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Code PO420- Catalyst system efficiency below threshold


hc2020

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I have an '04 Subaru legacy, naturally aspirated, 2.5l. The car is displaying extreme hesitation when you first press on the gas and anytime from 30-40 mph. I ran my diagnostic tool and received three messages: PO301 - Cylinder 1 misfire detected, PO304 - Cylinder 4 misfire detected, & P0420 - Catalyst system efficiency below threshold.

 

I was wondering if anyone had some suggestions. I am unsure if I need to replace the catalytic converter, the air assist injector solenoid, the idle air control solenoid valve, or something different. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks and have a great day!

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id say you probably have a faulty cat which in turn could have caused your misfire if the cat is semi clogged. i would solve the cat issue first.

 

that or the o2 could be reading wrong due to your cat or sensor making the car run rich or lean and burned up a valve or fouled the plugs. could be a number of issues.

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id say you probably have a faulty cat which in turn could have caused your misfire if the cat is semi clogged. i would solve the cat issue first.

 

that or the o2 could be reading wrong due to your cat or sensor making the car run rich or lean and burned up a valve or fouled the plugs. could be a number of issues.

 

^^ This

 

Just to add, had the same issue in my BMW and after testing all the O2 sensors, it turned out to be one of the Cats was defective. After replacing the Cats the car ran normal again, and corrected the misfire codes as well.

 

Test your O2 sensor first, since this is fairly easy and cheap to do. If you don't know how to test, search YouTube for "How to test 02 sensors".

My wife's balls are delicious.
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p0420 is ALWAYS a dead cat code.... plain and simple... and starting to clog up... gotta get it replaced asap...

99% of the time, your statement is correct, including the OP's case. However, when my car had that code (completely stock exhaust) it was due to an exhaust leak that allowed air entry into the exhaust stream because some hack didn't fully tighten down the joint bolts.

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