The check engine light on my 2005 toyota camry 3.0l v6 came on today while I was driving. I got it home scanned it and it showed the code P0420: catalyst system efficiency below bank 1. Can I still drive the car without any problems. Not sure what the mechanic may suggest as repairs and I'm a bit down on cash right now. Can I just reset the code to turn the light off and continue driving?
Thanks
One potential problem with a P0420 code is difficulty accelerated especially up hills. Cars need to exhale, and if the catalytic converter is clogged, it can’t exhale.
The usual fix is to replace the catalytic converter. (Unless of course it is a broken sensor, that just replace the sensor.)
Would it cause damage to my engine? Or it's perfectly fine to still drive it. My state doesn't require emissions tests.
If it just started, less likely to cause damage. The longer you keep clogged, it could have potential damage to the engine.
Think about like a human. If you could only breathe in fully, but not breathe out fully. You’re not letting the bad gases out of the system.
Anyhow, The easiest and cheapest solution would be to straight pipe the exhaust, but that is illegal, and I don’t recommend breaking the law.
It started just yesterday. I'm thinking of driving it for about two weeks before I take it to the mechanic. Since I'll be too busy over the next few weeks to even schedule an appointment with a mechanic. Not sure I'll go even 200 miles within that time.
I agree with @kaizen. There are two sides to this issue. Either the catalyst is clogged which will hinder engine performance, or the downstream O2 sensor is bad (catalyst is good) and just needs replacing. If the sensor is the problem, then continuing to drive the car will not harm anything (but will not pass inspection). But if the catalyst is seriously clogged, then I would replace it as soon as possible.
Would it cause damage to my engine? Or it's perfectly fine to still drive it. My state doesn't require emissions tests.
@kwakun
Yes a clogged catalyst or a clogged exhaust will result in poor engine performance and even lead to engine shutdown since it will stop the flow of intake and expelling combustion gases. Check the voltage of the downstream O2 sensor. It should be a steady 0.45 volts with a functioning catalyst (fully warmed up). It will be fluctuating in voltage if the catalyst is bad. If it is "stuck" at a voltage other than 0.45 then the sensor is bad. A bad sensor will not cause any engine damage...it's just for catalyst management.
depending where you live, you might fail inspection or emissions testing
Would it cause damage to my engine? Or it's perfectly fine to still drive it. My state doesn't require emissions tests.
For the OP’s curiosity, some background and further insight to the code:
https://www.obd-codes.com/p0420
