Hi Ken,
I checked the temperature: the outlet was hotter than the inlet. Even after wiggling the catalytic converter, no rattle noise.
This car has an upstream AFR sensor and a downstream O2 sensor, could the reading be different for the AFR sensor.
Mar 22, 2026 at 2:20 PM
Advertisement
STRAILER
CERTIFIED EXPERT
53,855 POSTS
Yes, these readings will be different. Let me know what they are after you warm the engine up and hold the RPM at 1500 while you take the readings.
Mar 23, 2026 at 2:02 PM
AKORD
MEMBER
36 POSTS
About 2000 RPM
Image (Click to enlarge)
Mar 23, 2026 at 2:21 PM
AKORD
MEMBER
36 POSTS
The last image shows O2 sensor unit in Amperage, here is a video.
Mar 23, 2026 at 4:54 PM
STRAILER
CERTIFIED EXPERT
53,855 POSTS
Is the engine misfiring? Also, are there any exhaust leaks? I would pull the spark plugs to see if they are black, or if one is black letting us know the system is running rich or if one injector is stuck open. Don't mix the spark plugs and upload an image of them please. Thanks for the images and video they helped. P0420 often means the converter is losing efficiency, but before replacing the cat, verify there are no exhaust leaks and make sure the rear O2 sensor and engine operation are normal.
Mar 24, 2026 at 8:44 AM
AKORD
MEMBER
36 POSTS
These are the spark plugs: cylinder 1 to 4, starting from left to right.
Images (Click to enlarge)
Mar 25, 2026 at 9:46 AM
STRAILER
CERTIFIED EXPERT
53,855 POSTS
Those all look good, so it is not one cylinder causing the issue. The downstream O2 should not fluctuate so I would try replacing it and if that does not help I suspect the cat is bad even though you got good temp readings, you might need to do a manual inspection.
Mar 25, 2026 at 11:37 AM
AKORD
MEMBER
36 POSTS
After replacing the downstream o2 sensor, do I have to clear the code, or leave it to clear itself if get fixed?
Mar 25, 2026 at 4:57 PM
STRAILER
CERTIFIED EXPERT
53,855 POSTS
You need to clear the codes, here is a video to help
I reset the DTC, then drove it and the light came back on again.
Here are the temperatures of the inlet and the outlet of the catalytic converter.
The outlet is about 20% hotter than the inlet.
Images (Click to enlarge)
Mar 28, 2026 at 4:43 PM
STRAILER
CERTIFIED EXPERT
53,855 POSTS
That cat seems like it is working. It sounds like you may have a bad ECM. I have seen this before, but lets test the wiring between the downstream sensor and the ECM first, here is a guide to help.