car currently has 88k in it.. will be bringing it to a nearby exhaust shop to see if there is a leak.. great video by the way!.. these info's were helpful!
What was it ?
Wow perfect timing! We are looking into a hybrid Toyota 2018 RAV4 from an auction and the one we found has a missing catalytic converter which I had no clue what that was. Thanks for the info!!
I once used a cheap chinese downstream sensor as part of a parts cannon diagnosis. $20 was cheaper than a scan. It fixed the problem of the failing sensor code but later gave me a P0420. I replaced the sensor with a good one. 50K miles later it is still good at 198K. My 03 Camry with 120K miles threw a P0420 code and it definitely has an exhaust leak up front.
Thank you. You do a great job of explaining the car’s control system. I have a much better understanding of this. I love your videos. 👍
Bought my 08 4Runner used. Year later p0420 came on and off intermittently. Then the p0430 came on. I used cat cleaner but didn’t work. I had hoped it was the sensors so I bought them. Now with your video I just need to check for exhaust leaks. I do have two universal cats already but my car uses 4. So now I’m researching how to tell which one went bad. Mechanic said there were no misfire codes. Idk. Should I replace the sensors anyway or return them? I do hear a rattle so I’m assuming one cat is bad. Again, why did they go bad? I replaced my spark plugs after I had bought the car and they were seized and old. Wish you were local. Most mechanics I meet don’t have time to diagnose and explain honestly. thanks sir!!!
I appreciate ur video. I have a 05 Honda Element in state CA & the cat was stolen 4yrs ago. Took it to a shop & exactly 1 yr later that cat failed. I paid $500 for my deductible & insurance paid a bit over $200.
My machine friend said, that the cat inside broke. Since he couldn't work on the replacement of the cat due to the EPA rules, he smashed the inside & the honey comb stuff came out. It's a temp fix, it bought me some time to decide what's next. Well I bought a cheap cat & put that onto my vehicle, 6 months later P0420 code showed up.
I was driving my car for long periods. But when that code showed up again I had only been running it for a very short time to go to the store & the weather got cooler in November. Since I'm moving out of CA I have to go decide what to do next again. But I think my vehicle is running rich because my fuel is going down fast if I'm understanding ur video correctly?
The other thing is, since catalytic converters play such an important role, all cats should be made with the correct material & after market cat should not be permitted. 😡
Pius all that crap about EPA crap is just to charge us more $$ while all the really polluters get away with polluting. They r the cause of our environmental condition. And that cat has hardly any amount of pressures metal in it. That metal was in shortage for electric stuff, thus the theft of cat exploded. Do u not wonder why nothing was done about that for 2 yrs? Just like that wonderful jab that we where told would save us. I love how we r so protected by our elected representative. 👎🏽
Best explication ever!! Good point about the pulsing and suction of oxygen!
Thanks AMD! I have a 2006 Sienna with 155,000 miles, and a P0430 code. I hope to smoke the exhaust system next week to see if I can find a leak. I want to find the reason for this code, rather than just replace the cat. Great video!
You dont need to smoke it just feel around the exhaust while it's in the air or you're under the hood you'll feel the pulse from the exhaust
@@DylanL69 In May, I smoked the exhaust by removing the air/fuel sensor on bank 2. You can see the smoke exiting at the flange between the cat and oxygen sensor here drive.google.com/file/d/1p5fjdGIE1vrhlpXQia26AOWaGi6Mtvos/view?usp=sharing The cost of the repair was less than $10, vs hundreds to replace the bank2 cat.
@@aquamancrow that looks like a failed gasket right there
@@DylanL69 That's exactly what it was.
When im done watching Scotty Kilmer i flip the channel to TCCN🤙🏼
Subscribe to both! I like Scotty but I prefer TCCN's lack of click bait or threats of quitting. I hope AMD (TCCN) passes his knowledge as an instructor if he retires from wrenching.
I find Scotty so hard to listen to
Same 😂
Scotty can go suck bricks
He's obsessed and "gone over the cliff"with the "click bait". 👎
I love the way you explain catalytic converter tests.
I Absolutely learned a lot! Thank you for being so thorough!!!
Thank you AMD for priceless information. 🙏
I'm time to time come back to your videos again. AMD, you said catalytic converter will start to work only on they are fully wormed up. Is catalytic converter temperature related to engine temperature? How we gonna know that catalytic converter is fully wormed up?
Hi Marjan! So when the computer goes into closed loop the catalytic converter have warmed up sufficiently to operate. They warm up rapidly as they essentially have a torch on them. If you’ve seen an engine running without an exhaust manifold you’ll remember the flames that come out. Some models especially the newer ones will show you the temperature of the catalytic converter
@@TheCarCareNut Thank you for response. Is closed loop for hybrid cars when engine warm up stage is 2 or 3?
It will vary depending on many factors. Usually hybrids get into closed loop rapidly after first start up but the best way to know for sure is to watch the data list
@@TheCarCareNut Thank you.
Yes I agree. I understand what he is teaching . In my opinion he is very credible
Amazing. I always learn something new from your videos. Thanks AMD!
It's rear seeing technician sharing secrets like this,
Great info thanks after market will fail I’ve gone thru 2 converter’s .
Thank you for all these very informative vedios!!! God Bless You, your Business and your Family
2004 Toyota RAV4 with a now loud noise and a rich gas smell. Dreading taking it to see what code I will get. :-) Wish you were closer!
I will always be a follower of you're UA-cam chl. A loyal fan.
Also a low quality downstream O2 sensor can also trigger P0420. Happened to my 04 Tundra double cab. Replaced the sensor 2x with cheap made-in-China ones from eBay and the same code keeps popping up after I’ve reset it. Thinking the CC is bad, I got a quote from a muffler shop to replace it for $2k (cat has to come from Toyota dealer they said, no aftermarket units). Too expensive. So I tried one more time, this time using the more expensive Denso OEM sensor. 1.5k miles later, the code has not reappeared. Nothing wrong with the cat. Lesson learned: don’t use cheap, no-name Chinese- made parts. Almost spent a fortune trying to save a buck.
They definitely lied to you. Lol. Well I have a 04 Lexus gs300 and my exhaust manifold with 2 cats cost 4k from Toyota, meanwhile I bought aftermarket for $500 and as you said I used the Denso sensors and haven't had a problem in 15k miles.
Agree, avoid poor quality China parts. Use OeM is best
Best youtube channel about Toyota/Lexus. Please make a video about brake fluid flush/bleeding process . Thanks 👍
That's very easy to do
I have a Sienna 2008 with 130K miles on it. It started to set P420 once a month after I added Chevron Fuel system cleaner to my gas tank.
Sparks on Bank1 never been replaced ))) Will see what is there soon.
Avoiding cat thefts by making units harder to cut out reminds me of the following phrase: When running from a bear that is chasing you and your pals you don`t have to be faster than the bear, just faster than the guy next to you. Putting up obstacles will make them look elsewhere.
Hi I’ve been watching your channel for a few months now. I was wondering if you can give me some tips about how to know if my catalytic converter is bad or my o2 sensors are bad. I have a 2003 Toyota Tacoma 2.7l. What should the reading be from the upstream O2 sensor in volts and the downstream O2 sensor. My current reading is between 3.2-3.3. Upstream and 0.00-0.7 downstream. The MAF sensor is giving me at idle 3.3 g/s to 33 g/s at 2500 rpm. I don’t have a misfire but I think IAC is kind of messing up a little but 2:17 other than that everything is good. I would appreciate your feedback a lot.
I have a 2004 Lexus Rx 330 and when I got it 5 yrs ago... Occasional I would get a PO420 code for Bank 1 cat converter. Used the fouler method and it held it away for a while... Once a month I would have to clear out the code. Now it's pretty constant. Seems like all these 3MZFE engines have a bad cat eventually. Love the engine other than that.
I have the same problem, with the same vehicle. I'm going to try to clean it with some CataClean, & see if that will help me out, a bit. Trying to get my vehicle to pass an inspection. So, I can register it, in the state I live in now.
In my 2004 ES 330 (same engine) cleaning the PCV Valve got rid of intermittent codes.
Great video. Love your humor and presentation.
Hello sir, you will be a legend. There is no doubt about that. I started watching you in your early UA-cam days. I'm a big Toyota /Lexus enthusiast. I own Tundra,Camry, GX, and LX . Sir have a question.
I recently bought a 2007 Lexus LX470. Super clean no rust. Absolutely gorgeous.
Previous owner replaced the Cats with aftermarket. Me being me I want to go back with OEM. The car is to nice to be running cheap CaTS. My question is. Do the aftermarket Cats effect the performance of the engine? Will OEM Cats make the car run better.
Also do want to state that the sensors have
Adapters. Meaning that the sensor is backed further away from the original place. I hope you can answer my question. Thank you.
Love your channel. I have a 2002 Corolla, and your tips are gold.
Hi AMD, As you say, catalytic converter theft is a big problem these days due to the value of the precious metals inside. My neighborhood is so rough they are stealing the tips off the iridium spark plugs ;-).
Supposedly these converters are being exported to China. A solution to these thefts is an easy fix.
Iridium plugs are you shitting me
Thanks for an informative video! Would you recommend adding one additional form of diagnostics, taking the temp of the Cat before and after to see if it is clogged? I have heard this is a thing, but have never tried it. Thanks for your helpful videos! I have a 2007 4Runner V8 with P0430 (bank 2) codes that trigger every 500 miles or so. I'm assuming I have a bad cat, but really don't want to spend the $$ to replace. Could a bad cat cause or lead to poor gas mileage? I'm getting about 13.5 MPG but would love to get that up to 15-17 MPG. Thanks!
I’ve got a 2008 4Runner with the V8. The exhaust manifolds are notorious for leaking, I would start there, especially since you are only getting the code on one side.
I really appreciate your videos. Thank you so much. Well done!
Have you ever tried the reverse vacuum cleaner method of blowing air into the exhaust and using soapy spray bottle to find a possible exhaust leak?
My favorite part is where we have to drive around to get the readiness monitors ready because it’s beyond ridiculous with a permanent code, the epa says we can’t pass emissions with a check engine light on, but they have zero issues with us wasting time and fuel non stop to in an attempt to get these bs monitors ready.
great explanation thank you for posting this.
Hi,
Awesome video! Very eye-opening! At the 12:00 mark in this video, you talk about early Highlanders having a weird O2 sensor. Would this apply to a 2007 Highlander Hybrid 3.3L V6 as well? I have that dreaded PO420 code right now, and I am hoping it isn't something major. The exhaust is a little loud, so it might be an exhaust leak. Should I take it to a shop for an actual diagnosis? I'd rather not take it to a dealer for repairs, but if there are certain types of mechanics I SHOULD bring it to vs. ones I should avoid, I'm open to recommendations.
I love your videos. You have a great personality and a way to present things without sounding like a robot. Your videos are very informative and you have TONS of insight that helps me understand my car better.
I just bought this vehicle last week with 250,000 miles on it for $1,800.00 KNOWING that it was going to have some issues. Since then, I have been going to "UA-cam University" to learn as much as I can about it, what to expect, how to fix current issues, and hopefully how to prevent other issues from happening.
Thank you again, for your great videos!
great video. i have an 06 impala ss and the cat failed. it broke inside and clogged up on me. i was having terrible misfires, fuel injector issues, and the chevy ss has always leaked oil like crazy. auto shop wanted to charge me almost 3000 for an aftermarket magnaflow but i decided not! since this is the second cat failure I'm beginning to understand more and more what to look for. popped a new cat and downstream o2 sensor in and I'm good to to. No codes at all. just waiting for the evap system to do its cycle which on my car takes a couple of days of driving for some reason.
I have a 1996 base Toyota 4Runner with this problem. rpm’s run up and it doesn’t accelerate. I had the Trans checked today. It’s ok. Going to have the CC checked ASAP. TYVM
That was a great video. Very informative.... Thanks
Thanks for the information really helped alot!
With COVID-19, the case of stolen Catalytic converter exploding more than 3x in some places. I hope Toyota, especially the hybrid have catalytic converter shields installed from factory. Not just USA, the epidemic of Cat Theft also exploding in UK.
priceless information. THANK YOU!
Reading about P0420 on 04/20 :)
Absolutely love your channel! I have a 2006 Toyota sienna 3.3 L. I bought it because I just absolutely have always loved Toyotas, but it has turned out to need a good bit of a little work down here and there. Every since I’ve bought it for the past year, the check engine light and the traction control light has been on. It is throwing codes for the O2 sensors and catalytic converter‘s. Why would this be? Could it be just an exhaust leak causing both or something definitely wrong with O2 sensors.
Chrystal, issues you have described here could be caused by several different malfunctions. You failed to mention any specific codes. Generally this video emphasized there are two possible causes for a P0420 code, you either have an exhaust leak in your exhaust between the engine exhaust manifold and the O2 sensor at the output of the Catalytic converter or indeed you do have a faulty Catalytic converter. Also, it was emphasized that if you don't run your engine long enough periods and normal operating temperatures you may get a False P0420 code. In addition, there are certain year manufactured Toyota's that have the Second O2 sensor mounted with a Gasket that if it fails it will create an exhaust leak and therefore generate a P0420 code ! Other than these scenarios for your issues you described , you need to provide exact Codes that your vehicle is experiencing.
Keep on doing what you are doing! Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
AMD, maybe I missed it, but a bad downstream sensor sending inconsitent readings to the ECU might also cause a P0420. For example, if the ECU tests using a rich condition, and the downstream o2 does not respond with a higher voltage, then the CEL might get triggered.
Darn it. I was loading the parts canon already 😂😂. Yeah, even a dirty MAF sensor, 5 minutes fix, can throw the A/F ratio off and the codes will light up the dash. Diagnosis is essential
First rule of troubleshooting: make everything right (at least the things you can see) and see what problems remain.
NEVER JUST THROW PARTS AT IT THAT'S NOT DIAGNOSING!!!
@@DylanL69 Unless you're ME, I replace everything lol.
Finally I gor all the information I needed, thank you!!
Love all videos like this. Great job!
I appreciate your channel, Thank You!
What about using lacquer thinner to clean catalytic converter? Or remove them and soak in soap, like Dawn, to clean when removed? Or using a special Cat clean mix?
Yes. If you use clamps in the exhaust use also exhaust paste because you may have the bad luck of having a car that also uses downstream o2 sensor to adjust AFR.
I have a 2000 4Runner Limited with California emissions and the two stud mounts for the sensors. It also has only one Air Fuel and one Oxygen sensor, just like the one you have pictured. I have seen the P0420 code. Ive reset it and it takes some time before it comes back. There does not seem to be a set time. I have replacement sensors, (Denso), hoping to fix the problem. After watching your video I'm a bit more hopeful that it will fix the problem. I'm going to do the exhaust test to see if I can find a leak. The prior owner had the exhaust replaced from the second catalytic converter back. Suggestions for plugging the exhaust?
You are the best sir
THANK YOU VERY MUCH
A DMT FROM AFRICA
Thanks a lot. Very useful information.
2002 Toyota Tacoma v6 5vz engine. One hundred 34 thousand miles, runs great no engine check engine lights but it is leaking some oil from rocker/valve covers. Cleaned the Mass Air Flow sensor then removed and cleaned the throttle body along with the Idle Air control valve. Replaced every thing being careful to hook everything back properly ...runs great and a lot smoother idle too. Commonly I drive very short distances , less than 15 miles with lots of stops in between. About week after cleaning the above items, I get a check engine light. Haven't scanned it yet but what are chances I've got P0420 code waiting for me?
Hi! Honestly it’s very hard to guess that. I would check the codes
I’m dealing with this on my RX350 now. I changed the o2 sensors, maf sensor, gas cap, and today I corrected an exhaust leak. So hopefully that would do it and I don’t have to replace the catalytic converter 😅
I have a 2015 NX200T with 270K km Is cleaners worth it for prevention. Love your channel.
Thank you for this video. We noticed an exhaust smell in the cabin of our 2008 Corolla recently. We only notice it when we're not moving. It doesn't smell like rotten eggs at all to us. I took it to independent mechanics and they said it was the catalytic converter. Shortly after that the check engine light came on and the code read PO420. Wondering if I should question their assessment. Any thoughts are welcome.
Does your car have any of the warning symptoms of a bad catalytic converter? Oil consumption? Short trips? Never warms up? You could throw a new cat at it, but if you're burning a lot of oil, it might go bad again sooner than you like.
My ‘03 4Runner with the ultra reliable 2UZ V8 is beginning to throw the dreaded P0430 code more persistently than it has in recent times😟 I’ve come to expect something of that nature may happen… it’s been in our family since my grandma drove it off the lot brand new and now has 293,700 miles. I’m also really stringent with 5k mile oil change intervals, belt/fluid changes and always use 91 grade gas, but even with meticulous ownership, it’s not that surprising the system would start wearing out with the mileage it’s seen 😅 I’m really hoping that when it comes time to smog it again (I live in a state with yearly emissions testing) I can just get away with running a gallon of lacquer thinner in a half tank of gas and cross my fingers haha! And if it doesn’t work, I’ll just have to bite the bullet and either replace the cat for a couple thousand $’s or just throw an entirely new exhaust system in it, because I intend to drive that truck until the wheels fall off it!
The wheels falling off is a cheaper fix than a new cat
Another outstanding video!
"Pinhole"...I ordered a new exhaust manifold gasket for my 2000 Corolla w/P0420 because I found a tiny stream of bubbles out of it when sprayed with soapy water. But looking sat the work involved, I was wondering if that could cause it. Your initial premise would say so, but at 180k miles, it may just be the cat. I changed out upstream O2 already and double checked it's tightness. I'm now going to read the in/out temp on the cat to see if it's working before I tear open the engine.
Okay, I think it's just time: Inut temp to cat is 380 deg. f, output from cat is 330 deg. f. Bad cat, right?
Sounds like a bad cat. Does your engine burn oil by any chance?
@@TheCarCareNut No noticeably, I should monitor it exactly, but I only had to top it off once. Compression is great, but my 2000 is known for burning oil. I measured temps again and both in and out were closer to the same. I don't have O2 waveform output but I did see the downstream sensor not being consistently steady. I already tried G2P cleaner, which worked well on my dad's van, but did nothing for this. It does feel like there is some back pressure, I'd like to put a pressure gauge on manifold.
@@TheCarCareNut Follow up: I won't belabor this, but I did a longer run with better warm up today, the temperature reading were much better with the outlet ove 10% higher than input. However, the O2 sensor (downstream) was initially pretty steady, around 0.7v with upstream doing it's dance, but then looking agauin it was pretty erratic. The biggest tell was the low end responsiveness and high speed limit, as if it's not breathing. I tested for leaks or rattling and tried cleaner, but I think at 186k miles, something is on the edge, as if melted or broken and varying in plugging. I'll swap it as soon as I can, but since it seems like added back pressure (which I might test, but exhaust at idle seemed fine), can that damage other things like gaskets or misfire? I did have misfire code a while ago and replaced coil, never ha 420 then, I also had a bad upstream O2 sensor that I think caused it to run lean, could too much fuel have gone in then to damage cat? Anyway, I'm more confident it's just the cat now.
For me, with my ancient almost 29yr old car, its always been about the exhaust leaks.. sure the answer for most people would be just replace Everything in the whole path, from header ,to flexpipe to cat to resonator to rear pipe to muffler..that would do it, for sure, but im cheap and i happen to like that the original exhaust is still On the car after all this time..LOL however, the damn flanges that the cat attaches to on either side, are not that good...pitted and rough surfaces along with a slight bowing make them no longer flat.. thus gaskets do not seal well. end result besides a crap sounding engine note is fuel/air mix is off...Ironically, I just replaced my cat, which didnt smell but i;d always wondered if it were restricting the power , maybe plugged up.. the new one stunk like a pig and is still almost making me sick... gotta be the leaks at the flanges...the old one had a good seal and no smells..and of course, once i installed it, the retailer wouldnt accept a return..This was an excellent vid and ultra in depth.. loved it!
Ahmad. Very professionally done video. Hope you can help. Lexus ES 350 2008 po420 code but the car is very powerful no symptoms of a bad cat, good acceleration etc. red triangle,tracking control and couple more lights on cluster. You suggested plugin exhaust for a leak, if there’s no leak where would the built up pressure go. Thanks Andre Ethier
I have the exact same car exact same issue. Tried everything. Lights always comes back. Changed o2 sensor.lights off two days. Came back. You posted a year ago. Ever figure it out?
On my 2004 ES 330 it was a dirty PCV valve. Also check the vaccum hoses under the engine cover@@johnf6267
Very interesting explanation
Thank you for the amazing videos!
Yeah mine is a2007 and it does have an oil burning issue apparently with the rings not sealing well. Put a new cat in three years ago and hers the P0420 again.
Very informative video. Thank you.
Thanks as always AMD!
Thank you! What should a person check to figure out what is killing his catalytic converter?
For a vehicle burning a quart of oil every 500 miles, would you recommend adding catalytic converter cleaner such Cataclean as preventative maintenance? Maybe not paint thinner as Scotty Kilmer recommends but any aftermarket cleaners you would recommend that doesnt damage the vehicle?
Hi! Honestly the cleaner won’t do much if the car is still burning oil. I would fix the oil consumption first then use a cleaner specifically designed for catalytic converters
@@TheCarCareNut Hi! I'm pleasantly surprised by your reply thanks!
The vehicle is an old 2008 Toyota and has the common 2AZ engine's piston ring defect (reference POL 14-12) which is causing the oil consumption. Honestly, the Toyota dealerships in my area did me a great disservice that I won't get into and would not cover the cost to replace the defective oil control rings when it was still under the extended warranty. I 100% agree with you, it would be great to fix the oil burning, but in my situation, it doesn't make financial sense to do so.
1) Based on your years of experience, are there any specific cat cleaners you would recommend?
2) Any other issues that I should be on the lookout for if it's consuming oil this badly?
This doesn't make up for the way Toyota has treated me, but your help is greatly appreciated. Thanks again!
Ana angry Asian: start changing the oil with Amsoil OE Oil. That’s their inexpensive 100% synthetic oil that’s better for oil burning engines. They have other tiers for their motor oils
I have the same exact engine on a 2004 and have been able to slow down the oil burning issues to 1 quart every 2K miles instead of 1 quart every 1200 miles when using Mobil 1 after 1 month switching over.
Do 2K oil changes instead of 5K oil changes as mentioned in car manual. Quick oil changes with 100% Synthetic is your best bet unless you want to fix the piston heads on that engine. I’m driving my vehicle until the engine dies.
Honestly at this high rate of consumption I would look into fixing it if the rest of the car is perfect. If not consider moving on from it. In the meantime keep topping off the oil and that should keep it running. Cleaning the cats at this point is money down the drain honestly.
I don’t have specific experience with cat cleaners. Spark plugs at some point will start oil fouling and causing misfires and if that’s not the case and still there’s misfires it might just be low compression. That would be the worse case scenario.
Fix the oil burning problem and yes that means an expensive rebuild no way around it or get a new engine or car
Great video. Thank you.
When checking for exhaust leaks, how do you plug the exhaust safely?
Hi! Use a few shop towels and put them over the exhaust tip abs push them with your hand
The best way to test exhaust leaks is to ask the wife to hold the shop towels and you inside the vehicle to speed up the engines.
Thank you for this video. What do you think about cleaner liquids that you put in the gas tank. Can they solve the P0420 problem?
Excellent explaining!
@The Car Care Nut I have a 2004 LS430 w/ P0430. At a warm idle, Graphing the 02 sensors seems to show the downstream bank 1 is pretty constant at around 0.8V, but the bank 2 downstream is pretty flat at around 0.06V. Why would it be so low? It doesnt seem to oscillate like the cat is bad. Is this likely an exhaust leak, bad cat, or something else? The car has about 120k miles and seems to run fine.
Thank you for the explanation Amd. Do you have any customers who have tried Scotty Kilmer method for cleaning the cat by putting 1 gallon of pure lacquer thinner in half full tank of gas and driving 150 miles on older cars?
My old mechanic thinks that’s a crazy option but many on his stream swear by it.
2004 4Runner v6 had a bad coil/misfire on #2 cylinder…. Fixed that, but now a persistent bank 2 cc code… assuming the misfire trashed the cc… question is, at that age & 190000 miles, is it worth buying the OEM part?
Wow this was a beautiful explanation. AMD I need your help please. I have a 2002 ls430 with 126k miles. Only when I accelerate hard I smell sulfur or rotten egg smell. I have no codes and no drivability issues. Idle is smooth. I replaced Spark plugs, fuel pressure regulator, air filter, fuel filter, pcv valve, there are no oil leaks. Please help thanks. 🙏
Is it possible that changing old spark plugs could get rid of the cat converter code also?
If you have the car for a year used and you haven't replaced it then its always a good thing to get a new spark plugs
Hi thank you for amazing video! I have a question about the Engine Air Filter. I have 2014 toyota venza LE and 4 Cylinder. I just bought and used the STP Premium Engine Air Filter (from Autozone). I just realized that this air filter has the oil in the filter. Therefore, I took it off and replace with the other air filter (air filter without oil). I’m very worry about the oil in the air filter. Will the oil from the air filter damage my vehicle (engine, mass air flow sensor, intake, etc)? I just drove with the STP premium air filter about 25 miles. Thank you so much!
Hi! I wouldn’t be concerned yet. Does your car consume or use oil?
It could potentially mess up the maf but that's about it and you can just clean the sensor not to big of a deal