P0430 catalyst System Threshold Below Efficiency

[Jinglebob]

Seeking info on what the most common  issue uncovered when I get the P0430 Check engine. My car is a 2006 Charger RT with a KN air system. I had a Catalytic converter install in January of this year and the other side in July.  Very little miles, perhaps 500 at most. Really surprised with this as I though the sensor would have been checked and perhaps cleaned and adjusted as well. Thanks for your input.

[c00nhunterjoe]

430 is the cat, not the o2 sensor. Im assum8ng you had aftermarket cats put on it? If so, they are junk. But luckily under warranty. Or better yet, buy an offroad pipe and get the custom rom downloaded to ignore post cat 02 readings.

[TommyGun]

Aftermarket convertors usually don't work like the factory ones.  Another cheap bypass is to install spacers at the downstream O2 sensor. This will pull the tip of the sensor out of the flow of exhaust and fool the computer to think that cat is working.

[c00nhunterjoe]

If you are going to pull the sensors out of the stream, then just hollow the cats and do it once.

[Jinglebob]

This is an outcome follow up from my post on August 19th.
This is from the work order. Code PO420 catalyst Bank One. We replaced cat in January. See attached history. Replaced Bank one catalytic Convertor. Rechecked Codes and Evap System. All Okay. Wrapped Headers and reclocked 02 sensors. Checked performance, all working normally. cleared codes and drove. All okay at this time. Customer was advised factory manifolds were removed and after markets installed by previous owner.



Time will tell. Cost to me $560.24


Thanks all to members who took the time to respond to my post. You guys perform a great service.

[c00nhunterjoe]

How do you clock an O2 sensor? You were ripped off.

[Derwud]

So you replaced the cat and not the Sensor the first time? I would have replaced the downstream O2 sensor first.. I fixed a few P0430 codes with sensors not cats.. How many miles overall on the car?

[c00nhunterjoe]

You have listed 2 different codes. Left and right bank cats. Did you replace both or just 1? And i have yet to see an o2 sensor repair a catylist efficiency code, unless it was accompanied by an o2 specific failure code.

[Derwud]

You have listed 2 different codes. Left and right bank cats. Did you replace both or just 1? And i have yet to see an o2 sensor repair a catylist efficiency code, unless it was accompanied by an o2 specific failure code.

A bad sensor can also throw a P0430 code as well as a bad cat. If they are really old sensors paired with new cats, well you could have a sensor that has gone bad and will point to the cat..

[c00nhunterjoe]

Perhaps on an old style o2 sensor from the 90s. But this is on a 2006 hemi. They have heated air fuel ratio sensors. If there were a lazy sensor, it would throw a threshold variation code as it compares pre and post cat, as well as side to side, along with fuel log, mapping, load and several other parameters prior to making a determination of setting an o2 or a cat code. I have yet to see a modern system throw an incorrect cat code, but i cannot even begin to count how many customers come in with their own o2 sensor and have me install it because autozone said it would fix the cat code. Then they get mad when i charge them for the repair and the light comes back on in 2 days.

[Derwud]

Perhaps on an old style o2 sensor from the 90s. But this is on a 2006 hemi. They have heated air fuel ratio sensors. If there were a lazy sensor, it would throw a threshold variation code as it compares pre and post cat, as well as side to side, along with fuel log, mapping, load and several other parameters prior to making a determination of setting an o2 or a cat code. I have yet to see a modern system throw an incorrect cat code, but i cannot even begin to count how many customers come in with their own o2 sensor and have me install it because autozone said it would fix the cat code. Then they get mad when i charge them for the repair and the light comes back on in 2 days.

Like arguing politics on FB.. Just my opinion and view after 30 plus years of tearing my hair out...

[c00nhunterjoe]

Perhaps on an old style o2 sensor from the 90s. But this is on a 2006 hemi. They have heated air fuel ratio sensors. If there were a lazy sensor, it would throw a threshold variation code as it compares pre and post cat, as well as side to side, along with fuel log, mapping, load and several other parameters prior to making a determination of setting an o2 or a cat code. I have yet to see a modern system throw an incorrect cat code, but i cannot even begin to count how many customers come in with their own o2 sensor and have me install it because autozone said it would fix the cat code. Then they get mad when i charge them for the repair and the light comes back on in 2 days.

Like arguing politics on FB.. Just my opinion and view after 30 plus years of tearing my hair out...

Likewise....as i said, 30 yrs ago maybe, since the early 2000s... no.

[Derwud]

Perhaps on an old style o2 sensor from the 90s. But this is on a 2006 hemi. They have heated air fuel ratio sensors. If there were a lazy sensor, it would throw a threshold variation code as it compares pre and post cat, as well as side to side, along with fuel log, mapping, load and several other parameters prior to making a determination of setting an o2 or a cat code. I have yet to see a modern system throw an incorrect cat code, but i cannot even begin to count how many customers come in with their own o2 sensor and have me install it because autozone said it would fix the cat code. Then they get mad when i charge them for the repair and the light comes back on in 2 days.

Like arguing politics on FB.. Just my opinion and view after 30 plus years of tearing my hair out...

Likewise....as i said, 30 yrs ago maybe, since the early 2000s... no.

I have worked with a few manufacturers including upscale FCA crap.. I have worked on everything from the 50's to current cars.. Computers and sensors aren't perfect and diagnosing cars with little to no info is impossible at best.. I will wait till the OP goes through a drive cycle and see it comes back on..

[c00nhunterjoe]

Perhaps on an old style o2 sensor from the 90s. But this is on a 2006 hemi. They have heated air fuel ratio sensors. If there were a lazy sensor, it would throw a threshold variation code as it compares pre and post cat, as well as side to side, along with fuel log, mapping, load and several other parameters prior to making a determination of setting an o2 or a cat code. I have yet to see a modern system throw an incorrect cat code, but i cannot even begin to count how many customers come in with their own o2 sensor and have me install it because autozone said it would fix the cat code. Then they get mad when i charge them for the repair and the light comes back on in 2 days.

Like arguing politics on FB.. Just my opinion and view after 30 plus years of tearing my hair out...

Likewise....as i said, 30 yrs ago maybe, since the early 2000s... no.

I have worked with a few manufacturers including upscale FCA crap.. I have worked on everything from the 50's to current cars.. Computers and sensors aren't perfect and diagnosing cars with little to no info is impossible at best.. I will wait till the OP goes through a drive cycle and see it comes back on..

And i worked on tractors from the 40s to m1 abrams tanks and blackhawk helicopters. What does that have to do with a p0420 on a 5.7 hemi charger? Regardless Ok, so he had a p0430 initially and replaced the cat. Now it has a 420 for THE OTHER SIDE, and they reclocked the o2 sensor and checked the evap system and we are going to wait and see what happens? The code will return. Thats what is going to happen and he got scammed for 560 dollars. Please explain to me what reclocking an o2 sensor is and what the procedure is for doing so. And also what the evap system has to do with a cat efficiency code? Is that high tech bullcrap for adding an antifouler to the sensor? If so, thats a far cry from 560 bucks.

[Derwud]

I am saying, I a agree with you.. That they have done nothing to fix the problem..

[Jinglebob]

Miles of my 2006 Charger is 118097. Detailed charges are Oxygen Sensor Bushing $15.78, 02 Sensor Bung $47.64, Exhaust Wrapping $167.04, Labor $312.50

[Jinglebob]

Forgot to mention that yes both Cats have been replaced.  Getting pretty tired of paying on this thing.

[c00nhunterjoe]

That sounds like they put an antifouler inline with the o2 sensor. Can you take a picture of the sensor and post it? If that is what they did, the cat is not "fixed". They merely moved the o2 sensor out of the normal stream of exhaust to fool the pcm into thinking its working.