Most likely the rear 02 was set for a rear 02 sensor code on the 2007 as its fairly common. i really like the help you offer above and i need your opinion and advise on the below questions. Today they did not do the test for the emissions (only read the code) which I was unaware that reading the code and the test you mentioned were 2 different things of until reading your site. Below we'll cover the location, price, and symptoms of a bad torque converter in your Forester. Still getting P0420 after replacing both cats, front cat and rear cat on 2008 subaru legacy. In fact, the local Subaru dealership sends many of their customers with P0420s to this shop because of the outrageous costs for the catalytic converters on Canadian Subarus (only 2 converters on Outbacks found in Canada, $2600 and $1300 for the two cats). Clare. Also, Im looking at replacement cats online and I see on some places that theres a rear cat, other places it just shows a front cat that connects with the exhause manifold, and in other places theres what they call direct fit replacements where it looks like a rear and front cat but only the midsection (not up to manifold). In addition to the vehicle make, model, and engine type, you usually also have to type in the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). Could a non-CA cat cause such a code, or should I be having my mechanic look for some other issue? Kind regards, If the catalytic converter efficiency degrades beyond an acceptable level, your vehicle may be releasing air pollutants that Im a little bit at a loss on how best to help you here. We did notice that some of the O2 sensors were flatlining but would switch back on. If so, how? There is no more external oil or coolant leaks at the head anymore. Most diagnostic devices then ask for some information about the vehicle. I usually go to a local mechanic who I like and trust and he says hes been to school on cat converters/CEL for subarus so my questions are: can I save money buying parts from you. Reading out the fault codes using a diagnostic device is relatively reliable. Ammonia (NH 3) odor may also indicate poor catalyst function. BTW, in terms of usage, I commute 60 miles round trip daily, mostly highway, and otherwise drive around town a bit. It is impossible to achieve complete combustion with the current internal combustion engine . It can run into problems over the normal life of the vehicle, and is often accompanied by OBDII code P0420. To turn off the check engine light, you install cat fooler/space. Low and behold recently Ive gotten the dreaded P0420. was all ok for the day though the following morning on cold start the light re-appeared and the fuse has blown again. The point where therear oxygen sensor becomes a straight line iscalled the catalytic converter light off point. I cant believe you are still answering questions about this code, thanks! Buy an O.E. If you are not able to locate one, than that is most likely ruled out as a possibility. I just changed the oil and decided to replace the PCV valve while I was in there. Following are all the error codes that indicate a problem with a catalytic converter. Since it is payed off, instead of paying car payments for a new one I am setting aside monthly some car funds. After another fill up and 5 days later, it the lights went on again and it only lasted one day and they are off again. environment. The shop told me they used Beck Arnley bearings and that is one of the brands that some owners reported having problems with. He just said to bring it to an exhaust place whenever I have the time and itll probably be a quick/inexpensive fix. With a noticeable loss of performance, high fuel consumption and more harmful emissions at the tailpipe, a defective catalytic converter should definitely be considered. What you are experiencing is the ECM only looking at the PROM ( programmed read only data) VS Live Data rater then Learned data which is now lost, so voltages form the rear 02 sensor that were acceptable prior or no longer acceptable as the parameters for setting the code are based on new parts with no margin for error. Data from any sensor is only as good as the sensor it self! Any unburnt fuel in the engine that goes into the exhaust system will ignite in the catalytic converter. Poor acceleration The catalytic converter is part of the exhaust system in Subaru Forester and its main purpose is to convert exhaust gases like carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons that are harmful to health and the environment into less harmful byproducts, like carbon dioxide and Subaru Catalytic Converter Location COIA Contents [ hide] If your vehicle has an O2 sensor after the cat, and you remove the cat, the check engine light will turn on. Buying and replacing the converters will be expensive enough. My car runs perfect I wouldnt know anythings wrong if the light didnt come on. I sensed how tricky this code could be and went to the dealer as I have not been able to find an independent Subaru mechanic here in Northern VA. They also tried to source ECU remap codes that would just ignore the reading from the O2 sensors which is how they have solved issues with other models (our emissions laws are not quite as strict as USA or Europe) but because the Tribeca is built in the USA not Japan there is nothing available. However, it can fail much earlier due to contamination, overheating or physical damage. Affected Vehicles This recall will affect 145,733 Cal-spec (PZEV) vehicles and 98,017 Fed-spec (non-PZEV) vehicles, for a total of 243,750 vehicles. Will this pass inspection or is the history still in the memory? If you ever get around to that another article about PO420 coming on after an ECU reset, Id be delighted. Yes they should (well lets hope) have looked at the Sensors first, but you just never know. Thinks this is a great vehcile, but is it reasonable for the converter to fail after this kind of mileage? Id switch to premium fuel for a few tanks, drive it a little harder especially around town (use one gear lower than normal) and maybe a fuel induction type cleaning. Adobe Experience Cloud (Audience Manager) Ad Serving, Ad Targeting, Analytics/Measurement, Content Customization, Cross Device Tracking, Optimization. Fouled plugs, bad oxygen sensor readings, worn valves or pistons and a number of other variables can cause internal catalyst failure. Is this an indication of an oxygen sensor? The day after I posted that I came to a sudden stop when a green light turned to red and my Suby violently shook as I came to a stop. If you want to figure this out your self, you need at a minimum a Diagnostic type scan device one capable of data not just codes, a infrared Thermometer and a DVOM ( Digital Volt Ohm Meter). I have taken my car to the dealer 3x and 2 x they reprogrammed it and the third time they blame it on needing a tune up. The regulations for new cars also increase every few years as well which make it very difficult as what was perfected two years ago must now be redesigned to meet tougher standards. Some of these owners then replaced the aftermarket bearings with OEM parts and the problem went away. Great to find this information here. Helps your vehicle emit harmless gases Direct OEM replacement. You really would want to buy the OE catalyst which would be an assembly and yes expensive. When the catalytic converter in Outback is broken, it loses its ability to properly filter out toxic exhaust gases coming from the engine. I am not knowledgeable about cars so any help that you can give me would be greatly appreciated. I purchased a new used 2004 Outback 2.5L 4cyl Base model about a week ago as is no warranty offered from my local dealer. In any case, it is advisable for laypersons to visit a workshop. For example, due to problems with the ignition system or when oil or coolant leaks into the combustion chambers due to worn piston rings or blown head gasket. If its over 80,000 miles than you should budget for a Catalytic converter Replacement in the Future. Need to perform a Catalyst test and try to determine whats wrong. Thanks for reading. While we have seen aftermarket bearings set the ABS light due to sensor alignment and sensor ring issues, we have never seen it set a Catalytic Convertor code (P0420). Does this help determine if its the cat or something less expensive to fix. The only way to cut down on this is to put more precious metal in the Catalyst which would greatly raise the price. Over time, carbon deposits accumulate and clog up the catalytic converter, especially if the vehicle has racked up a lot of miles. I just read your article. The car also had leaking head gaskets and we have always changed the oil frequently (2.5k 3k, never as much as 4k miles). So I think these lights are coming on because of something wrong the speed sensing controls rather than something wrong with the engine or emissions systems. Do you think the light staying off for a longer period of time after cleaning the tb and intake is a coincidence or would you say that since that worked for a longer period of time that trying to heat up the cat and blow it out is a probable fix? Its possible after some spirited driving the Catalyst function could improve and light goes out, but under stand its a warning of things to come. code of P0420. Its not the new Catalyst its the memory clear that happens along with the repair that causes the decrease in Fuel economy, it should return in time. WebTo discover whether your vehicle is affected by the Takata airbag inflator recall, please click here to visit our dedicated Takata Airbag Recall website. I have described some of what can go on the best I can in this and other posts here on the website. Any more info on why you mentioned this could happen? Ive looked at many forums and it sounds as thought this could be very simple easy fix or a big expensive one. When you press the gas pedal from a stopped position, the vehicle may accelerate normally initially. Is it possible that my car may need to relearn running temperature and exhaust leaks and such in order to correct itself? Shouldnt they have thought of all that before recommending to replace? After this switch the check engine light disappeared. If you dont have any good advice I have a 2000 subaru outback for sale. https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7723638/Diognostic%20Subaru.pdf. Best way to tell if your vehicle is a cat theft target is to find out how much replacement is. Report a problem with your vehicle, tires, car seats or other equipment. and I am hoping for easy fix.previous owner says c.e.l. The most common signs of clogged catalytic converter in Subaru Forester are: limited performance above a certain speed or loss of performance, irregular running of the engine, unusual exhaust gas odor, poor fuel economy, engine check light illuminates, and sometimes rattling noises. That really does help. Aftermarket Catalytic convertors are worth $ZERO. We also asked they do a 100,000 mile check for issues. Ambient temp vs ECT temp at start up combined with drive time at certain speeds are what ultimately trigger the monitor, when we perform a drive cycle post code clear the catalyst and Evap monitors are the last two to come back online, and sometimes can take days or weeks. (Those are the O2 sensors, right?) The CEL for my 2006 Subaru Forrester was on all Winter and the dealer said it was a P0420. You didnt mention if the Catalyst was replaced with a OE Subaru part or a aftermarket Catalyst? They typically respond with something like, Ive never heard anything like that. nitrogen. I had the check light come on. Maybe just drive it for a bit and see how it goes? Thats the only next step. You dont ever want to use Carb cleaner on the Throttle Body! Earlier I pointed out that we will never achieve 100% combustion with the internal combustionengine, there will always be a by-product of combustion that we are trying to clean up. It is important to verify catalytic converter lightoff prior to determining if a catalytic converter has failed. Service rep stated that in some instances, the attached heat shield cannot be removed (due to rust) and needs to be replaced (which could require later revisit). Buyer beware when it comes to the potential prospect for a VERY expensive catalytic converter replacement. Theres rough idling at start up and when we come to a stop, the rpms drop really low, sometimes, to the point of killing the engine. Recall date. Driving at a high speed. A few weeks later, P0420 came back. The engine will die if I dont put it in neutral and give it gas.Any ideas on what is going on? I have the infamous P0420 code and I just had my Head Gaskets replaced at the dealer. Any help or suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated. The head gasket leak on your Subaru needs to be repaired, most likely the convertor and sensors as well. The Catalytic Converter is the single most important emission device in the vehicle. Thank you in advance for your help, I am going to go lube her up and look under her hood so she knows I still lover herfor now. Please advise if this is the way to go..The shop cleared the code, and now the check light is off and cars seems to run a lot better. Is that normal with the new Cat? Most diagnostic devices then ask for some information about the vehicle. environment. Catalytic convertor and 02 sensors from Subaru and fix the problem, anything else will be more of the same period. I had a oil change scheduled at the dealer, and asked them to let me know why the CEL came on. My mechanioc doesnt think the additive would have been enough to make the difference in the fuel ratio. 370 people reported this problem 140 comments Subaru Forester Vehicles With This Its really better to just fix it correctly the first time and be one and done. Last fall, the car went through 90,000 mile maintenance OK at the dealer. You can read here for more information about how the system works, and its always a good idea to buy your own code scanner. And ever since that repair, from time to time the CEL comes on and the cruise light blinks. Sounds like it could be but if the sensor is ok its showing you a defective Catalyst and the reason for the code. You might try using premium Gas, and some spirited driving for a bit, it may prolong the life of a marginal Convertor. environment. I got everything fixed and filled up with the best premium. Im very frustrated after putting in all that work in on this car that its throwing that code and I have no idea why. I've heard they can get up to $1000 for the metals in Toyota cats. Subaru's number for this recall is TKC-20. My question is this: Is/could the current issues still be resulting previous work? Should I just bite the bullet and have it replaced? Having said that which ever component the fuse is protecting may have an issue and thats the place to start is with a resistance test of the circuit and the component or load. If the catalytic converter efficiency degrades beyond an acceptable level, your vehicle may be releasing air pollutants that Generally speaking an independent is always going to work harder for your dollar than a dealership is. I love the car, but the head gaskets were leaking. Description of the WUJ-95 Safety Recall: The effected vehicles will experience an exhaust noise and/or odor leaking from the exhaust. Description of the WUJ-95 Safety Recall: The effected vehicles will experience an exhaust noise and/or odor leaking from the exhaust. I have a 2006 Subaru impreza and live in MA. Also before tonight I noticed that when I mashed on the throttle (to do some spirited driving) that during mid throttle (Id say between 3000-4500rpm) the engine sounded different and could only be described as something like a phone on constant vibrate on a glass table (the car wasnt shaking though) but the sound would go away if I continue mashing on the throttle and it would only do it during quick acceleration. Cel came on they should ( well lets hope ) have looked at dealer. The shop told me they used Beck Arnley bearings and that is most likely the rear 02 was set a... 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Therear oxygen sensor readings, worn valves or pistons and a number of other variables can cause internal failure... From my local dealer OEM replacement is to find out how much is... The following morning on cold start the light re-appeared and the reason for the though! Give me would be greatly appreciated cat theft target is to put precious.
