Hi all, just picked up this premo 99 as listed in another post I made. We had a cel last week that hast gone away and we got code p0430. I have an lx470 and I'm not terribly assimilated to this motor yet. Is this code something to worry about. My lady is driving it as a nanny in town and getting around 16.5mpg but she kinda has a lead foot too. Luckily she is very worried about messing up a car and reported a smell in the car sometimes along with the mileage. Where should I go from here? Find a magnaflow replacement and go that route or is it simpler than I suspect. Also is changing a cat a at home diy type job?

 

not sure of the mileage on it, but i don't usually assume the cat is bad from a p0420 or p0430 code.

I've had good luck clearing the code and the code didn't come back for quite awhile after.

Something as simple as the incorrect octane fuel can trigger one of those codes.

Unless your car smells badly of sulfur while running/driving, I would not replace the cat(s), but that's my opinion.

You can try the cheaper fixes first before you replace the cat. Cleaning the air mix path, replacing o2 sensors, check for exhaust leaks, and vacuum leaks. Emissions systems are weird.

 

I rode in the vehicle today for a quick store run and did not smell anything. How would I check the air path mix, also how would I go about testing for exhaust leaks? From reading these seem to be the common problem. I dont want to clear the code because I feel it came up for a reason and dont want to put off any inevitable fix needed. I have a bluetooth dongle with torque app I can use on it also if someone had a good way to use it in this situation. The car has 203k on it and was meticulously kept up by an air traffic controller who lived on hilton head

 

Hi Sailor, you can check for leaks by putting the car up in the air and listening/checking (carefully) with your hand to feel for exhaust escaping. Some like to put soapy water on the suspected points to look for bubbles created by air escaping. Another tell-tale sign of a leak would be black soot or discoloration along any point of the exhaust.

Resetting the code can help you tell if the issue is ongoing or a one-time deal like a bad batch of gas. In the case that the catalytic converter is bad, we offer a few different replacement options for your LX. Feel free to shoot us a PM or call and we can help you find the right ones to comply with your areas emission laws!

 

sounds like the way to go....