P0420 code from check engine light 2000 Mazda Protege?

Got this code and it says something abt catalytic
converter system. God I hope not cause that's expensive
to replace?

Do cat system even wear out?

Car has 140k on it and was bought new.

It can be expensive depending on the car. On yours, probably only a
couple hundred. If your protege is anything like most Mazdas, the
entire exhaust system is flanged, which makes replacing it yourself
easy, as sections bolt up to each other, rather than being welded or
clamped. As you don't say what the code actually says, or any symptoms
the car is having, further diagnosis here is impossible.

Yes cats can become saturated and stop converting gasses. They can also
break and block exhaust flow. Those are really the only to failure
modes for a cat. Either way means it needs to be replaced.

--Jason

wrote:
> Got this code and it says something abt catalytic
> converter system. God I hope not cause that's expensive
> to replace?
>
> Do cat system even wear out?
>
> Car has 140k on it and was bought new.

Jason Howe > wrote:

>It can be expensive depending on the car. On yours, probably only a
>couple hundred. If your protege is anything like most Mazdas, the
>entire exhaust system is flanged, which makes replacing it yourself
>easy, as sections bolt up to each other, rather than being welded or
>clamped. As you don't say what the code actually says, or any symptoms
>the car is having, further diagnosis here is impossible.

Well here is what P0420 code means when Googled

http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...code%20protege

>Yes cats can become saturated and stop converting gasses. They can also
>break and block exhaust flow. Those are really the only to failure
>modes for a cat. Either way means it needs to be replaced.

OK..... is it possible it may be something cheaper such
as O2 sensor? And should I go ahead and change that
out first anyway?

I'm unemployed and money is tight right now...hence the
dumb questions

On Jan 8, 3:25 pm, wrote:
> Got this code and it says something abt catalytic
> converter system. God I hope not cause that's expensive
> to replace?
>
> Do cat system even wear out?
>
> Car has 140k on it and was bought new.

P0420 Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold (Bank 1)

At 140k you are at the threshold of the cat. They do burn out. You need the
computer scanned for other codes. The 02 sensors are monitored closely be
the computer and the state of them determined. Absent of other codes you
very likely have a bad catalytic converter.


> wrote in message
...
> Jason Howe > wrote:
>
>>It can be expensive depending on the car. On yours, probably only a
>>couple hundred. If your protege is anything like most Mazdas, the
>>entire exhaust system is flanged, which makes replacing it yourself
>>easy, as sections bolt up to each other, rather than being welded or
>>clamped. As you don't say what the code actually says, or any symptoms
>>the car is having, further diagnosis here is impossible.
>
> Well here is what P0420 code means when Googled
>
> http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...code%20protege
>
>>Yes cats can become saturated and stop converting gasses. They can also
>>break and block exhaust flow. Those are really the only to failure
>>modes for a cat. Either way means it needs to be replaced.
>
> OK..... is it possible it may be something cheaper such
> as O2 sensor? And should I go ahead and change that
> out first anyway?
>
> I'm unemployed and money is tight right now...hence the
> dumb questions

Steve B. > wrote:

>For the air we breathe it is important to get this fixed but as far as
>car function the only difference you should notice is the red light
>glowing at you. Were it mine I wouldn't worry about it until I was
>back on my feet again or until I was coming up on an emissions
>inspection.

OK thanks

careful on the mazda
if it is a cat efficiency error it could be a lower then spec cold start
idle or a 02 sensor out of range and of course

Jason Howe wrote:

> It can be expensive depending on the car. On yours, probably only a
> couple hundred. If your protege is anything like most Mazdas, the
> entire exhaust system is flanged, which makes replacing it yourself
> easy, as sections bolt up to each other, rather than being welded or
> clamped. As you don't say what the code actually says, or any symptoms
> the car is having, further diagnosis here is impossible.
>
> Yes cats can become saturated and stop converting gasses. They can also
> break and block exhaust flow. Those are really the only to failure
> modes for a cat. Either way means it needs to be replaced.
>
> --Jason
>
> wrote:
> > Got this code and it says something abt catalytic
> > converter system. God I hope not cause that's expensive
> > to replace?
> >
> > Do cat system even wear out?
> >
> > Car has 140k on it and was bought new.

philthy > wrote:

>if it is a cat efficiency error it could be a lower then spec cold start
>idle

What does that mean exactly?

it means the the computer ramps up idle in cold start when the ambiant temp
is at the predetermined value and does so that the cat, gets warmed up faster

reducing emissions output

wrote:

> philthy > wrote:
>
> >if it is a cat efficiency error it could be a lower then spec cold start
> >idle
>
> What does that mean exactly?