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Check Engine P0430

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Mirak

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
It’s been nearly two months since something broke on our 2009 Ody. I was almost getting bored. Finally, the latest issue popped up today.

My old friend, Check Engine Light, came on during my wife’s drive to work. CEL only comes on while my wife is driving - it gets a real kick out of that. I then get the text message: “car is broken again, when are we getting a new minivan?” I love these texts. Fiscally, I think it makes perfect sense to spend $30k now to avoid paying $1k per year on repairs, but I guess I’m just a glutton for punishment.

So the error code of the day is P0430, Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold, Bank 2. The car is driving just fine, except for CEL driving my wife batty, which means I need to make CEL go away. It got real cold recently - not sure if that has anything to do with it.

My quick research tells me this is either a faulty O2 sensor, or my catalytic converter is going bad.

Questions:
1. What’s the Bank 2 mean? Does that help narrow down the problem?
2. How serious is this? Is this something I need to fix, or is this an issue that might go away on its own?
 
#5 ·
Bank 2 is the cylinders closest to the radiator. I had the same issue P0420 & P0430. Replaced the cats with new from Napa and that solved the issue. I’m not sure how long they will last, but it did fix the issue and the CEL. I spent about $600 for both cats and they come with a decent warranty.
As far as the seriousness of the issue it’s only an emissions issue and won’t affect the drivability of the van although eventually it can effect the miles/gallon as the computer tries to compensate for the info it’s getting from the sensors based on what a muffler shop owner told me whom I trust without question.

Also, P0159 is one code to watch for as well. It tells you the downstream, bank 2, O2 sensor is slow to respond which in a nutshell is telling you it’s begging to be replaced. Stick with Denso (234-4355). To replace the sensor takes a 7/8”combination wrench and a pair of tie wrap cutters. It’s not hard to do at all.
I’d keep the van you have now and spend the 1K/year. The troubles you have now may be lesser than the ones you could inherit!
 
Discussion starter · #6 · (Edited)
Thanks. I’m not spending $500+ to replace a catalytic converter on a vehicle I’ll only be keeping another year or so, for an issue that doesn’t impact drivability. All joking aside, I’m sick and tired of the constant maintenance on this aging vehicle, even though I’m well aware that financially it’s wiser to keep it.

I cleared the code this morning and I’ll be curious to see how quickly the CEL comes back on. I may try a $20 bottle of cataclean.
 
#10 ·
+1 for non-fouler route. Worked for me. These motors are famous for the Cat dropping just below the threshold demanded by the ECM and throwing the code. California people even get the cars to still pass a smog test, but obviously the light has to be out and the non-fouler hack will do that. Autozone etc. will loan you the O2 socket.
 
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#11 ·
IMHO. If 02 sensors, are failing/failed. It could affect the amount of un-burned fuel entering the catalytic converter.
Which could destroy the converter. (expensive to replace). Especially in California. (must use OEM converters).
 
#12 ·
lozawa said:
IMHO. If 02 sensors, are failing/failed. It could affect the amount of un-burned fuel entering the catalytic converter.
Which could destroy the converter. (expensive to replace). Especially in California. (must use OEM converters).
Click to expand...
P0430 is specific to the downstream sensor. It's the upstream sensor that provides input to the ECM to adjust fuel ratio. The downstream sensor is simply a measure of the final exhaust density after the converter and only tells you that the converter isn't burning quite enough of the remaining fuel vapors.
 
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#13 ·
I have the same issue with my 06 LX. I found that if I use Speedway fuel (I am from the US Midwest), I get the CEL. I load up with Shell fuel or Mobil, it goes away after 30 mins of driving. Really, does the fuel make a difference? Just curious.. I went to Autozone and was told it was throwing a P0420 error.
 
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#15 ·
egads said:
Honda vehicles require TopTier fuel. Using cheap gas will cost you in the long run. By using TopTier fuel, you are paying for fuel injector service with every tank.
Click to expand...
Disagree. I know it may seem like splitting hairs, but as long as you avoid the "bottom of the barrel" stations it's highly unlikely fuel will cause an issue. I've run almost exclusively Speedway fuel for the last 15 years over at least 8 states with no issues. That said, not every Speedway gets it's fuel from the same source, though as a division of Marathon most times that is the source of their fuel. Marathon is currently the largest refiner in the U.S. There is also the chance that the perceived fuel caused code is simply a coincidence. My own experience with P0420 (bank 1 post cat sensor vs bank 2) is they can come and go when the cat is borderline.
 
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#16 ·
I've been fighting the P0430 (Bank 2) CEL for about a year.
My '08 EX-L has 209k miles, replaced all O2 sensors with Denso units when I did the big timing belt/valve adjustment in 2019. The VCM was disabled about three years ago, but I think the damage had been done.
I can get it to pass SMOG, but I'm now resetting the CEL about twice a month.
MagnaFlow has announced a CARB-legal replacement cat, but it's more expensive than the factory unit.
 
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#17 ·
pkrface said:
Disagree. I know it may seem like splitting hairs, but as long as you avoid the "bottom of the barrel" stations it's highly unlikely fuel will cause an issue. I've run almost exclusively Speedway fuel for the last 15 years over at least 8 states with no issues. That said, not every Speedway gets it's fuel from the same source, though as a division of Marathon most times that is the source of their fuel. Marathon is currently the largest refiner in the U.S. There is also the chance that the perceived fuel caused code is simply a coincidence. My own experience with P0420 (bank 1 post cat sensor vs bank 2) is they can come and go when the cat is borderline.
Click to expand...
Speedway is a Top Tier fuel. Most fuel does come from very few refiners. The additives are put in at the station when they fill the tanks.

www.cspdailynews.com

Speedway

Speedway has 2,770 gas stations and convenience stores in 22 states. Units are typically freestanding stores on or near busy intersections.
www.cspdailynews.com www.cspdailynews.com
 
#18 ·
egads said:
Speedway is a Top Tier fuel. Most fuel does come from very few refiners. The additives are put in at the station when they fill the tanks.

www.cspdailynews.com

Speedway

Speedway has 2,770 gas stations and convenience stores in 22 states. Units are typically freestanding stores on or near busy intersections.
www.cspdailynews.com www.cspdailynews.com
Click to expand...
Unless something has changed recently the additives are done at the distribution center when the tanker is filled. Can't imagine it has as what sense would it make to have the driver responsible for it and where do they store it? My fuel hauling uncle has been retired for several years, but at that time all of it was done at the DC. Occasionally he would have a drop that couldn't take all the fuel on the load and then he had a list of independent stations that would take whatever was on the truck, but they delivered to pretty much every station EXCEPT Shell, which had their own supply chain.
 
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Discussion starter · #19 ·
A bottle of Cataclean appears to have worked, for now. First, I simply cleared the error code, but the CEL came back on within about 20-30 miles. Then I bought the Cataclean and added it per the instructions: waited until I was down to about 1/4 tank, added the Cataclean, drove it for 50 miles, then fueled up. I cleared the error code again after adding the Cataclean. We've now driven it about 500 miles and the CEL has not come back on. Gonna add another 1,000 miles on a road trip this weekend, so that will be a good test. But so far, so good...
 
#20 ·
Just adding my experience with this code and an endorsement for Cataclean. Started getting P0430 after a set of fake NGK iridium plugs fouled up my O2 sensors and cat. Replaced all four sensors, but code persisted. Decided to try Cataclean before going down the route of a new converter. Used a bottle in less than 1/4 tank - drove about 20 minutes and refilled. Reset the code and drove as normal. Light returned once and then went out on its own and has not retuned in about 800 miles of usual driving. I say give it a shot if you have already swapped out your sensors and are still getting these codes and considering replacing the cat.
 
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