P0420 code and p1000 kept coming back, now to a difference of every 100miles.

1. How would I know which O2 sensor to change?
2. is this related to having "cruise not available" in the morning (38C outside) and eventually goes away. This time it did not leave me a misfire code. These codes came out the night before.

My mechanic told me I need to have the ECM reflashed, will this fix the issue?

Sorry, too many questions but hope to hear from your opinions.

Thanks

 

This is a bank 1 code (left side I think)
The catalytic converter has an oxygen sensor in front and behind it. When the vehicle is warm and running in closed loop mode, the upstream oxygen sensor waveform reading should fluctuate. The downstream O2 sensor reading should be fairly steady. Typically the P0420 code triggers the Check Engine Light if the readings of the two sensors are similar. This is indicative of (among other things) a converter that is not working as efficiently as it should be (according to specs). It is part of the vehicle emissions system.

So what needs to happen is 1. Test your oxygen sensors and if they pass....you may have a bad cat.

Check to see if Jag has the 100K mile warranty on emission parts before you replace it.

 

are the O2 sensors (upstream/downstream) interchangeable?
How do you test for O2 sensors?
my car is more than 100K so warranty is out if the cat is bad

thanks

 

no theyre not interchangeable, between the 2, but the front and rear cat 02 sensors are, if oyu want to waste time. But sorry you need a cat. You could always try an oil fouler9to space spark plugs out from cylinders that burn oil) added into the lower 02 which is what we do on modded hipo cars either with mods that cause issues, or no cat, or cat delete....they space the 02 out of the direct exhaust stream and less sensitive to programmed parameters. I do not know if you can even fit 1 in place because i tend to fix cars not rig broke one and there might not be enough room since they extend the 02 out from the cat. but the ball is in your court now....let us know

 

i checked with dealer on how much a cat is... humungous $$$... i went online and saw magnaflow and other OES brands that are much cheaper... although Im not sure which one is a good fit?? any ideas?

 

I can't imagine an aftermarket cat that actually fits the X-type being much cheaper than a dealer cat. There are places that rebuild catalytic converters. If you're anywhere near south east michigan try Tested Products, they may have one already rebuilt ready to go or they could rebuild yours with a wait time.

 

Any update?

Try finding a salvage yard...

 

no one in MD salvage yard would dare to sell a used, good condition cat converter since its against the law ... so before I dole out a chunk of money (that I dont have) to buy new cat, I went back analyzing what's causing it. Since based on my readings, you can change a cat (fouled or totally fried) and will enjoy a good running cat for a while but if the problem causing poor combustion is not fixed then you will have another fouled or fried cat... so what i did was work on ensuring that I have a perfectly running engine of which its what I worked on today:
1. I didnt know that the dealership placed a generic engine oil so I changed it to mobil 1 today. The Jag dealership cant take me in today so I've decided to use Mobil 1 for now since I have to re-seal the oil pan anyway due to some minor oil leaks.
2. I ran another BG 44k, my tank is now more than half empty. There's been a considerable difference in acceleration this time... my injectors must be really dirty since this is my second treatment on a 4 full tank interval... i hope doing a second treatment wont ruin anything.
3. I have reset my check engine light by erasing the codes, i have been running around all day and after 200 miles the light didnt come back. It used to come back after 50miles or after a cold start with "cruise not available" prompt. I didnt have that message today since its only 30F ( i used to get them at this temp, but after all the fixes, only <20F gives me a minor issue but no misfire code)
4. If the light comes back (P0420) I will replace the upstream bank1 O2 sensor. If it still comes ON, then guess what.... TIME FOR NEW CAT... (i really hope not)

More updates after Im done consuming the rest of the fuel in my tank....

I still didnt get a feed regarding my thread about ECM reflash if thats even helpful or not.. please tell me about your opinions on these... I really do appreciate it.

 

Ever looked on ebay or are companies not allowed to ship?

 

No, i havent tried ebay for new cat...

I just had a talk with thermo (chris) and will try seafoam first before buying anything... I am now looking for a dead spot somewhere in shenandoah or hagerstown MD so I can smoke my a** out without being caught...

 

I have the same code being set and had the car into the dealer for service a couple of weeks ago. The 48,000 km service was done, the water pump and oil pan (sump) gasket were replaced under warranty and the J004 upgrade was also done (total $252.55, not bad). Unfortunately within two days the code was back. I haven't had a chance to drop it off again but it should be going in in the next few days. I'll keep you informed of any findings.

 

thanks...

I really am not paying for the fees related to the upgrade, the owner of the dealership made a commitment to pay... i just cant convince them to do the upgrade just that without having to do full diagnostics so the negotiation goes up to dealer:dealership. I hope that they find whats causing your codes to keep coming back so I get to mirror the issue on mine...

 

this is interesting...
since Ive treated my gas tank with BG 44k, the P0420 code never came back (crossing my fingers) now im running on a new fill of tank and 50miles after I still didnt get the code (knocking on wood).. so my guess is that I may have dirty fuel lines including injectors... I will work on doing Thermo's recommendation about running seafoam to clean the system further... will keep you posted..

 

Hey Guys.

I am troubleshooting a similar P0430 on mine. Mine seems to be getting better also. I am new to the car so I have no idea what the previous owner did or didn't do. Along with doing all of the other preventative maintenance and changes to the car so I can be reassured that what is there is *suppose* to be there - this code has made me learn more then I ever wanted to know about cats and petrol

Serioulsy though, you may want to check out this link - of course read with a grain of salt but go to the 2nd paragraph under the heading of 'Catalyst poisoning and deactivation' and take from it what you may.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalytic_converter

(So with info gathered throughout this forum, this info in the link above and below) I have run a can of BG44K, run the car in 3rd, 4th as appropriate for speed limits - distance 10K to have RPM @ 3000-4500ish. I am now running Sunoco 94 octane up from Premium 91 at Esso and Shell in that order - more specifically for the 'detergency' of the gas I am putting in (see below link and take from it what you may). Finally I am driving her harder on a regular basis than I normally would to keep the Cats at optimum temps. So far the CEL has gone from constant on to 'on and off' with less and decreasing frequency and knock on wood, it has been off for over a week now and is still off.

Some more reading - http://www.toptiergas.com/retailers.html (Esso is not even listed - damn those esso points! lol)

I am sure that some damage has been done to either the sensor or the cat and one or both will need replacing in the near future - nearer than I would like of course - but if I can extend that time then great! Too bad I have not been able to graph the sensor in real time to get a better idea of what is taking place during this process.

Cheers!

(I should also just note that I have no misfires or leaks or other factors that I can find to make this CEL appear at this point)

------------------------------------------

EDIT: AHHHH BUGGERY - I jinxed it and the CEL came on during the drive home lol - maybe they are just too far gone....*snif*... time will tell.

 

Sorry for reviving a a dead thread but... in light of the topic I wanted to just share a quick update.

After my last post.. the light remained off.

Every once in a while (once or twice every two months?) when it is cold outside (winter cold - nothing in the summer warmth) the CEL light comes on with the code. Last year was really good... this year I figured time for proactive maintenance so I just threw another can in about 3 weeks ago.

Your mileage may very but wanted to provide an update with a real case and history.

Cheers!

 

Brilliant. I will get a can!

 

I know this is an old thread, but I wanted to thank you all for what you do on this forum. I picked up my 2003 x-type as a christmas gift for my wife. The night i bought it it started throwing a p0420 and p1000 code. I knew there were air leaks and that I needed to replace the IMT and intake manifold Gaskets. I did not know they had ben glued in by a prior mechanic.(Took Videos to Post on Youtube of what not to do to your car)

After changing all of those I still received the codes. I ran a bottle of Cataclean on a full tank of gas. No resolution. I ran a bottle of seafoam and still no resolution. Finally I saw the post from elardizabal about bg 44k and I got a can. Let my gas run down to a little over 1/4 tank and poured it in. After a quick trip up and down the freeway I lost my CEL and have a new love for my x-type. Thanks for your help.

 

That was a short romance. My wife drove it to run the kids around and the CEL is back. Another trip to O'reilly's Auto Parts tomorrow to check the codes.

 

David,

Likely the P0420 is back but P1000 is NOT an error code. It's a status code showing OnBoard Monitoring Tests have not been completed since the last memory clear. You will always see this code or P1111 when the OnBoard Monitoring Tests are complete.

Graham

 

Thanks for the moral support. Graham. I just ordered the BlueDriver code reader this morning so I can narrow this down. Would love to know if others have used it and what they think.