P0420 Code

Threre are 2 things happening at the same time. When you reset the PCM to clear the CEL you are resetting all of the "smog monitors". A "drive cycle" now has to be completed in order to set the PCM into a smog ready mode. The smog monitors are actaully monitoring the various systems, evap, egr, cat convertors etc and each one requires a different driving proceedure in order to be tested... the evaporative monitor is usually the difficult one due to the restrictive parameters for it to "run"... between 1/4 and 3/4 of a tank, the intake air temp sensor and the engine coolant temp sensor withing 10 degrees of each other over a certain period of time and it has to do this twice. The other monitors are usually set by normal driving, stop and go, acceleration and maintain a certain speed, slow down etc. You can look up what the drive cycle for your particular vehicle is on the internet is and dont be surprised if you laugh at it... where can you accererate to 15 mph and hold that speed for 3 minutes, then decel to 2 mph then stop and idle for 3 minutes in any city of any size and not cause an issue. Shop rates here in southern cal are around $125 - $150 hr. Much better you drive her around than the smog guy.

My smog guy has 2 different smog testers, the old school dynomomiter machine and the new bluetooth/wifi wireless type. The state mandates that he keeps the old system, dyno + tail pipe testing system running... the dyno $25k to install plus another $12k for the sniffer that is maintenance heavy. The new system, he didnt want to tell me the cost... all of this expensive equipment and he only charges the public $45 to $50 for his services weather it takes 3 minutes or an hour.

letting my Bar 90 liscence go many many years ago was one of the smartest things I have done.

 

Thank you

 

As luck would have it, my truck threw the code again last weekend when I was out offroading

Took into Toyota the next morning as I had an appointment already to get my supercharger belt replaced. They told me that my front cat is toast and that they want to replace both because "the 2nd one isn't far behind in our experience" to the tune of an estimated $3600....

Going to call a local muffler shop and see what they can do for me

 

Call Advanced Muffler in Pasadena. They are very reasonably priced.

 

Let me know what you find

Should both cats be replaced ?
How do we know which one ?

Let me know the price it costs you

I have smog due in January

I am debating on resetting code and tying or doing the necessary cat work


Am surprised your cats are toast with such low miles

 

did you replace both cats there ?

If so what was the cost ?

Did you replace 02sensors or that wasn’t necessary ?

 

Code P0420:
Sorry, couldn't resist...

 

I had the dreaded P0420 code pop up several times. I replaced the O2 sensor with one off Amazon and have not had it appear since. That was in May of this year. I do know the cat is bad because I can smell it! I asked at Advanced what the cost was for front cat, and if I remember correctly it was +/- $700.00 in May. I can ask them what it is currently for the two.
Coincedently, I was looking at mt BT code reader diagnostics yesterday and it says the P0420 code is pending, although there is no CEL light yet.
I did buy the A/F sensor and may put it on when I am in Calico this weekend between wheeling and see if anything changes.

 

That's what I thought, too!

 

I'm here now, he says $600 for both cats installed.
1234 East Walnut Pasadena, Ca
626-793-5656 Kirk

edit: I am not affiliated with Advanced in any way other than I know these guys to be stand up guys. I was new to Pasadena and needed a tool to remove my pilot bearing from the flywheel. Mario the mechanic, lent me the tool not knowing who I was. I did bring it back and have developed a good relationship with the shop.
Danny

 

holy crap, that is a great price...I'll talk to him as well, thank you!

 

No problem. Are there any San Gabriel Valley Meet and Greets? It would be nice to meet some wheelers and maybe go wheeling a bit more than I do.

 

I had the O2 sensors replaced last year when I had a different code pop up. I've got low miles but the cats are toast from when the previous owner ran the supercharger on the truck without any fuel mods, and it was running really lean which is bad for the cats. Toyota said their diagnostics revealed the 1st cat to be toast, but they said that they usually just replace both at the same time because one usually follows the other pretty quickly when one fails.

 

Yeah there's a bunch of us here that wheel pretty regularly, the link in my sig goes to a thread on here 'Wheelers Anonymous', usually a few of us will get together once a month or so and run a local trail. Just did Miller Jeep Trail out near Gorman last week which is when my dreaded P0420 code popped up lol.

 

Would you recommend I do the 02, or go straight to two cats ?

 

Excellent !!!

 

With the miles you have and not knowing if/when the sensors had been changed, maybe buy the sensors and change them. There are many schools of thought on this subject and most say cats are needed. I gambled not knowing when the sensors were changed last. They are original and my rig has 336K on it. I'll replace the cats later this year.

 

My cats and sensors are all original

2001 2.7L
210K miles

Maybe I can replace my cats when you do yours

 

My reg is due in February and I need smog this time. Probably do in January. You could do the sensor and see if it changes anything

 

Ok

My reg is January