Civic-EG.com Forum 3.3.1

- Sat Jan 10, 2015 5:09 pm #350938 ok so heres an update on this so im gonna list what i changed so far on the car

- New upstream and downstream 02 sensors
- new spark plugs
- oil change
- new air filter
- new universal catalytic converter/ MAGNAFLOW
- new battery

the only thing that hasn't been change is the spark plug wires and i still have the original exhaust and headers on the car.

i drove the car for 110 miles and the CEL came back on and i have done just about every driving cycle there is to do, i can not get this dam car to pass NJ emissions it now comes up with the codes P0420 and P0430. the only thing could think of is buying a whole new exhaust system and new spark plug wires, there is seriously nothing wrong with this car, its now been 2 months trying to get this thing to pass and i just about had it with this car. if this thing can't pass idk i need some serious help, i was think of getting a cat back exhaust but with this being OBD2 will it pass?

- Sat Jan 10, 2015 5:16 pm #350939 the motor is a LS non vtec its in my daily driver and its in a 2000 acura integra iam really lost on what to do and if anyone could help me that would be greatly appreciated

- Sun Jan 11, 2015 3:52 am #350950 I did a brief internet search and found this, "Replace the catalytic converter with OEM parts if want to get rid of the light for sure. Aftermarket parts save money now but the light will come back on." I would just buy a stock catalytic converter from any OBD II Honda off of craigslist. The stock cats have a lot more precious metals in them (platinum, palladium, and rhodium) which means the stock cats heat up much hotter than a cheap replacement cat. Higher cat temperature means it burns off more gases than an inferior cat. Legally, a replacement cat only has to last one year, while a stock cat is designed to last 10 or more years. There is a reason stock cats are like $700 new; they are much better and contain many more precious metals. You should be able to score a stock one off craigslist for around $50-75. I hope this helps.

[suspendedHatch]

- Mon Jan 12, 2015 8:46 pm #350980 With the time and money you've spent, why not just take it to a mechanic? You're ready to give up but you haven't even had a qualified person look at it.

Catalyst efficiency below threshold doesn't mean the cat converter is bad, it means the cat is not able to clean the exhaust emissions efficiently. Dump enough partially and unburned fuel into a perfectly good cat, and it wont be able to clean it up. A bad cat converter is only one possibility, and likely the last.

I have an emissions thread on this site somewhere, it can likely help you. In it it says that Magnaflow/Catco converters are crap, and they are, as you'll find out next year when you have to replace it again. Many recycling places will give you less money for it because they're aware of how shitty they are. They're popular, but so are country music, cigarettes, and dancing with the stars. Quality is about on par with those things, so there you have it.

Changing your exhaust wont effect your emissions. It's just a pipe. Doesn't matter how big it is or what shape it is, the contents inside will stay the same. It likely wont improve performance either as long as your car is running this badly.

Do you have the stock injectors, fuel rail, fpr, fuel pump? Is your ignition timing set properly?

"The only thing that hasn't been changed...", are you serious? I can think of a couple dozen settings and maintenance parts not listed here. Why replace the O2 sensors and battery? Did you verify the O2 sensors were bad? Did someone tell you that the battery effects emissions?

You don't just replace spark plug wires offhandedly. Run the car at night where it's very dark, mist the wires with a spray bottle and look for arcing. Don't do this in a closed garage btw.

To 56one, sorry, you don't need an OEM cat. OEMs don't make their own cat converters, or even much of their parts in general. Even VTEC solenoids are outsourced. Any generic brand of cat will do just fine, as long as it isn't marketed under the "high flow" gimmick. (I realize you were just trying to help. Thanks for that, but what you found is just marketing jargon.)