Honda - Accord :: 1997 - Still CEL Comes On After Replacing New Catalytic Converter
Jan 20, 2013
My wife and I have a 1997 Honda Accord, roughly 260k miles. A few months back the Check Engine light came on, diagnostic came back with P0420, typically indicating the catalytic converter is shot. Who am I to argue, it was an factory part. So we replaced that with an inexpensive Magnaflow converter. (don't have the part number on me); this was 5 days ago. Today my wife takes the car in for inspection. Check Engine is still on with the same code. The guy at the testing station begins laughing at my wife when she says we only spent about 200 in parts and labour on the new converter. I'm inclined to think that since we already replaced the converter that I should be looking somewhere else (O2 sensor maybe). But I also don't want to just start throwing parts at it. Do I have a case here? I would really prefer not to spend $1000 on a car that old with that many miles on it just to pass inspection.
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My wife drives a 2005 Honda accord and the catalytic converter heat shield recently fell off. I am wondering if it is safe to continue driving the car without the heat shield? I have read that the main function of the heat shield is to prevent fires when parking in long grass. Does it also protect the bottom of the car from starting on fire?
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The Honda dealership read the check engine light code on my Honda 2002 Accord, that said the catalytic convertor is not operating within the efficiency range(plus the converter has a rattle in it...it is not the heat shield as it was taken off years ago). They said it was too expensive to have fixed at the dealership and to find an independent repair shop to replace the converter.
They warned me to not get the cheap universal converter as the check engine light for the converter would come back on and stay on. They said get a more expensive one but would not give any specific brand or price range and said it SHOULD keep the check engine light from coming about the converter.
I have an independent shop and they agreed about never using an universal converter. However when I press them about the $270 converter they would put on would keep the check engine light for the converter from coming on, they hesitated in assuring me it would not come on.
Honda Accord converter can be replaced with an after market converter, what did it cost, and did it keep the check engine light for the converter from coming on?
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Chk engine light is on. Checked it at Advance Auto and indicated either cat or the O2 sensor (rear). So, I went to replace the O2 sensor and learned the hard way that you can't just unscrew the nut. I torqued off the stud to which the O2 sensor attaches. Muffler shop told me you need to heat up the stud/nut first to remove it. Oh well, lesson learned. So, I'm looking at replacing the pipe with the catalytic converter attached since I can't seem to fix the broken stud (or actually get the one I didn't break off). The problem is, my car is apparently a CA model and has the special cat on it. I live in VA. What sort of problems might I run into if I replaced the cat with a non-CA version? They are significantly less expensive. This is for a 2003 Toyota Siienna
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06 Camry SE I4
I had to replace my catalytic converter because of the code I was getting. It wasn't difficult to do, but took me a while because I had to transfer the thread rods to the new CAT. Once the new CAT was installed, I went to test her out, but noticed that the car all of a sudden, has no electrical power. Nothing at all. I checked all fuses and nothing is blown. The only electrical I messed with on the car was the O2 sensor.
Car has a brand new battery from yesterday. The only thing I didn't do is install a support bracket on one side, because it was missing a bolt and one thread rod was stuck in the old CAT, i couldn't remove it.
A friend suggested that the missing bracket may be causing a ground issue. Is this true?
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Heard a funny intermittent rattle and my mechanic told me that my check engine light should be going on any time now as my cat converter is bad. The part is about a thousand bucks! Looked on line and see some aftermarket ones from walker and some other retailers. My car has 103K miles on it,.
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I have some serious work that needs to be done on my car. The catalytic converter needs replacing, and the valve cover gasket and cam adjuster seals need to be replaced. This work falls under their respective warranties. However, I'm wondering if I should have the water pump and timing belt done at the same time as I have 77000+ miles on my car. Is there anything else that would be good to do at the same time as this work. I would be going back to the VW service center for these repairs. Would it save me any money to do this all together?
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I needed to replace the same (rear) catalytic converter of my 2006 Honda Pilot LX (2WD) in less than 16 months. The first time it happened in October 2014 when the vehicle had 160K miles (Car's service code was P0420), and the second time it happened this month (same code P0420), when the vehicle had 184K miles. I have it replaced at Honda Service both times.
When it happened for a second time so quick (160k miles wth first converter vs 24K miles with the second converter), I asked Honda Service for a free warranty replacement, but they said it only has 12K miles, and 12 month warranty on repairs, they called Honda corporate to see if they would do anything extra (they did not), but Lute Riley gave a discount to do it at their part & labor cost only ($800 first time vs $550 second time).
What could be the cause of the second catalytic converter to go bad so quick? I have been the owner and only driver of the vehicle since i purchased it new and my driving habits have not changed.
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The check engine light on our 2005 Honda CRV (146,000 miles) came on and stayed on. After a week of driving with the light on we brought the car to the dealer to have it checked. The dealer diagosed a faulty catalytic converter given a P0402 diagnostic code and didn't think the P1078 code for the intake manifold a problem. The dealer also stated that the oxygen sensors were fine. We declined the dealers offer to replace the catalytic converter for $2,170 and the check engine light was reset. After two weeks of daily drifting and 1000 plus miles the engine light is still off. Did we actually have a problem? Why hasn't the light come on again?
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The heat shield on the catalytic converter of my 2005 Honda Civic rusted and was hanging on by one nut, so I decided to rip the bottom part off. Is it necessary to get a replacement or can i go without it?
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The wife's 1997 Mountaineer, 5.0 with all the bells and whistles, Every time she stops, wet, dry, snow, any type of surface, the ABS brakes activate just as she comes to a stop. Heavy pressure, light pressure, doesn't matter. She says it sounds like a cow mooo-ing. 138,000 miles. New pads and rotors were installed 40K miles ago (about 3 years ago) she doesn't drive much but the noise is aggravating. No check engine light, or ABS light. Seems to come on when it gets below 10mph consistently. The Engine light comes on occasionally with a catalytic converter fault, replaced the converters but still get the light. I don't think it is related.
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My son-in-law has a 2006 Honda Accord with over 160,000 miles on it. About 8 months ago, the check engine light came on. The code said the down stream oxygen sensor was bad. He took it to a Honda dealer and they replaced the sensor and now the check engine light is back on with the same code. Can the catalytic converter have gone bad and can it have made the oxygen sensor go bad too?
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I have a 1999 Honda Accord V6 with 101,000 miles - I am the second owner and the car was meticulously maintained and garage kept by the original owners. I need to have the timing belt replaced and am wondering if I should have the water pump and/or other parts replaced during this repair? Economic prudence is of the essence.
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I'm replacing the valve cover gasket on my 94 Honda Accord. I've heard all sorts of crazy opinions on what needs to be done while installing the gasket such as using various sealants or lubricants. Should anything be put on the gasket or should I just drop it in and screw the valve cover back on?
I'm also replacing the spark plugs while I'm at it. Is there anything else I should do while I'm in there?
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So, I just found out that the noise my car has been making is related to the power steering. The mechanic said I need to replace the pump, two belts and the high pressure line. The car is a 1993 Honda Accord LX. I can't afford to have the mechanic fix it, so I'm going to have to do it myself. My questions are:1) how long should it take me? I'm not experienced at all. I was thinking of just doing the high pressure line as a 'warm up' to start. Is half a day wishful thinking? Any tips?
2) The mechanic said the hose is leaking all over the belts. He said it was "squirting and pouring out". I tried to duplicate the squirting by turning the wheel all the way and revving the engine. What I saw was a very small leak at the joint. So small it wasn't falling, but I'm sure it would if I waited long enough. The belts appeared dry to me, but I'm not really sure what they are supposed to look like. The mechanic said that they are getting soaked in fluid and that I might throw a belt. Anyway, so my question is how can I tell if the belts are "soaked in" steering fluid.
3) I've been told that if the belts are getting steering fluid on them they might be responsible for the loud squealing noise when turning. If I clean the belts with degreaser, and the noise stops, does this mean that replacing the leaking hose would be sufficient?
I'm making a long road trip in about a week (ca to wa). I'd prefer to deal with the replacement when I get to wa, but I also don't want to make things worse.
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I bought a 2002 accord with 105800 miles 3 weeks ago. I got the timing belt and water pump replaced within a week of that. I have noticed that the car makes a high pitch noise upon accelerating after replacing the belt. It does not happen always, but sometimes. I have noticed it on 3 days in last 2 weeks. A preliminary web search tells me that it could be a tight timing belt.
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I have a 2002 Accord with about 130k miles on it and the brakes don't have nearly the power that they used to. The pads and rotors are due for replacement but even then, the system is pretty weak. Would replacing the master cylinder? What about simply replacing the brake fluid (I doubt it has ever been changed)? And/or the calipers? The car is in great condition and I really like it so I don't mind investing some time and money to get more years out of it.
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I recently had my catalytic converter replaced with a non-OEM cat. The check engine light came on and a different shop (different from the shop that replaced the cat) said that it will keep coming on because I had the cat replaced with a non-OEM cat.
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I have a 2001 VT GTI with 155K miles on it. It is in very good condition. I have loved the car except for the high maintenance costs that typically seem to be associated with VWs.
I found out this week after my check engine light came on that the car needs a new catalytic converter and a new new secondary air pump.
Let's assume that this diagnosis is correct and the repair is accurate for the sake of this posting (and I have no doubt it is). In other words, I don't want to get my question derailed on that issue.
The car has new Michelin tires on it and runs well. The problem is that it will fail the state emissions test I am required to take next December, and I will either be forced to have the car repaired or will not be able to get updated license tabs (isn't that sweet?!).
It seems that I have a few options:
1. Get the repair done (ouch) and keep driving the car for a few more years. Repair cost is about what the market value of the car is (from what I have seen).
2. Sell the car "as-is" between now and December and see what cash I can get out of it. Any buyer will discount the value of the vehicle based on the repairs needed. Of course, then I'll need a replacement vehicle of some sort.
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See related guides and technical advice from our community experts:
How to Replace a Catalytic Converter
Step by step instructions for do-it-yourself repairs
Browse all: Air Intake and Exhaust Guides
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I have a 2000 Lincoln Town Car with a single exhaust system, part of/attached to the frontal area of the exhaust "Y" pipe are two lumps with heat shields, the muffler is obvious in the mid-section of the car, but are those "lumps" the catalytic converters, and if so, why two when the older cars had only one?
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