Check engine light -vs- catalytic converter

[97318TIgurl]

Originally Posted by spidertri

Do you know if your primary mechanic scanned for codes? He may or may not have done that as part of investigating the check engine light.

If your primary mechanic did hook up the scanner and not get a cat code, I am thinking the other two mechanics may be misleading you. Were the other two independent shops or the emissions station?

I merely suggested autozone because you can stand next to the guy while he does it and see exactly what codes come up.

Autozone would not scan, since the check engine light was not on, and she said they only do scans for check engine light. But I went back to the state inspection station this afternoon, not an independent, and they passed me on everything except the cat, code P0420. So now i'm on the hunt for a used cat.

[ocampg]

Hey, I think I just bought your car... Please shoot me an email ocampg@gmail.com

[pdxmotorhead]

I've never had a check engine light that said bad cat that was right, or O2 sensor.

Every time it was a vacuum leak, or some other air leak in the system.

You can get the bad cat check code from a bad secondary O2 sensor.... Before it triggers for the O2 actually being bad... go figure...

Dave