RonParise
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- December 5, 2019
- Messages
- 102
- Reaction score
- 66
- City, State
- Ft Myers Fl
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2011 Explorer limited
This might be longer than you want to read, so first my conclusion
P0420? try Cataclean. It worked for me
As I was accelerating on to the Interstate, I heard what seemed to be one of those guys that tune their cars to backfire on demand (burble) screaming by me.
Turned out to be me. My first thought was that my high mileage 2011 Explorer, (3.5 l, 360000 miles) had blown up, But no; the sound stopped and I drove on as usual. It happened several times in the next few days. my scanner gave code P0420 which pointed to the bank 1 catalytic converter. I did some reading and youtube viewing to learn that catalytic converters dont fail on their own.. Something else; another problem caused it. If you replace the catalytic converter, without fixing the underlying problem, it will fail again.
So I had a cylinder 3 misfire recently, fixed with new plugs and coils. (It was time) Maybe thats the cause. I went to my new mechanic (he did the plugs and coils) he gave me a price of over $1200 for the catalytic converter. and told me there was no connection between the misfire and the failed catalytic converter. I think he is wrong and I wont go back to him
I crawled under the car to see if I could do it myself....that aint gonna happen, so back to the computer and I saw you could clean these things, or buy cheap aftermarket parts and I saw a product called "Cataclean". On the theory that you start with the cheapest possible solution and if needed work up to the more expensive, I bought a bottle, ($25) and it worked. The noise stopped and the code P0420 dosent come up any more...looking at 400000 miles by the end of the year
P0420? try Cataclean. It worked for me
As I was accelerating on to the Interstate, I heard what seemed to be one of those guys that tune their cars to backfire on demand (burble) screaming by me.
Turned out to be me. My first thought was that my high mileage 2011 Explorer, (3.5 l, 360000 miles) had blown up, But no; the sound stopped and I drove on as usual. It happened several times in the next few days. my scanner gave code P0420 which pointed to the bank 1 catalytic converter. I did some reading and youtube viewing to learn that catalytic converters dont fail on their own.. Something else; another problem caused it. If you replace the catalytic converter, without fixing the underlying problem, it will fail again.
So I had a cylinder 3 misfire recently, fixed with new plugs and coils. (It was time) Maybe thats the cause. I went to my new mechanic (he did the plugs and coils) he gave me a price of over $1200 for the catalytic converter. and told me there was no connection between the misfire and the failed catalytic converter. I think he is wrong and I wont go back to him
I crawled under the car to see if I could do it myself....that aint gonna happen, so back to the computer and I saw you could clean these things, or buy cheap aftermarket parts and I saw a product called "Cataclean". On the theory that you start with the cheapest possible solution and if needed work up to the more expensive, I bought a bottle, ($25) and it worked. The noise stopped and the code P0420 dosent come up any more...looking at 400000 miles by the end of the year