Can You Clean Your Catalytic Converter to Fix a P0420 Code? | The Fixit shed
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- čas přidán 2. 08. 2022
- UPDATE: This does NOT appear to have worked for me, as my check engine light came back on. I will update more when I have more information.
I have a check engine light on my Toyota Matrix (Code P0420). Before I spend over $1000 to replace the catalytic converters (it has 2), I want to see if there is a way to remedy the problem less expensively. Scotty Kilmer has put up a controversial video about using Lacquer Thinner mixed into your gas to clean the catalytic converter. I trust his years of experience as a mechanic, so I am going to give it a try. If the catalytic converter is worn out or damaged, this won't help, but if it is just dirty, this may do the trick and get the light to go out.
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Thank you for taking the time to make this video. It was very useful and informative
Glad you enjoyed it! I wish it had worked.
He had to drive it 550 miles
I was getting a P0430 code, I did a temp test on my cats, hotter on the engine side by 100F, could not pass California smog. I did 1 gallon liquor thinner in a half tank. Passed smog today. 2015 F150 v6 3.5 TT ecoboost. 100% worked for me.
Awesome! I am glad it was successful for you.
Congrats!!! Thx for sharing
Did you feel a performance/ mpg gain? Also what’s the temperature now?
How big is your tank? I have A 10.5 Gallon tank. So 1/2 a tank would be 5 1/4 gallons of gas.
I am thinking of putting 3/4 gallon of Lacquer thinner in there.
@@MikeKollin I think my tank is about 20 gallons. So 1 gallon on a pretty full tank would be about the same for you as I did. Under very certain traffic conditions (bumper to bumper) I got codes about 6 months after the adding the thinner. This has seemingly gone away over time with no other work on my exhaust system.
To protect the o-rings , the thinner has to be used up asap keeping revs.high at all times. Fill up and run out the residue thinner
Thanks for the video! They make a converter cleaner additive now but it's pricey. I wonder if it has thinner in it.
The Scotty kilmer video mentions them, but he prefers the thinner. The Stanle Way videos compare how gas, thinner and cat cleaner all effect rubber o-rings. The cat cleaner and the thinner have similar results.
I think the lacquer thinner should be all used up otherwise the rubber/ plastic parts would be damaged.
It should also follow with an oil change
I got a P420 code about two months ago. I reset it with my code reader tool. It never came back on. My vehicle just failed smog. I was hoping it was just a false code before but I guess it wasn’t even though it didn’t come back on. I’ll try cleaning the catalytic converter this time and see what happens.
Good luck. I am still battling with it.
Thank you I got hope
I hope it works for you. It didn't help me. I ended up getting the cat replaced. On the bright side, it was under warrantee (5 year), so it didn't cost me anything.
you have to do a full drive cycle for the lite to see if it works or not.
Correct. It did come back on. I have taken it to Toyota and they say it is the cat in the pipe. I took it back to the shop where the exhaust was put on 3 years ago. The exhaust had a 5 year warranty, so the shop is going to replace it.
What I believe, If the car burns oil, then inside the catalytic will be full of carbon and soot. When you add thinner, all the carbon built on the valves and pistons will goes out and block the catalytic again because wont go through. Thinner might works if the engine doesn't burn oil. I have camry 07 over 333K and i know the cat is bad what I'm going to do is to take of o2 before cat and spray cans of carbon clean and keep it over night. Or I need to try plan B.
Interesting. let me know how it works out. My Matrix does not burn oil. 100k miles seems early for the cat to be going bad.
Ok..Yes Oil burning entering exhaust/ O2/Cats will cause 420/430 codes..But if you have to legally smog the car to drive..and its too expensive to fix oil problems-Valve Seals-Guides-Rings..Do the One gallon Thinner to 5 gallons gas just to get through it..I understand high mileage cars and blue book values have to match for repairs.....
Check engine light has been on since 2018 on my Kia Carnival. Still going strong.
Doesn't work like that where I live. If the check engine light is on, it doesn't pass inspection. Car is dead at that point, basically. Have to move or sell it to someone who lives where there is no emissions inspection.
Any suggestion for doing this but at idle? Rpms and for how long? For those of us who cannot drive 100 plus miles at 70mph?
Not really. I suspect temperature has an effect. Idling won't get the exhaust up to the same temp as driving at 70mph for 1.5 hrs. In the end, this didn't work for me, anyway.
@@TheFixitShed Sorry When I stated idle I meant running the car at about 2500 rpms parked for a hour or more with fan in front to replicate moving.
@@electric8668 according to Scotty (czcams.com/video/5icTmYItwiE/video.htmlsi=Yl541AmLule7ezjU) 30 minutes at 2500 rpm
My 2004 matrix has only 69k miles , i have p0420 any info what to do?
2 years later I am still fighting this battle. I think, the "new" cat went bad after 9 months. I have replaced O2 sensors with no change. Wth only 69k miles your cat shouldn't have gone bad, but there are many factors. If trying to clean it, as in the video, doesn't work, I don't have a cheap answer for you.
so did u end up trying the o2 sensors?
Not yet. My son has the car at school. Probably this summer.
Worked for me along side sea foam. I drove about 200 miles tho after first 100 miles I added another gal of it.
Glad to hear it worked out for you!
Just replace the o2 sensor, have the aame issue with my 7th gen civic when i took down the catalyst it was clean so i tried cleaning the o2 sensor and the code didnt come on till after a month r so and normally before i clean it the code would just come on each time i go over 120km so only thing left to do is just replace the 02 sensor and check my injectors cause am burnig gas real badly
Tried that. Didn't help. Ended up getting the cat replaced under warranty because it was defective.
U need to drive it some more a total of 550 miles until its off by it self
The lacquer thinner hack did not work on my 2009 Acadia with the 420 and 430 codes. I followed instructions precisely.
It didn't work for me either. I am going to look at the O2 sensors next, when my son brings the car back.
I have the same problem on my 2008 gmc acadia I'm in california And is $2500 Crazy And other states is $200
@@TheFixitShed you have to find the root cause why the Cat went/going bad else it will happen every drive cycle!
@@bowe1978exactly. Mine was pcv valve , they were blocked, adding oil into the air intake. Fixed that, cleaned throttle n replaced air filter and no more code, but I'm gonna do the thinner as a preventative measure anyway
First test ur o2 sensor then u have to drive it 550 miles idiots
My tank is 10 1/2 gallons.
So 1/2 a tank is just over 5 gallons!
I assume I would put 1/2 a gallon of lacquer thinner or just a little over.
It is an imprecise ratio. My Matrix gas tank is 13.2 gallons and I used 1 gallon of LT at half a tank of gas.
How’s the car running?
So far so good. It ran well on the long trip. I couldn't tell the difference with the thinner in there. I believe the check engine light is still off. My son drives it and he hasn't told me that it came back on yet. If the the cat is damaged or worn our, it won't fix those problems.
Update?
It did not fix my P0420 error code. It came back. I think I am going to look at O2 sensors next.
This video is over a year old so didn't the check engine light come back?
The CEL did come back on. the computer got into a weird state briefly where the code was "pending", so the computer had enough data, but the CEL hadn't come on yet, so it passed inspection. Then I did nothing for a few months. I took it to Toyota and asked them to identify the problem, and they said it was the cat in the pipe. I took it back to my repair shop and they said they could remove it and send it back to the manufacturer, but if they determined that it wasn't the cat, then they wouldn't honor the warrantee. I waited a few more months, and the exhaust systemm just rotted out (3 years after installation). This whole system was garbage. I don't blame my repair shop, they had a hard time finding one, as it was during the time of supply chain issues. So this was the only thing they could find. Anyway, they took the rotten system and sent it back to their supplier who honored the warrantee and sourced a new exhaust system from a different manufacturer (hopefully better). I just had to pay my shops labor to install it.
Well, you had to try. Did you eventually change the cat?
Not yet. The light did stay off long enough for me to get the car past inspection, but my son has the car at school so, maybe the summer
I like the Matrix 👌
Thanks! Me too.
When gas hit 5 dollars a gallon(thanks biden) I sold my truck and bought a matrix xr 95ooomi 37oodollar what a great car, I'm NEVER selling it
Has anyone tried this on a gen 2 Prius?
I haven't. If you do, please leave a comment letting us know how it went
WHAT DID YOU FINALLY FIND WAS THE CAUSE OF THE P0420???
The exhaust rusted out after only 3 years and the whole system was replaced under warranty. With the new exhaust (including cat) I no longer get the error code. So I am guessing the cat went bad.
Erasing the code doesn’t fix the problem it only prolongs the repair. Every time you erase code you turn off the computer monitors in the system and drive cycles are required to reset the monitors. Better to leave engine light on and allow the computer to turn off light on its own after the repair. The engine light helps guide you in what’s wrong.
ok, but I don't see how it prolongs the repair in this case. I had to drive through a half tank of gas either way. If I don't clear the code, how will I know if the computer has enough data to clear it? If the light doesn't go out, is it beacuse it didn't work or because it hasn't accumulated sufficient data, yet? If I clear the code, I can see after driving for a while that all the modules have sufficient data, and I know if the light didn't come back on it was fixed. if it comes back on, then it didn't work.
My Volvo has two clogged cats. Luckily they unbolt so I’m just going to stand out the honeycomb and be done with it. I’m not running lacquer thinner through my engine.
Lacquer Thinner is Acetone/Xylene/Toluene..All 110 octane racing additives..One gallon mix with 5 gallons gas is fine for Carb/ Injection/ Lines/ Pump...Just follow this mix..Dont gut out the Cats like everyone else...
@@tonybernheim8365glad I gutted them. Cat 1 on the left side had already broken up and clogged cat 2
What if the vehicle cant get to to highway speeds? Seriously not a joke!!!
If you are getting a P0420 and you cannot reach highway speeds, I would look for a blockage in the exhaust. I would suspect something is restricting the airflow.
My car lexus rx 2004 with 168K miles. I poured in a gallon of lacquer at 1/4 of the tank. Did not work. I poured in another gallon at 1/2 tank. I drove 500 miles in total. Did not work.
me neither
It didn’t work because you have other problems clean the cat but you have other issues causing if you could have a misfire code. You could have a vacuum leak there’s a number of things that are caused the same code. Do you have to diagnose it and it will drive you up a wall this code if anything it’s just a little bit out of whack, it will throw this code
@@CharlesLease-ei1eeagreed, mine was clogged pcv valves pushing oil into air intake. Replaced pcv valves, replaced filter and wammo... doing the thinner for preventative measures soon...
Mass air flow sensor has its own code
Wrong because the mass airflow sensor affects the transmission pattern. If it’s dirty, I had a calibration it’ll affect your fuel trims the air everything about that motor. If you have a transmission acting up, you need to clean the mass airflow sensor and look at the data and you may have to replace it .
@@CharlesLease-ei1ee
You are incorrect. P0420 comes from the exhaust. In my case, bad downstream sensor.
MAF has nothing to do with exhaust flow. Research it.
Mine was the downstream sensor was bad.
MAF is not PO420
Scotty Kilmer is nuts. I'd never put thinner in it.
It is possible that a jelly is formed and it needs to be dissolved before you start replacing anything this heplen in my Big rig mechanich ask 15 yr before 2500 but cost me only day clening / now posible is same problems with fiul pump and code po420 to . W.lewam do tabnku seefoom and cleen cat > ?? winter winter can made big problems
This was a problem for 2 or 3 years, so not a winter issue. I took it to Toyota and they said it was the cat in the pipe, but wanted $2500 to put a new exhaust system on the car. Took it back to my mechanic. The 2 year old exhaust had a 5 year warrantee on it, but they would have to remove it and send it back to the company who would inspect it to see if it was, in fact, the cat. They noticed an inconsistency with the O2 sensors, so we tried changing those, which worked long enough to get it to pass inspection. Finally, 2 months ago, the cheap after-market exhaust rusted through, and my mechanic pulled the whole system out and sent it back. The company honored the warrantee and the new exhaust was free (though I did have to pay for installation). It has been a couple months and the P0420 code has not come back. So it does appear that it was a bad aftermarket cat. Seafoam is good for cleaning carbon deposits inside the engine. It won't disolve the oily residue that generally clogs catalytic converters.
I had tried but it didn't work. My scanner graph 📉 was showing me my B#1S#2 all over my screen. It came back anyway. I ended up changing my catalytic converter. My mechanic gave me back my old one and he told me the honeycomb inside got cracked a lil bit and also made a rattling noise at 3500 rpm . Raise your rpm around 3500Rpm for 2-3 seconds and release and try to listen if there's any rattling type noise coming from the engine bay or where the catalytic converter is. A damaged catalytic converter makes noise. Chances are very low that lacquer thinner will fix P0420. Wishing you good luck 🤞
Correct. If the cat is damaged or worn out, this will not fix it. If it is dirty, it might help. Mine does not rattle, and it only has 94k miles. Keeping my fingers crossed
@@TheFixitShed my 2016 Mazda CX-5 had only 39700 miles when it got damaged. I realized I could get a federal emission warranty after I had spent $1700. So a catalytic converter can get damaged at any time 😌
Yeah, if it’s cracked or fully plugged or melted down it won’t fix it that’s what a lot of people don’t understand. Do you have to fix the main problem if you got other codes in the system you have to fix those first all these people just want oh it works no matter if you got 30 different codes for driver building issues, you got a fix so first you gotta go down the line, troubleshoot it fix it it’s not a magic trick just just me Cuz you have that code doesn’t mean that is the main problem you could have a exhaust leak do you have an intake leak and a number of things