Hi new here , anyways i have a new to me 05 ep3 , anyways check engine light came on code pO420 , i was wonder if anyone in socal area selling or maybe borrow a cat so i can smog the my car and return it (im willing to pay someone) i didnt wanna pay almost a grand for a new cat at the stealership

Help me out guys thanks

 

are you running a stock cat or straight pipe?

is your car fairly stock?

Did this CEL come on after you did any recent changes?

Magnaflow sells direct fit cats for your car for only $200, part #24177

 

Stock cat

The car is stock

No recent changes it had a exhaust leak after cat so i put a new gasket and reseted the light and it came right back

Im in cali so i need to have a cali legal cat

 

if you reset the light it'll take a couple starts for the light to come on, it should not come on immediately.

typically you can clear the codes, drive it to get all other readiness codes ready except for the cat, take it in for inspection and pass before the cat code shows ready and then that's when the CEL comes on.

This could be a way to pass inspection, but if you really have an efficiency issue you probably won't pass smog, whenever that is due


I tried looking for CA cats, couldn't find any, but I've read any base model rsx stock cat is a direct fit for your car if you can find one locally or at a junk yard.

Also, make sure you don't have any other issues, like a misfire, bad o2 sensor, coolant leak/car running hot, or any other exhaust leaks from manifold or cat. If you can read the voltages from a scan meter through the obd2 port with the car running make sure the upstream/primary o2 sensor voltage is fluctuating and the secondary/downstream o2 sensor is fairly steady. If the primary o2 is steady then that o2 sensor is bad, but based on what you've said the secondary/downstream should be fluctuating and it shouldn't be.

 

When the new smog machine system came out you could do the reset the light and run the monitor except one but now they keep change by the minute , you cannot do that anymore you have to have 3 -5 drive cycle before you can run the test which mine didnt last for 10 miles and the light came back on

No any other issue on the car just the 420 . Ill try to check both upstream and downstream on my labscope

Hopefully i could find something

 

FWIW: as far as i know wrecking yards, etc aren't allowed to sell used cats.

 

Yup they cut those cat and recycle it for lots of $$$$