I have a '97 Toyota Camry, I need a tip on passing inspection........?

T

Tom

New member
A '97 Toyota Camry, I'm trying to pass the Massachusetts test, it's a car built for California but this info is less important. I had the engine light on, it was on because of code PO420 (catalyst system below threshold efficiency, bank 1), I took my code reader and reset it so the engine light went out. I was stupid in that I went right for the test right away and if you don't drive enough their system will say all tests are not ready, in other words, they say I have to drive about 100 miles till it says all tests are completed by the system computer.

Some background information, in recent time the cat converter under the car was replaced and the oxygen sensor in that converter was replaced and the sensor in the first converter (under the hood) was replaced. The car seems to run fine.

The question or questions are, what if the light comes back on and the code comes back on again (it's presently off). Will that flunk the car? What if I get one of those additives for the gas, will that help me? Or something like replace the air filter or some other little repair? Or again I'll ask, the additive, whatever it is (I don't know the name of it), in the gas tank? What do you think? thanks, Tom
 
Code P0420 is a code for Catalyst efficiency. The computer is seeing the post Catalytic converter o2 sensor having too much activity. The Cat. should be cleaning the exaust of Hc, co, and Nox. The post cat o2 will read the o2 content in the exhaust and if it moves up and down too much or to high and low, the computer interperates that as the cat not ridding the exhaust of it's pollutants. This indicates that the converter is unable to preform properly. The problem could be a bad cat, o2 sensor (Pre- and/or post cat)or o2 sensor wires, or an air fuel mixture problem that has caused the cat to fail. Many other engine operating system failures can cause the converter to not work properly.
 
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