I cant tell why its giving this code. Air bags. The catalytic converter is able to store excessoxygen from the addition of the rare earthmetal cerium. This should work: I have the infamous P0420 code and I just had my Head Gaskets replaced at the dealer. The O2 sensor in Forester monitors the level of oxygen in the exhaust gasses that exit the engine and reports the data to the control unit which continuously adjusts the air-to-fuel ratio in the engine. My wife drives the car now only for short, local trips and not much highway. I have an innovate LM2 wideband sensor, can I use it to get the information necessary to better know whether or not I need a new CAT or O2 sensors? Hello Justin. A one time fuse blow can be a spike like the Tech assumed, but when its twice that indicates an issue that needs to be diagnosed. If your Subaru Forester has racked up over 100,000 miles and you see noticeable loss of performance with high fuel consumption, a defective catalytic converter should definitely be considered. Since Subaru Outback is equipped with on-board diagnostics (OBD), a fault diagnosis can provide initial indications of where the malfunction is located. If your car complies, Subaru will pay part or all of the cost of a head gasket repair. The aftermarket cats just dont last very long and the slightest amount of carbon prevents function. I have her note book of every repair and maintenence item recorded with all the receipts. I wish you would have purchased the gaskets from us, the brand you mentioned is just not a good option for Subaru and may in fact not be sealing. Removing the catalytic converter almost always leads to better engine performance in older vehicles. There is no more external oil or coolant leaks at the head anymore. (he determined that it wasnt a o2 sensor problem), I dont know which one it wasbut it workedno P0420 code for the last 3 weeks.I was really stressed out after forking out 1700 for a HG change and some other sensors that were leaking oiland then a potential $1500 Cat change. 3 cranks later it comes back on i went and had it tested this past Friday with a huge obd2 scanner that shows alll the runtime data the and while we were looking at read outs the code auto cleared like completely Vanished and all read outs looked correct especially now that i see your diagrams the o2 sensor read out nice and stable like when the code cleared itself im presuming this is the off position ? The light may go on and off until its resolved. I even did the spirited drive as you recommended. 80k is still very low mileage for a Subaru and its got a lot of life left in it. its always on country lanes or motorway, never in the city, always on light gasim out of ideas, please could you through some of them? Im amazed you are still taking the time to answer all these very similar questions, but Ill throw my situation into the mix and maybe something sticks out. 5)**What is the likelihood of an actual meltdown? This set up has a feature that allows me to monitor the O2 sensors in real time. All I want to do is get through the state of CT emissions test! FCA03. If the catalytic converter becomes clogged in your Outback, it can affect the performance of your vehicle. Up until now my Subaru has been a dream. The purposeof the catalytic converter is to reduce HC,CO and NOx. If I drive it until it gets to full temp and turn it off she wont start back up for 15-30 minutes, almost as if its flooded, turns over fine, just wont fire up. These are obviously aftermarket and he only charged her for the 1st one, about $600. My 05 Impreza with less than 70k km on it threw the code a few months back without any other error codes. Last fall, the car went through 90,000 mile maintenance OK at the dealer. I bought it used so, I have no reference to what may or may not have gone on with for the previous owner. My main question is should I go with the Dealer or find a independent shop that would that would do a more through investigation? Lift the vehicle, allowing easy access to the catalytic converter. Thinks this is a great vehcile, but is it reasonable for the converter to fail after this kind of mileage? Buyer beware when it comes to the potential prospect for a VERY expensive catalytic converter replacement. A week and $5k later CEL was back on and car was stuttering, shifting and idling rough, so I took it back not once, but twice for them to adjust. The data generated is only as good as the sensor, so the sensor must be tested first. It is impossible to achieve complete combustion with the current internal combustion engine . Tim. Poor acceleration Good info, it helps a lot, thanks Justin. Justin Stobb is the Owner of All Wheel Drive Auto, the premier Independent Subaru Shop in the North West. $3400 sounds excessive unless its a H6, or rust is an issue? I work from home so I dont drive a lot myself. So at this point all that has been learned is that the ECM is correct and there is a function issue, but until more testing is done we dont know the why. The Cat is a Subaru part muffler isnt. $6100 is way to much $. A sulfur or "rotten egg" smell indicates the formation of hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S), a likely sign of catalytic converter contamination. They reprogrammed the ECM. They said they have NEVER come across one failing this early. EXHAUST & MUFFLER '02MY-'03MY. I have been driving it around for over a year. If you have read this article or any of the other ones I have written about the check engine light you will see that I suggest a code scan in correlation of the light coming on. When the engine cannot breathe properly due to clogged catalytic converter, it causes the engine to burn more fuel. Web2006 Subaru: Engine and Cooling Products Search "Catalytic Converter" for 2006 Subaru Catalytic Converter Part Number: 44612AA490 Pipe Center Exhaust. I cleared the code and started the car, it ran for a few seconds and then stalled. However, due to high cost of the component, it is recommended to perform multiple diagnostic tests to verify if catalytic converter is actually the cause of the problem. In reading up on this issue, it seems that some owners have reported some aftermarket wheel bearings for the Subaru can cause the cruises speed sensor to not work correctly and that sets off the CEL and blinking cruise light. Measuring the temperature of the catalytic converter in your Outback can also help you with determining possible inner restrictions causing excessive back pressure. Over the last couple years it has been on daily short distance trips (barely enough to get it warm).Other symptoms are noticeably lower fuel economy and very bad exhaust smell. If the catalytic converter efficiency degrades beyond an acceptable level, your vehicle may be releasing air pollutants that The advice I typically give is to get away form the Stealership, and look for a great independent. After the check engine came on we took it to a friend in the small town we were close to mostly because when I called thelocal Subaru they immediately told me over the phone I had to get the entire turbo engine replaced. Hi Justin, I would appeciate your comment on my 2010 Outback. Reading out the fault codes using a diagnostic device is relatively reliable. Are you also using non OE 02 sensors? Which of these am I looking for if it is the cat that needs replacing?? Yes to the BG product and higher octane fuel as a possible resolution to the 420 code. P0420 code was detected, and Subaru dealer eventually performed catalytic converter replacement under warranty. Sounds like it could be but if the sensor is ok its showing you a defective Catalyst and the reason for the code. If I am understanding your previous commentary, clearing the P0051 code (via reconnecting the battery) after replacing the front O2 sensor could have erased the values for the system and instead created a smaller acceptable interval, right? What I also noticed is now is that my temperature gauge is not working. pollutants such as carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and oxides of. Would replacing the secondary O2 sensor do anything? It is a PZEV vehicle sold and driven in Pennsylvania. Connect the hose of the gauge to where you removed the oxygen sensor. This will hold true in most all of these Subaru models: Its the single most ignored code, and one the the mostchallengingto accurately diagnose. The vehicle is completely safe to drive with a P0420 set, however if anything new was to come up that could damage anything, you would have no way of knowing as the check engine light would already be on. I thought I was being proactive in changing the oil frequently. Thanks a lot bud! Full I did have the battery out for about a week and a half while I was working on it in my spare time. so you think just go for a test will the cat light ofF? Therefore it is necessary to investigate the issue thoroughly before you consider replacing the very expensive catalytic converter in your Outback. Recall date. Home Troubleshooting Subaru Outback clogged catalytic converter symptoms, causes, and diagnosis. We promptly took it back to dealer who told us the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. Is the one year lifespan of the aftermarket converters common, or just when theres a cause like a head gasket leak to make them fail? If you dont have any good advice I have a 2000 subaru outback for sale. Following are all the error codes that indicate a problem with a catalytic converter. I too have an intermittent CEL on my 2006 Outback, 148k miles.I had the code checked,P0420. its taken care of and should last a long time. Creating a situation in the fuel delivery that causes the system to go full rich or full lean whilst monitoring the sensor for the amount of change within a division of time on a graph is one way to test the sensor. 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 does one do i am going to buy a digital full read out obd2 connector for my phone i can leave attached to get some live data recorded but im currently left scratching my head as to what to do now Other than start collecting live data snapshots of the moment it shows up. Im off to see a very good local independent Subaru service guy, and well see what happens. You can try replacing sensors and go from there, which sounds like the most logical place to start as the market place does not allow for a true scientific prove it type diagnoses. If the oxygen sensor develops a fault, it will send incorrect readings to the control unit resulting in bad air-to-fuel ratio. Adobe Digital Marketing. Given the rattling, gas odor, CC inoperable, and the PO420, is it reasonable to assume the CAT needs replacing? I would also suggest reading in your Owners Manual What Subaru states about not just the Check engine light, but about all warning indicators so you have the knowledge going forward, and know when its ok to drive and when its not ok to drive. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2023 All Wheel Drive Auto LLC. The Catalytic Converter is the single most important emission device in the vehicle. I have If all we do is Diagnose it we still charge the $96.00, we just try to be fair. At 75,000 mile maintenance, Dealer replaced head gasket under warranty. A clogged catalytic converter essentially "suffocates" the engine, preventing it from "exhaling" the exhaust. 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. The biggest pain for me is warm starting issues. Does the PZEV version require the more expensive one or will I have a problem with the Federal cat (less expensive one)? environment. Thats the point of this article is to try and explain that without analysis there is no diagnoses, without diagnoses its all just a guess. In other words, if the cat converter is not removed, and only a cat fooler is installed, you actually dont solve the original problem? WebVehicle Recalls. I am owner of 2001 forester w/180k mi. Put in some 94 octane, and some fuel injector cleaner and had that spirited drive on the highway to put some life back into the Cat (as per Justins great recommendation! So I had both front bearings replaced. Recall date. Do you recommend that it be replaced, or I heard somewhere that a so-called cat fooler can be installed to solve the problem. Have a safety problem? There are ways to check exhaust back-pressure. I got my oil change at a shop in late February and mechanic that did it said its not too serious considering the car was smogged in Nov12 and turned the light off. Justin, Thanks for getting back to me. Another more slightly annoying feature Subaru owners discover about the exhaust system on their vehicles are heat shield rattles. Does this help determine if its the cat or something less expensive to fix (rear O2 sensor)? Ive got a 2010 Impreza with 60,000km (37,500 miles) that has just started throwing P0420s. We at the shop will often do induction services with new sensors followed by driving instructions, Id say it helps 30 percent of the carbon coated convertors if I had to put a number on it. Should it get back to where it was once its broken in? russellpat Registered 2022 Outback Touring XT. This same issue may cause the car to fail the State Smog Test if one is required. The code is back now, P0420 again. This makes the converter more efficientat oxidizing HC into H2O and CO2. Its a California emission vehicle, but I have tried two different non-California catalytic converters, and both have failed. Is a turbo timer really necessary for the same vehicle? Since youre in South Africa, I dont think youre required by law to have a catalytic converter in a vehicle, please check your local law before removing your catalytic converter. Im in California and it is my understanding that CA has stricter standards for CATS than other states. 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