obd code P0420 & P0430. The great catalytic controversy.

Mr Eric the car guy. You are my hero dude!!! I’ve been checking out your videos on the great catalytic converter fixes. I love how you have gone way out of your way by trying all the various remedy and fixes when it comes to trying to eliminate the dreaded P0420/P0430 OBD code.

Well to get to the point (I don’t want to waste your time), My girlfriend went and bought a 2007 Ford Taurus its got that 3.0 6 cyl engine in it. Well we went to get it smogged here in Long Beach Ca. and she said it failed smog. Something about it wasn’t ready for smog because the cars monitor system wasn’t ready.

First thing I did was to throw some new OEM motorcraft spark plugs in it. Then I researched the online info on the Ford relearn procedure to prepare the onboard monitor system. Which I pretty much did with out the help of Ford motor company because Ford is stingy with there System repair manuals. They will only give up the owners manual no Service Manual (Thanks Ford you stingy Bas&%$ds). OK, so the car seemed to run a lot better but then I got the dreaded MIL light came on and sure enough I got the P0420/P0430 error code.

So I went ahead and decided to give it a visual and noticed an exhaust leak where the (Third main) CaConvert bolts to the other two smaller CatConvt’s. I’m gonna take your advice and rent me a thermal and possibly the OBD chcecker that will tell me the live sensor data like you so expertly described in such great detail. I’m praying that somehow I won’t have to buy new CatVonverts because were talking around $1,800 to replace them on this $1,000 dollar F(ound) O(on) R (road) D(dead).

To Conclude, when I replaced the spark plugs I replaced them with the recommended plugs and I noticed the plugs that I took out were not the same plugs that should of been in there. I thought it strange the those plugs had a gap of almost 0.70’s of an inch and the ones I installed had a gap of 0.54.

My question is this. If the cats aren’t working well and below the minimum can replacing the regular spark plugs with a hotter spark plug help to eliminate the OBD error code? A hotter plug will help to burn more of the fuel right? I didn’t get any codes until I put in the recommended plugs. Everything passed smog originally (with the other plugs) except the cars monitoring system wasn’t ready because I disconnected the battery when I replaced the plugs. I also had to replace the AC/clutch and tranny pan and filter (leak).

I’ll update you after I rent the thermal and the code reader to record the live data as to what happened and I would appreciate any other info/advice that you might lay on me.

One more thing not related to this problem. I couldn’t help but to notice your a “Buckeye” huh? Yea I used to live in Ohio too!!! Homey…. LOL… Yea for about 25 yrs in good ol Youngstown Ohio. I hated it there. I should give you some advice about relocating here in Long Beach California. You wouldn’t be freezing you but off out here and you could work on a lot more smog situations too? LOL. Been out here about 40 years now and don’t miss that crappy weather any more.

Thank you for your help and expertise, you are on the ball and you are so talented dude. Thank you so very much for help my friend.

Larry McInni
Long Beach Ca.