Inspection is due and my check engine light is on. The codes are.
P0420 Bank 1 Catalitic convertor efficiency
I have the converter but I can't find a shop in eastern North Carolina willing to do the labor for less than 1k. So that's not going to happen.
P1000 Power train MFG fault.
Can these be turned off permanently? If so how?
Thanks for your help!

 

Can't be turned off but P0420 does not necessarily mean it's the cat. Read the many previous threads, do some testing.

 

Mark, before you go through the hassle of replacing a cat (which normally do not go bad in these cars), look at the O2 sensors. A simple code reader will tell you a lot if it has the ability to read the voltage of the sensor. Odds are, based on your code, the downstream sensor is what is giving you grief. Granted, with the age of the car, if may not be a bad idea to replace all 4 sensors (2 upstream, 2 downstream) and see what you have at that point.

If you do replace the O2 sensors, trust me, you want to get the special offset socket for the O2 sensor, not the straight on socket with the window cut in the side. I have used both and the socket with the window expanded and made it so I couldn't get the sensor out. The offset one, slid it on and with a little bit of pushing, spun it right out. Also of note is that the upstream sensors are different than the downstream sensors. So, make sure you get the correct ones. Some people are selling universal ones that supposedly work in both locations, but I have never heard of someone having good luck with them. Kinda like it will be worth the few extra bucks to buy ones with the plug already attached vice you having to solder the wires to the pins and get the pins in the correct holes.

If you need more info, let us know.

 

I used a normal socket - cut the wire off the old sensor because I had tested it bad (as had the car). My sensor was in "tight" (as in: very).

 

Yes, Thermo is right, the up streem and down streem are difference, some part store online call the up streem "air fuel mixture sensor", if you order O2 sensore you'll get the same one.

 

Many suggest swapping sensors front to rear and see if the code follows as it is so
easy to throw money at these cars with no positive results.
code follows, probably the sensor. code stays there are a 1/2 dozen other things to check

 

You can't swap front to rear - they're different types!

Yo can in theory do side to side but if they're tight you may destroy at least one in trying.

 

When you are talking swapping "front to rear" are you referring to upstream and downstream? Then they are not compatible. I think inzane was referring to swapping the same sensor between Bank 1 and Bank 2 to see if the code changes banks. That you could do if you are swapping upstream for upstream (or downstream with downstream).