Topic: S.O.S. from Montreal

[EV Dan]

Oh, P0420 and P0430 are Cat Converter Low Efficiency for bank 1 and Bank 2. Could be a number of reasons for them from cheap to fix to  expensive. Worst is the cat converters are gone.... On the other hand, they don't affect drivability so you can leave with them forever.

I lived with the equivalent codes and CEL on the Mitsubishi for few years now with no drivability issues.

Could just be cold cats / full throttle combination. It happened to me once on a Genesis. The dealers cleared the codes and told me not to worry about it.

[Slow_lane]

Met with Slow_lane today and got the codes cleared. CEL is gone too.

@Slow_lane: Many thanks for your kindness!

My pleasure. It was nothing. Hopefully with fresh Shell fuel you will not see codes again.

Great have my 1st meeting with forum contributor.

[Dante]

Made it back home without any issues. Car drove beautifully (normal). No CEL after about 600 km.
I still believe it was the bad gas which triggered the CEL, but I may be wrong. I scanned the car when I got home and the codes are still there but no CEL. Will monitor and perhaps bring it up with the mechanic. Due for an oil change next week anyway.

[rrocket]

Made it back home without any issues. Car drove beautifully (normal). No CEL after about 600 km.
I still believe it was the bad gas which triggered the CEL, but I may be wrong. I scanned the car when I got home and the codes are still there but no CEL. Will monitor and perhaps bring it up with the mechanic. Due for an oil change next week anyway.

How do you know it was bad gas? Presumably if it was bad gas, the CEL would have come in again until you ran the tank dry.

I'm way more likely to believe "gas cap" (despite code) or, most likely, a "FGC being a FGC".

[EV Dan]

Made it back home without any issues. Car drove beautifully (normal). No CEL after about 600 km.
I still believe it was the bad gas which triggered the CEL, but I may be wrong. I scanned the car when I got home and the codes are still there but no CEL. Will monitor and perhaps bring it up with the mechanic. Due for an oil change next week anyway.

Must be those chimichangas 

[Dante]

Made it back home without any issues. Car drove beautifully (normal). No CEL after about 600 km.
I still believe it was the bad gas which triggered the CEL, but I may be wrong. I scanned the car when I got home and the codes are still there but no CEL. Will monitor and perhaps bring it up with the mechanic. Due for an oil change next week anyway.

How do you know it was bad gas? Presumably if it was bad gas, the CEL would have come in again until you ran the tank dry.

I'm way more likely to believe "gas cap" (despite code) or, most likely, a "FGC being a FGC".

So, full tank of Shell when I left home. Filled up with CT gas half way/about half tank. CEL came on as I reached Montreal and tank was about half.
One thing I recall is that the pump at CT gas station was stopping every few seconds although the tank was far from full. Usually I get a constant flow of gas from start to finish....
On the way back I topped up with Shell in Montreal and then again Kingston (half way/tank). No CEL.
I don't know the real cause for the CEL, just speculating at this point.
Anyway, the car is fine and not a big concern at this point.

[rrocket]

.
Anyway, the car is fine and not a big concern at this point.

Yep..that's good.

[ktm525]

Buy some tape and enjoy motoring bliss.

[Seafoam]

Or if you don't reset another problem can occur that you don't know about.

[Dante]

Or if you don't reset another problem can occur that you don't know about.

Interesting and new to me - I could not delete these 2 codes. The message from the tool was that because they are "permanent codes" they cannot be deleted with ANY tool. Instead, the car will delete them by itself if the condition is resolved. Not sure if this is accurate but will monitor them periodically.
Will ask the mechanic to try to delete them with his OBD2 which is more sophisticated than mine.

In the meantime will drop a bottle of fuel system cleaner at the next fill up to see if it helps. Will also try to see if I can monitor live data for the O2 sensors. Trouble is I don't know (yet) what I should be looking for in terms of normal values/behavior vs abnormal, but will start with some research. Should be fun...

[Seafoam]

 ^^ Really ,never heard of that one. Must be  a BMW thing. You mentioned about your Outlander having  a light on  as well over an extended period of time. Another code could be present that you don't know about. A light can usually be put out temporarily . If the problem is not addressed it will come back on after a few drive cycles.At least that has been the  experience with my vehicles.

[Dante]

^^ Really ,never heard of that one. Must be  a BMW thing. You mentioned about your Outlander having  a light on  as well over an extended period of time. Another code could be present that you don't know about. A light can usually be put out temporarily . If the problem is not addressed it will come back on after a few drive cycles.At least that has been the  experience with my vehicles.

I scan all the cars periodically, clear the codes and save the reports, so I reasonably know what's going on with the car even though there is no light on the dash. Some codes don't trigger a light at all as we know.

Most I ignore as they don't impact drivability or they are a fluke (one-time). Some helped pinpoint a failed or malfunctioning part.