Hello, I have a Accord lx 1999 with about 289,000 miles. The car is due for inspection soon and has a couple cel codes I couldn't quite figure out. The autozone associate told me he thinks it's an exhaust leak from the headers but codes are calling catalytic converter. Any suggestions?

Codes are P1457 Evan System leak (Canister Area)
P1259 Vtec System malfunction
P0420 catalyst efficiency below threshold ( Bank 1)
and a repeat P1457

thanks for for all your help and for reading everyone!

 

The first thing I'd check on the evap code is the fuel cap. If there are any cracks in the seal or if it's not tightening smoothly you'll need to replace it. I just had one like yours that the customer had replaced the cap and the purge control solenoid and was still getting the code. We smoked the system to ensure there were no actual leaks and ended up finding the canister assembly had failed internally.

The most common reason I see the VTEC code is low oil level. Make sure your oil is topped off and clear the code and I'll bet it will stay off.

The P0420 is nearly alway due to a faulty converter. It isn't cheap but it's about par for the course with the age of your car. Word of advise, most aftermarket cats will fail again after only a few years and you'll be back in the same boat.