below90hz

First let me note that my car is a 2000 I30, and I know there's a section for them, but to be honest this board sees a lot more traffic so I'm hoping for a better chance of success. Here's the rundown:

1) summer of 2009 - SES, TCS and SLIP lights come on. take it to Autozone and the codes come back as P0420 and P1320. Not too worried about 1320, but 0420 means it won't pass emissions.

2) december 2009 car fails emissions of course, so I have a THIS pre-cat installed. (It is the one up front near the radiator). It does not clear SES lights. (I think that was the wrong one for a P0420 anyways). I get a waiver.

3) 1 year later, December 2010 take it to another garage and this time instead of a P0420, now it kicks a P0430. Weird. Mechanic tells me all four sensors are reading about the same. I decide to take it home and try the anti-fouler mod on my O2 sensors (I have four, cali-spec'd), and again no change, lights still on. (disconnect battery and all that of course).

4) Did more research and I'm still not sure what to try next.

I found one guy say he had same problems as me, and that installing grounding cables not only solved the SES light and codes, but also got rid of rough start. I'm wondering if that might solve both my codes (I also replaced all six ignition coils in an attempt to fix P1320. It did not work and car still misfires and stumbles in cold weather).

A couple other guys say new crank/cam sensors fixed their problems.

I'm driving around with expired stickers and I just need some help figuring out what should be my next move. Do I try grounding cables next since they're the cheapest option? Or just replace the other pre-cat? The main cat? The sensors themselves?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Ethan

kcxd35

iTrader: (2)

How much did you pay for that?

foodmanry

iTrader: (15)

Hmmm..it sounds like maybe it could be related to your O2 sensors. Both P0420, and P0430 codes can be related to O2 sensors. How many miles on your O2 sensors?

Xarles

iTrader: (2)

I'm currently running with a p0430 code, but what Ive done so far and from the people I've talked to the best thing to do first for a precat code, is to replace the o2 sensors on either side, in your case all 4(maybe 3 but I'm pretty sure its 4).
If that doesn't fix it get a new precat, or try to get a low-mile used one.
My precat is on the way, and just fyi some would reccomend(not me because I dont think its legal) to just punch out the filter element in your precat and move on.
Another option, which I wont experiment with until i get some headers is the o2 sim which should fix any cat codes on your ECU.

P. Samson

To rehash once again.......there are a wack of other issues that can cause the ECM to set the P0420/P0430 codes:

Catalyst system efficiency
below threshold
Three way catalyst (manifold) does not operate
properly, three way catalyst (manifold) does not
have enough oxygen storage capacity.
I Warm-up three way catalyst
I Exhaust tube
I Intake air leaks
I Injectors
I Injector leaks
I Spark plug
I Improper ignition timing

P. Samson

To the OP.......your P1320 can also be caused by an ignition coil going south particularly when accompanied by the TCS and SLIP lights coming on. It can also be intermittent for quite a long time/lots of driving cycles before setting the specific cylinder misfire code. A misfire dumps extra O2 into the exhaust that can exceed the "oxygen storage capacity".

Love_00_Max

Cats, Pre-cats are designed for the life of the vehicle (therorictally but not true, the biggest culprit for failure is breaking of welds and faulty coils). We have faulty coils which when run for a long time unfixed foul the pre-cats and then the cats.

If the coil is quickly diagnosed and fixed along with the fouled out O2s (thx to faulty coils) u will be back to w/o codes.

We have pissoff coils and replacing them with 2001 coils does not solve the problem. It will come back as it did w/ me, I replaced the coil packs @ 60K and one 2K1 coil failed @180K. So the max's are coil chewers... If coils fail everything downstream fails. Period.

below90hz

so is the general concensus then that I should try the O2 sensors next? because I did put in new coils back in 2008 and the car still misfired and would still sputter during startup in cold weather. I got the SES light a year afterwards. So I guess by then the O2 sensors were already jacked?

Love_00_Max

Listen you have invested a lot of money into this dying investment, I will go ahead and change the O2s and call it a day. Remember all those O2 simulator threads are a joke, replace the O2s and my P0430/P0430 never came back after replacing my O2s @ 80K.

Now with 190K, I get an occassional P0430 but I have to do smog every other year in CA and my cats are workings like a charm. Low emmissions, I choreograph the SES and resolve them just before going to smog checks, I know very well I will pass since the cats/precats work. It is the stupid hypersensitive ECM that ****kkkss around now and then if a coil is lazy or a O2 is on it way out, or a bad gas, whatever.....

Therefore nonone should replace their cats/precats don't falloff and fail, period. It is the coils, O2s that are most suspicious. Stupid designers they map all emmissions onto 2 freaking codes making debug a nightmare...

Yes get the O2s from www.ngk.com (they lasted 100K for me)

below90hz

your passionate response has convinced me sir. now how hard is it to do this myself? i think I can do the rear (red and white) sensors myself since I already know where they are and everything, but it looks like the front sensors are a little trickier to get to...

Love_00_Max

Rent the O2 sensor tool from autozone and spray PB blaster on the O2s hex surfaces continously for 2 days. Then tackle the suckers, if you live in snow country get mentally prepared for the ones in the bottom can be tough with rust and whatnot, the ones in the front near radiator and the one near the PS pump are real easy. The ones in the bottom are easy too but it depends what they are exposed toooo.. Nothing is tough take ur time, I will never get new sensors and have someone install it for me.

BTW never drop the sensors be nice to them and DONOT put antisieze on the threads. Put engine oil liberally..

cmd26

iTrader: (6)

Op I have this code and I passed inspection in nj. My ses light would go off n on when it went off I went to inspection station and passed for emissions. Hope this helps.

below90hz

Well i already had the two rear sensors off to do the non-fouler mod, so I know I can pop them off pretty easy. I guess I was more concerned about how to get to the other two sensors. And I was concerned about the difficulty level of re-routing the wiring harnesses. But it sounds to me like you're saying the toughest part is just getting the sensors off, so it sounds like I shouldn't have any trouble.

Now one more question: why do i need the O2 sensor from Autozone? I'm just gonna replace all four, right?

btw thanks for all the responses guys, you've all been helpful.

oh i forgot: foodmanry - my baby has 97000 miles on her.

joeltender

I had the 420 for awhile! Oddly enough I did my first ever seafoam treatment, erased code with my obd2 and haven't seen it since. I almost did the sensors, then would of replaced my cat(s). It's been 1.5 years and 25000 miles and no 420

trooplewis

iTrader: (1)

I got that code on my 2003 Altima with the 3.5VQ in it.

Ran two cans of Seafoam through the gas tank, reset the code, ran nothing but Shell premium, and it stayed out.
It came back a few months later when a filled my tank with Chevron Premium!
I ran that tank almost to empty, filled again with Shell Premium, and the light went out on its own and never came back. go figure.

So now I don't put anything but Shell Premium in myh 3.5VQ. I hate it, but it runs best on that stuff.

mmeesun

------------------------
Hi,

Did you replaced the O2 sensors ? and it helped to get rid out of the SES light and Smog cleared ?

I have similar problem getting both P0420 and P0430. Nissan asked me to change all Cats and O2s which comes around 3000$ with labor. I am running around with this problem for more than 3 months. Please advise me.

I have 98000 miles in my car (Maxima GE 2001)

Thanks
MS

015thGenMax

If it were just the precat and sensors were good.. Could replacement of headers and ypipe take care of this also..?? If so the spark plug nonfoulers are needed, what sensors on a 01 ae would need this mod..?thanks

mahanddeem

P0420 and P0430 are not funny or gas codes (that's if you do care about your engine)....

Start by checking the down stream oxygen sensors (2 of 'em in the 5.5 gen,not sure about the 5th gen) , replace if you have to , then clear the codes and CEL
Second , if they (or one of them) keeps coming back , you have the problem right there , Change the precats (P0420 = the rear precat , P0430 = the front precat) , I would do both of them toghther) ...... Take me advice , I've been there and I am not dissing things here.

foodmanry

iTrader: (15)

Good advice if you care about emissions, but if you are in a state which does not monitor emissions then you can remove or gut the pre-cats. The pre-cats are there more for the warming up stage of the car to remove emissions.

If you want good fuel economy and don't have to worry about emissions I would recommend you gut the pre-cats and replace your O2 sensors.

jamrock

im new here and i was looking around for a aftermarket header for my 00 se with cali spec but all i keep seeing is ones for fed spec all needing mods to fit cali .... i was wondering if i go with a complete exhaust from the header to muffler with fed spec if could be done without and mods. or if anyone can point me in the right direction to find a good direct fit aftermarket header...
p.s. dont care about losing the pre cats i will be going with the 02 sim if necessary