Hey,
I have a 2000 civic si. My check engine light came on so i went to the local auto parts store and ran a diagnostic test on it. It came back as a P0420 code. It said also that the catalyist system was below threshold. This would more than likely be the catalytic converter right? And if so, should i go with replacing the converter with a stock one or just buying a test pipe and replacing it with that??
Thanks,
Kurt

 

If you replace the cat with a test pipe your check engine light will just come back on.

 

Having same problem with my 03 Civic EX. Check engine light came on, Code P0420, since I only have 65k on it, its still under warrantee so Honda replaced the catalytic converter for free. This has happened twice so far in the past 6 months. Honda says they have no idea why my car is eating up catalytic converters. I think they are full of s**t...how can a Honda shop/mechanic not figure this out??

 

Time to replace your cat. You don't need to get one from a dealer or at Honda, you can get an aftermarket one from Magnaflow or Catco, but if you live in California make sure you get a CA emissions compliant one. A 49 state legal cat won't pass in CA.

And just so you know, a test pipe is just a pipe and does nothing for emissions at all. In fact it's illegal to have on your vehicle.

 

^^^^ yeah it deletes the cat all together. you could use an o2 extender to pass an inspection

 

You can no longer buy an aftermarket cat for an obd2 car in California. Gotta be dealer cats.Magnaflow and Catco dealers will not ship to Cali.

 

DEC has obd2 cali cats. but they tend to be nearly the same price as oem.

 

Should be covered under the 11 year emissions warranty. Get the dealer to replace it.

 

What 11 year emissions warranty?

 

Standard Cali warranty is 7/70 I believe. however, manufacturers may extend it as they see fit. Maybe Honda did. (though I've not heard of it)

 

the emissions warranty is 8/80k.

 

Hum. Sounds like I stand corrected.

 

Yes you're right.

 

Incorrect. I know for a fact that Magnaflow is one of the ONLY suppliers of OBD2 aftermarket cats in california

If the law said that you had to use only OEM parts that would create a monopoly and would be against the law itself.

 

Yeah, I should of said dealer cats or CARB approved cats.

 

What 11 year emissions warranty? Never heard of that????