Toyota - 4runner :: 2002 - Code P0420 But Only When Driving On Dirt Roads
Mar 3, 2014
2002 4Runner 4x4, 180K miles. I bought this car about a year ago and don't know anything about its history before that but it seems to be in good shape.
About every month or two I take a trip that includes driving a few miles on a dirt road. It is a graded road in pretty decent shape. What has happened about 6 times during the year is that the CEL comes on while I am driving on the dirt road. The car continues to run well. When I get home and hook up my code reader the code is always P0420 Catalyst efficiency below threshold.
To save everyone the trouble of looking that up, this code indicates that either the upstream or downstream A/F Ratio sensor is bad. If both sensors test good then it is probably a bad cat.
What is different here is that after I clear the code, the CEL stays off as long as I stay on paved roads. So to summarize, I don't get the code every time I drive on a dirt road but every time the CEL has come on it is while I was on a dirt road.
So it seems that something about driving on a dirt road causes the CEL. Two obvious things you get on a dirt road are dust and vibration. What could be causing this? I did a visual inspection of the whole exhaust but did not see anything obvious such as cracks or leaks.
And of course I could live with this if I have to since it comes up under such limited circumstances. I just like to keep my cars running properly.
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I have recently had about $1620 worth of work done on my 2000 4Runner because the check engine light came on and the code was P0420.. My invoice says they replaced the exhaust pipe assembly. Now 2 weeks later the light is back on with the same code...are the 02 sensors part of the "exhaust pipe assembly" or are they now going to tell me I need a bunch (2-4) 02 sensors replaced.
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I have a 2003 2wd F250 with the 7.3l. I replaced the stock tail gate with an aftermarket 5th wheel tailgate. Seems to work good but a couple of times the bottom of the tail gate where the hinge connects pops out when on dirt roads. I know it is probably from the shaking and rattling that the road causes but any way to prevent that from happening? I know most will say stay off the dirt roads but until they pave the road to the dunes camping spot I'm stuck with going down it.
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My Toyota Tacoma is reporting (via an affordable OBD-II scanner) the same P0420 code: First as a regular code, then as a pending code. What could that mean?
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I have a problem that has being going on with my 2000 toyota celica gt has been sputtering/jerking when going at a constant speed of about 60 mph. The problem is interment. I have changed everything from cam sensor when it came up on the scanner. Also changed the fuel filter and fuel pump. I changed the spark plugs. No luck the problem went away for about 2 weeks when I changed the fuel pump and filter but it came back. I got it scanned and the only code that comes up is P0420 which is a catalytic converter code. I have no clue where to go from here.
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I have a 2002 GTI 337, 1.8T and I get the faulty code P0420 insuf.cat flow?? ... it is a way arround it
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P0420 bank 1 code popped up while driving. Im thinking this is just an oxygen sensor? Is it ok to drive with this code for a while if i buy an o2 sensor online?
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Symptoms:
-Car "Surges" at any speed. Loss of power is significant.
-Check engine light is on , DTC code = P0420
Tried:
-Fuel injector cleaner
-Spark plugs replaced around 40k miles ago
-Checked for leaking valve cover gasket (oil in plug wells) None
Can a clogged fuel filter cause this? At idle the car is fine, the symptoms seem to only occur when car is under load (In drive). My son drove this car an it always seemed empty meaning he never put much gas in it.
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I have a 2003 Toyota Corolla, mileage app. 106,000. Check engine light first came on when driving to destination 40+ miles away (most of my driving is shorter, around-town trips). My mechanic said code is P0420 and so they reset it and said if it comes on again that I need a new cat converter. It did not come on until about 6 weeks later when I was on a longer trip again (had driven about 40-50 miles). Can you tell me if the P0420 code absolutely means that a new cat. conv. is needed or if it could possibly be a sensor or something else hopefully less costly than a new cc?
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I have had my 2002 Toyota 4 Runner SR5 for a few years now and it's been a vRttery. But now they are coming on within each fill up and within the first 100 miles of driving. So I had this Mobil Mechanic come by a couple of times and tell me that his little gizmo says that it is the Catalytic converter. Of course I'm skeptical because the Trac and VSC lights are on as well as the Check light. I'm thinking that maybe he has a cheapo little gizmo and that maybe it has something to do with the brake system.What do you think?
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1996 4runner here (187,500miles), with weld in after market cat (on when purchased, with less than 1000 mile on it). started throwing the 420 code beginning of last summer. Replaced both O2 sensors and same results. Was coming on after every 30-40 miles after resetting, replaced wires, plugs, cleaned throttle body started coming on ever 120 miles or so. Now in the middle of winter it has gone 450 miles and still has not come back on?? Does the winter fuel blends in Georgia, or cold more dense air make a difference on cat performance? Still plan to replace it with a direct fit with a warranty but curious if I am overlooking something.
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I have been getting a CEL P0420 for low cat efficiency bank 1 on my 2002 Ford Escape V6. The truck runs fine otherwise. I have ran two loads of Cataclean and the light keeps coming back a few days after CEL reset so I am pretty sure one of cats is done. I am going to replace with an aftermarket cat. My question is, with this code, do I need to replace the front exhaust manifold cat or the rear manifold cat?
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I recently moved to a place in the Caribbean that has very steep paved & unpaved roads, lots of potholes. I have a 2002 Chevy blazer, has 4wd, hi & low (not automatic 4wd). What is the best way to drive these roads? Someone told me its ok to leave the truck in 4wd when on "the country" roads even though they are paved but the Chevy manual says not to do this. I have been putting it in second to go down the hills. Still figuring out up hill. I'm not used to driving this terrain and want to learn it right.
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My 2002 hyundai sonata drives fine but when i drive it on poth holes or rough roads, the car sways. What the problem is?
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I have a 2002 Subaru Outback that has started overheating only when I try to go up into the mountains. It starts within a few miles of starting up a steep grade and cools down the instant you start down the mountain. I have had no problems with regular driving conditions. The only pertinent info might be that it did have a coolant leak last summer and overheated then.
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TOYOTA 4Runner 2002. Have an annoying problem with climate control. Control working intermittently,. Cannot control desire temperature. I read there are very common symptoms for all 1999-2002 Toyota 4Runner LE.
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Just replaced the starter and battery on my old but loved 4Runner. I drove it for an hour and a half last week and couldn't restart it. Just nothing - one click I think. A friend tapped on the starter and it started...but I'm not sure whether the car just cooled down at that point. Took it to the garage and they said they couldn't find anything wrong (no surprise, right?) Now I'm afraid to take longer trips.
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I have a 2002 4Runner that has recently developed a vibration at freeway speeds. I purchased new tires about two months before the vibration started. I have been back to the place where I bought my tires and the assure me that they are balanced.
I have been dealing with this problem for the past couple of months and have been getting nowhere. When I took my 4Runner into the dealership to get the lower ball joint replaced I spoke with the service folks about the vibration problem and all I got in response was "we've never heard of that before".
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Some background. I have a 1998 Toyota 4Runner V6 2WD with about 150,000 miles. A few months ago the check engine light was flashing when I am travelling over 70mph. The dealership said nothing is wrong when I asked them to look into it. But I didn't get any codes from it. I read on-line that it could be a possible misfire so I changed the plugs and wires.
A few weeks ago, the check engine light came on and stayed on. I took it to a dealership to diagnosis the problem, they came up with Mass Air Flow sensor was shot. I replaced that, and reset the computer. It still comes on and flashes at highway speeds. I bought a low end computer to read the codes.
I got P300 (Random/Multiple Misfire), P302 (Cylinder 2 Misfire) and P305 (Cylinder 5 Misfire). Cylinder 5 has the coil-pack and Cylinder 2 has the wire coming off the coil-pack for Cylinder 5. So I replaced the coil-pack. The light is still coming on and flashing. How to stop the light from flashing. It comes on only when I am travelling past 70MPH. I have tried just rev'ing the engine up to the same RPM's as I am running when doing 70, but the light doesn't flash then.
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My 2003 Honda Element sometimes generates a vibration that feels just like driving down a washboard dirt road. You know one that the ridges are very close together. This only happens around 40 MPH with a load on the engine. At first I thought it was a wheel, tire or suspension issue. But I can make it stop instantly by pushing or releasing the gas pedal. So this leads me to think it is transmission related. This is a automatic. I would like to see the car sometime but would not feel right about passing on this problem without knowing the cost to fix it. Stumped in Seattle.
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I just got a 2007 Prius and using it mostly on a dirt/rough road. My problem is that there is a metal cranking noise coming from under car and trunk. This is nit happened when i drive on a good road.
I already asked the mechanic to check sway bar, shocks, struts, and brake. They said everything is okay except the front left strut boots which is already worn out. But the strut itself is still in good condition.
I'm OK everything except the noise. Already replaced new tires but it doesn't work....
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