DTC P0420 - Check Engine Light for Catalytic Converter

[redone17]

Mine Check Engine light has been coming on intermittently as well. I have the the Ford tune installed and the tuner lets me read the error messages. The only one it has ever thrown off is "P0420 Cataleptic system efficiency below threshold (Bank 1) so it went to the dealer this morning and I just got the call that my CC is bad and that they are covering under the powertrain warranty. My question is how and or why do they die so quickly? I have 44K on my 22 Wildtrak (yes it is driven quite a bit 60% highway and 40% off road).

Regardless it will be in the shop for 2-3 days :-(

Oh wow. Same outcome for me, but they made me seem it was in an out the same day…

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[JFelty]

Oh wow. Same outcome for me, but they made me seem it was in an out the same day…

Nothing is ever same day

 

[CarGuy]

Nothing is ever same day

Well, a few guys here in NJ can have it out in a few minutes, and they work nights

 

[Bschurr]

Hey @redone17 a common cause for P0420 is a catalytic converter that doesn’t get hot enough to burn off all the exhaust crap - and, a common fix is a 15 minute highway drive in a lower gear so the RPMs remain above 3500. This was a successful fix for my MIL’s Honda - YMMV

But, since it will be fixed under warranty it doesn’t really matter anyway for you.

 

[redone17]

Hey @redone17 a common cause for P0420 is a catalytic converter that doesn’t get hot enough to burn off all the exhaust crap - and, a common fix is a 15 minute highway drive in a lower gear so the RPMs remain above 3500. This was a successful fix for my MIL’s Honda - YMMV

But, since it will be fixed under warranty it doesn’t really matter anyway for you.

Yeah, I’m pretty certain it’s due to my short commutes. I’ve been trying to ride it a little harder on the way into work and I just got a block heater installed (but, it doesn’t seem to be working - I’ll have them test it when it goes in for cat replacement).

Though, after posting this I’m hearing this is more common than it should be.

I’ll post the diagnostic test results on my invoice when I get home from visiting family.

 

[Ducati1098]

Yeah, I’m pretty certain it’s due to my short commutes. I’ve been trying to ride it a little harder on the way into work and I just got a block heater installed (but, it doesn’t seem to be working - I’ll have them test it when it goes in for cat replacement).

Though, after posting this I’m hearing this is more common than it should be.

I’ll post the diagnostic test results on my invoice when I get home from visiting family.

How long is your commute typically? It would need to be an extremely short for it to make any difference. For emissions reasons, converters are designed to get up to temperature extremely quickly. Within 1-2 minutes they’re above 50% efficiently level and very quickly after that they’ll reach peak efficiency.

 

[redone17]

How long is your commute typically? It would need to be an extremely short for it to make any difference. For emissions reasons, converters are designed to get up to temperature extremely quickly. Within 1-2 minutes they’re above 50% efficiently level and very quickly after that they’ll reach peak efficiency.

Under two miles and the first mile is downhill - almost zero skinny pedal input. I’ve been riding 1st gear a bit longer.

 

[redone17]

Cat arrived on Wednesday getting installed on
Friday. Not sure if the 2.7L version is harder to source, but they had the 2.3L version within a week including a holiday.

 

[Ozbronco]

Cat arrived on Wednesday getting installed on
Friday. Not sure if the 2.7L version is harder to source, but they had the 2.3L version within a week including a holiday.

I'm curious how this came out. I have a '23 with about 24K miles on it. One cat was replaced at around 2k miles. For the last several months I will get the same intermittent check engine light/error code you are/were getting.

 

[redone17]

They replaced it at around 30k. Only 2k in so far.

 

[Ozbronco]

Hey @redone17 a common cause for P0420 is a catalytic converter that doesn’t get hot enough to burn off all the exhaust crap - and, a common fix is a 15 minute highway drive in a lower gear so the RPMs remain above 3500. This was a successful fix for my MIL’s Honda - YMMV

Wouldn't hurt to try, so I did. I was having the same issue. Got on the interstate and drove North about 30 miles. Took each exit and then floored it on the entrance ramp to "blow out the cobs" as we used to say.

The light did not go out while I was driving but I stopped at a store afterwards and when I came back out and fired it up, voila, the light was out.

Thanks for the idea.

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