Anyone have any insight into the possible cause of this code (P0430 -catalyst system efficiency below threshold (bank 2))?

 

yeah!! i got P0430 and the P0420 too.. this is a annoying stuff..i follow the TSB. I did a ECM update for my california spec and it didn't work..the code came back on after driving 25 miles..i put $160 to updated and feel so sad.now! i am so angry about the nisssan tech.that' all BS... probably it's the cat.one code for 1 cat.. urs is Bank 2 pre-cat!!!

 

Been there... the dealer will give you a large list of stuff adding up to about 2K plus labor. Replace the O2 sensors first (Buy them OEM style and get them installed by a mechanic). If that does not work, then look into the Cat. I have a Cali car and was able to replace the front down tube and the three way cat for less than 1K. Good luck!

 

I feel sorry for all ya suckas who didn't look into www.o2simulator.com, it works like a charm, I've had mine for almost a year. My cats where all fried due to alot of nitrous runs, weird A/F ratios I experimented with etc.. I have ZERO cats, and ZERO check engine lights on my car. As long as the MAIN rear cat works, you will pass emissions. And there is no 02 sensor behind the REAR main cat, unless you have a fed emissions 00 VQ.

 

I had to have my ECU reprogrammed after that code.

 

ohh...the o2simulator works? does it hurt the exhaust system? u said u are driving with no cats,,any problem will cause? if i get an original o2 sensors to replace..do u think will slove this P0420& P0430 problems...any suggestion?

 

yes the simulator works. I have NO cats, and there are NO problems with runing without any cats. It stinks a bit in the summer with the windows down. I wouldn't even bother getting 02 sensors for behind the cat, just a cheap simulator will fix that. Rear 02 sensors do not affect the way the engine runs- they just tell the ECU if the cats are working. If that sensor fails it will trip a check engine light, why pay 200+bux for new sensors, if the sim for 35 bux will fix that stupid light ?

 

I've had both. Currently I have 0430, for around 1 year.

Dealer ***&()*)s wanted 800. for a new cat, they replaced my ) 02 sensor by the radiator, didn't work. They also reprogrammed the ecu, no luck.

I just left it alone for now. Maybe I should try the simulator.

Which, brings me to the next question, What happens if I just pay 800 dollars for cattman headers and get the simulators? Any feedback out there?

 

You gain 20+WHP over stock, and have no CEL light on with the Simulators What I run on my Max. Paying 800+ bux for a cat is crazy, especially if the REAR main cat is working fine the car will polute the same amount if all 3 worked, and it will pass emissions. In my state they only do OBD checks- which means they hook up the scan tool to see if I got any codes. No codes means I pass, and my car polutes alot. This is how I get by with no cats.

 

I'm a little pissed because my $h!t was running fine. I had a WSP Y, CM Str8 pipe, GReddy Catback but I got tired of the loudness and wanted to go back to a stock setup. I then go to the for sale section and offer a trade to anyone local. All he had to pay for was the swap which I believe came out to 120.00. A week after the switch my SES came on. I always thought it was my turn to replace the coils but just put if off until I had some money.

Well my inspection was due so I tried to pull a fast one and just reset my ecu by unpluggin the battery overnight. It turns out that my ecu wasnt ready to give a proper reading so I failed my inspection.

So here I am with a farkin P0430 code from a system that I swapped with someone basically free of charge. BAH!

BlackBird...I'm going to give your suggestion a try. Do I buy the Universal DUAL OUTPUT o2 simulator? Thanks man...

 

i'm a little unclear about something...
which cat is showing as bad with this code - P0430?

i got this code too and dealer says bad front cat.

 

well! i am the victim too...but first i got p0420 and p0430 ..i upgraded ECM ..and the SES light back on after 30 miles..and i went to auto zone to check again... now only P0430 remain...and auto zone erased it for me and it doesn't come back yet...so i don't know my cat is fine or not!! maybe computer bugs ,oxygen sensor..etc...

P0430 is the front part of pre-cat (bank 2) it's a little pipe that connecting to the manifold..

 

I have always gotten the P0420/P0430 code from removing the cats due to headers, I have hooked up the DUAL version, I provided a 02 simulator install how to on the Org. Basically you need to cut the singal wire- WHITE one completly and leave it disconnected- while hooking up the simulator white singal wire to it- this will send a signal to the ECU making it think everything is fine. I would recomend getting the dual version even if you have just one code, cause if the other one pops up, then you just need to splice the white wire with the other 02 sensors singal wire and you are good to go.

 

If the damn code come back on,i will think about the simulator

 

P0430 has recurred for me about 3 times now. Not sure why, it just popped out of the blue one time and hasn't gone away. Thinking about the O2 simulator, maybe more around next spring when emissions are due
For now I just clear the code whenever it pops up.

 

i imagine it is ok to splice both wires into both sensors even if you only have one code right? it can't hurt, can it?

 

Thanks BlackBird. I'll prolly be ordering this Sim tomorrow.

 

blackbird!! can u provide the installation step by step for the error code P0430..is it the rear oxygen sensore(RED)??? and i don't understand the installation of the web site...plz help!!! i am gonna get a dual version

 

I just recieved the simulator and wanted to hook up the secondary O2 sensors signal back to ECU with the o/p of this device. The secondary O2 sensors have 4 wires, Black (signal, that needs to be cut), grey (ground), one white (+12V) and other white heater. The simulator's o/ps are Black (GND), Red (+12V) and white (o/p of the simulator) that needs to be connected back to ECU.

Based on what you said it wont work, the white from simulator needs to be connected to black wire connected to the sensor (this is what needs to be disconnected)... Meaning the black wire from sensor needs to be cut and the o/p from simulator (coming from white wire) connected back to the ECU. RIGHT!!!!

 

I followed blackbird to do before the connector,it has a solid connection. u are talking about black,2 white and grey that is after connector.the wire's colors are different...

 

BlackBIRDVQ- I feel like this might've been posted before, but I'm not sure--Do you have any writeups on installing the O2 simulator? Do you do it inside the cabin (tapping straight into ECU wiring, stealth-like) or do you have it mounted inside the engine bay?

 

Mine is mounted right in the engine bay, and the 02 simulator is connected BEFORE the Oxygen sensor connector. The wires go down to smaller gauge AFTER the connector, and change color. I chose to do mine BEFORE the connector cause EZ to access and wires are much bigger. When doing the dual version (single version has only one signal- white lead), you only hook up the RED of the Simulator to the Red and Yellow power wire, and Black of the simulator to the black of the vehicles harness- ON ONE OXYGEN SENSOR, the white wires (2 of them on the dual version ) connect to the WHITE wire, one on each O2 sensor. The red and black are only used on one oxygen sensor for power supply to the simulator, you only need to splice them in to get power. Then you CUT off the signal wire (White) so that the O2 Sensor doesn't send any info to the ECU, and connect the white wire off the simulator to the vehicles harness, the simulator is the only thing that is sending voltage reading to the ECU. I have had mine on the car for I wanna say 30K miles and have not had a problem, car passes emissions with 3 cats missing. I did do a write up on the .ORG on how to install one. I will take some pictures of the harness on which wire to tap into exacly, and how to do it RIGHT- then I will write it all up and make a moderator put this up as a sticky, "HOW TO FIX P0430 and P0420 cheap", sounds good ?

 

I kind of think it would be OK to strip the wires coming off the sensor than the ones coming from connector back to ECU. When the wires connected to the ECU are stipped it is permanent -- but if the sensors wires are stripped (they are already busted, why not ...) then if ones wants to put in a good sensor it would be OK down the lane.

 

Eighter way is good, just make sure you have a solid connection. I found my way working better BEFORE the connector than after. I kept on getting a MIL cause of a poor connection even with solder.

 

Someone please clarify, so p0430 means your pre-cat at the front of the engine, is fried? What does that mean exactly? Guts of the cat are gone or what?

So I could esentially have a free flowing pipe?? and this is why we get the SES?

 

It means your precats are aging and the ECU tolerance it expects the cats to be is too tight. So, you either A)replace the ypipe/cats and it happens 30-50K down the road again or B)get the ECU reprogrammed. However, the stealer/Ni$$an want to make money off you and don't want to just do the programming for free under the emissions warranty, so they use the loophole on 02s not being covered to *FORCE* you to pay them to replace both rear 02-sensors BEFORE they'll do the programming and BS diagnostic fee to tell you the exact same code/problem.

In a nutshell...

 

Icey2k1,
So I don't have to replace the main manifold that is bolted to the head?

Will aftermarket ypipe fix this?

 

On a Cali spec, you would have to replace one of the headers, since the precat is incorporated.

No, a ypipe won't fix this unless your cats were bad and your ECU didn't mind no cats. Some peoples' ECU tolerates headers and ypipes, while others throw a cat efficiency code. The ones that throw the code use the 02-simulators, ignore the CEL, or relocate the rear 02s behind the main cat.

 

IceY2k1
Thanks much,
The dealer wanted to replaced that manifold that has the pre-cat attached,($800) I got cold feet and didn't do it. I do have a Cali spec car, 5 speed.
Is that part accessible anywhere that you know of at a discount???

Thanks again.

 

Post in the classifieds section, the 3.5L manifold- front one is identical to our 01 Cali specs. EVERY ECU will throw a cat effieciency code once the precat- front one is removed, it don't matter if its a 01,02,03,04 or 05 Maxima. For the price of the manifold and precat you can buy a set of headers, and 02 simulator, gain power and never have to worry bout the precat failing. In some cases like the QR25DE engine found in the Sentra SE-R (02-05) and Altima 2.5L, the precat would fall apart and engine would start to suck the particles in durring deceleration- revision of the exhaust would cause the particles to go inside the engine and score up cylinder walls and destroy piston rings. These 2.5L engines where recalled for a faulty cat, by Nissan. My precat was falln apart and I caught it before any damage was done, there was some particles in my exhaust when I removed it and traced it down to the precat. I repleaced the manifolds with headers and never had the issue again. Precats are only for start up emissions, thats why ALOT of todays cars have them. They light up and operate alot quicker due to shorter path of the exhaust to the cat vs having the cat 4 feet away from the cylinder heads. It took alot longer to heat up the main cat vs precats due to the exhaust temperature drop by the time exhaust reached the main cat. You could also get a manifold off a federal spec car, and federal spec aftermarket Ypipe, throw a 02 simulator on it and call it a day. There are few diff ways bout going around the P0420 and P0430 code, its up to you which way you want to do it.