P0420

Tiny
JWO101
  • MEMBER
  • CHEVROLET
Hi Guys new to the site want to give you a try, it's a goody. My wife has a 2001 chevy camaro, 3.8L, 102,000 miles. We keep getting the code P0420 which is catalyst below range left bank.
I replaced the converter at 83,000 (had come apart inside) with a high flow universal at my local muffler shop. The factoy one cost $550 plus my old one, the muffler shop cost $175, the walker one cost $358. Ok here's where the fun starts. Everyone told me that it had to be torch welded because of the material the factory pipe was made of. Ok i'm a mechanic but I don't do exhaust for the reason of I don't have a lift yet. Of course I had to take it back several times for the weld breaking. And allowing o2 into the system and being noisy. The p0420 continued to show up all through this. About 2
months ago I order a replacement from walker muffler (the replacement goes from manifolds to the next section behind the trans. Of course it was made wrong and wouldn't fit. While I had it off I noticed that the 3" section of pipe going into the converter was steel, not alumnized, so I welded it with my mig.I had already replaced both o2 sensors in the manifolds and the downstream one also. Now I have an airtight system, 4days later the light came back on with a p0420. Any ideas?
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Tuesday, January 9th, 2007 AT 2:50 PM

2 Replies

Tiny
CARUNDELL
  • MECHANIC
  • 602 POSTS
Hey jw!
Before we go any further. Do you have a scanner or labscope so you can graph that post cat O2? I say this because we need to verify the signal being sent back to the pcm. Pm or email me

Chris
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Tuesday, January 9th, 2007 AT 3:33 PM
Tiny
JWO101
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Now it's even better, my actron reader quit working.
It's been a good one, lasted 7 years, time for a new one. Been looking at an x-ray, any thoughts?
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Tuesday, January 9th, 2007 AT 7:00 PM

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