Hello all, Well I just bough a 2003 Honda Accord LX 2.4L DOHC a few days ago. Well the engine light came on so I hooked my scanner up and two codes came up PO420 and then the same code PO420 with like a percent sign. So I know it has something to due with the convertor. I am kind of disappointed because that is the reason I needed to get a new car because the convertor was going out on my Taurus. I really don't need this now, lol. I bought it from a private owner on craigslist so I'm pretty much stuck with it. It drives fine and runs smooth and has a lot of gitty up. I just want to try and get this fixed so the convertor on my accord doesn't end up going out. I can deal with getting a $60.00 oxygen sensor versus a new convertor. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks for looking 173,000k

 

If your scanner can read sensors, you may want to check the reading from the secondary O2 sensor.

The bolts tend to be rusty on the converter, so you might want to hit the converter and listen for a rattling sound (broken catalyst honeycomb).

 

hopefully I can lift it up as soon as this weather breaks. we are getting hit with a big snow storm right now and no room in my barn at the present moment. thanks for the suggestion. I do hope that there isn't any honeycomb broke. although I was already looking at cost for the repair of the converter and it is a lot cheaper and I do mean a lot cheaper than the cost it would of been for my Taurus I just quit driving when I got this car. also a lot easier to fix. again thanks

 

Where are you at that a bad converter would warrant replacing the car instead of going to a muffler shop and having them cut off the old one and welding in a new one? I've had full muffle back exhausts done for about $150. I'm sure a converter wouldn't be as much as that.

 

If you are referring to the Taurus I had, the part alone was over $400.00. Chances are like every time I do something there is always a tool or 2 that I don't have and have to go get it. I was wanting a new car anyways, been driving that thing for like 8 years and just wanted something different and I wanted a manual.

 

You could have easily got a universal converter that had the same piping diameter to weld in place of the other one. As far as the tools go, that will happen no matter how much tools you have in your box. I work on semi trucks for a living and i always run across a truck that i need a different tool for. I have bought close to $4k worth of tools just last year and still dont have everything needed. The best part about being a DIY mechanic is saving yourself the cost of labor, which is the main thing that gets expensive on car repairs.