HELPURGENT!!! check engine lightHELP

**teeter_7** · 06-09-2008 09:52 PM

whats up fellas!

newbie here! wondering if you guys can help me out...

i just bought a used 02 "bug eye" wrx, the hks sqv bov was not making the whistling sound i love to hear as much anymore. i do remember the salesman saying that it has a leak. anyways, as i was driving home today & the check engine light came on!!! once i saw it, i immediately got pissed!!!

luckily, i have a obII code reader and found the suby codes for it too...this is what popped up: P0420 catalyst system efficiency below threshold

what i want to know is...what the hell does that mean? is it something i can fix myself or should i take it in to get checked???

thanx!

**rr1911** · 06-09-2008 09:53 PM

get a stock bpv and put it back on then see if it comes back on

**teeter_7** · 06-09-2008 09:57 PM

did you or anyone you know have this problem too?

**teeter_7** · 06-10-2008 02:16 PM

so i googled the trouble code and found some guy in a forum that post this up:

- Manual
-9600 miles
-P0420 Catalyst efficiancy fault
- occured while cruising on highway, part throttle, Sunday night. <<[which is exactly what happend to me!]

-- took to dealer Monday, they cleared and sent me on my way, said "its a computer glitch and there is no fix, I cleared it, it probably won't come back."

so now thats outta the way, i just have to get my BOV check out.

**TrackReady** · 06-11-2008 07:43 PM

I highly doubt the BOV caused this code. This code comes from the ECU seeing the downstream o2 (aftercat) switching between lean and rich like a upstream should. A downstream should read stready right around .45v, this is because a correctly operating cat should take in and let off oxygen keeping the a/f steady after the cat. If you have this code either your cat is chemically innactive or more than likely the car has the uppipe, downpipe, or all 3 cats gutted or replaced w/ resonators/strait pipe

**teeter_7** · 06-12-2008 12:51 AM

nice to know, i will definitely be checking everything out real soon!

i deleted the code using my ob2 code reader and it has not popped up at all. so far so good!

thanx alot for the help!

**EJ257** · 06-12-2008 04:31 AM

Are you catless?

**ElBartoRex** · 06-12-2008 05:02 AM

Originally Posted by teeter_7

nice to know, i will definitely be checking everything out real soon!

i deleted the code using my ob2 code reader and it has not popped up at all. so far so good!

thanx alot for the help!

deleting the code just resets the diagnostic sensors. Once your car runs through its full diagnostic cycle, usually 100-300 miles, it will come back. The code basically means you are running no cats or a single high flow cat in your downpipe that is not efficient enough.

However, running a leaky BOV is going to cause problems in its own. Get a good recirculating bpv or swap a stocker back in.

A cobb AccessPORT will take care of that code.

**teeter_7** · 06-16-2008 12:53 AM

ok, so looks like im cat-less. thats why the code popped up. i just bought an HKS hi power muffler i wanna get on my wrx. do any of you know of a good muffler place that guarantees their work in souther california???

**EJ257** · 06-16-2008 04:13 AM

Originally Posted by teeter_7

ok, so looks like im cat-less. thats why the code popped up. i just bought an HKS hi power muffler i wanna get on my wrx. do any of you know of a good muffler place that guarantees their work in souther california???

CBE is pretty easy to put on - I would do it yourself.

**capt'n'caveman** · 06-16-2008 07:38 AM

the cel has nothing to do w/the bov, but get the leak fixed anyways

your code has to do w/being catless, there are tons of posts on how to fix it....go forth and search