Got a Altima 3.5 SE with a check engine light on due to a code PO430. I know the code means, catalyst efficiency low and that means that the Catalytic converter is probably no good. Question is, has anybody had this code fixed by replacing a part other than the Catalytic converter.
i had that problem happen with my old 03 2.5....i had the same problem 3 times from july 03 to dec. 06 when i got my 3.5...the third time i actually went to one of my boys whos a mechanic and took the headers off and found that the honeycomb inside of the cat was broken up and clogged into the the precat which happened in time of still driving the car with the code up...i had loss of power, stalling, no acceleration and a whole bunch of more little sh*t...so from experience i suggest you get your cat replaced ASAP cuz its gonna blow your heads and cause you to lose oil...
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The Nissan 3.5-liter VQ V6 engine has been named to the annual Ward's 10-Best Engines list for the 12th straight year.
Right now my car is at the dealer for repair of the PO340 code.
So far he has changed the spark plugs and replaced some vacuum hoses that he said were clogged. He also claims to have checked the pre-cat and both O2 sensors, and have deemed them to be OK. Car has been at dealer for about 10 days out of the 15 days I have owned it, and the PO340 code still coming up.
Other than this code coming up the car runs fine and has plenty of power. I believe that the pre-cat is no good. I had two other cars that were giving this same code and in each case replacing the cat fixed the problem. The car is under the used car dealer warranty. I believe that he does not want to change the cat because its on him and a very expensive fix.
I know other things can cause this code to come up. I was interested in finding out if anyone ever actually had this code fixed by changing something other than the cat.
I believe the exact code for catalyst is P0420 - that's what I had on my Alti 2.5 S 2002. The code kept coming up for 3 times after every 1500 miles. I had it and the upper O2 sensor (both looked really bad) replaced. Couldn't get it on warranty cause it's for 80K and I had more than 90K by that time. Anyway, I don't feel sorry so far. I put ~ 2500 miles since that. Code isn't there and the mileage has improved significantly. All together it was $700. Thus, most likely you're right. Your dealer is trying to avoid an expensive repairs.
Used car dealers warranties mean absolutely nothing. I know it first hand. Once my crank position sensor went out I called the dealer and they told me to take it to the local mechanic who does all of their work to get the codes. Well, once they pulled the codes they said they would call the dealer about them and the dealer would let me know something. I got a call and the dealer told me that it wasn't covered under warranty because it wasn't considered "part of the engine." Well, my God, its called a crank position sensor and it relays info to the ECU which then tells the engine how to correctly operate. Why isn't it considered part of the engine when it goes right into the damn engine block? I had trouble figuring out that concept. I didn't cause a big scene or cuss out the dude like I did with Ford when they tried to BS me. I just spent the $21.99 at Autozone and did the replacement myself. Turned out cheaper that way and without all the bs from going through a dealer liason.
It's true that the dealers can be very uncooperative. Today I complained to the general manager of the Honda dealer that his used car manager was refusing to even look at the car much less repair it. He called me back in less than an hour and said the car would be fixed for free no questions asked. I called the repair shop and the mechanic said that they have been given to go ahead to fix whatever is wrong. It's not over yet, but at least there is a chance that it will be fixed.
PS the error code is PO430, must had had dislexia. The other codes that were coming up were PO102 and PO300.
Catalytic converters are, by Gov't. mandate, warranted for 80,000 miles. I'm not sure if that's all cats, pre-cats, or just main cat. It's in your warranty booklet. If your cat is bad, you shouldn't have to deal with the used car dealer (unless he's a Nissan dealer). Just take it to a Nissan dealer if you've got under 80,000 miles, and the cat is bad. The Fed. warranty covers it.
__________________ Traded 10/10/11 for a 2012 Hyundai Genesis Track Coupe.
I have 100k on the car so it's out of any factory guarantee. The used car manager at the dealer did at first refuse to do any work on the car, even though he promised to fix it, it's a Honda dealer and I called the general manager of the dealership. After I told him my story he immediately said that he would take care of it no questions asked.
The mechanic at shop has so far spent at least 8-10 hours troubleshooting the problem. He told me that the pre-cats looked like they had previously been replaced. He also told me that the ECU is getting the proper signal from the O2 sensors and that there is a odd misfire condition that occurs at around 2500 rpm. Above and below that rpm there are no misses. I will find out more on Monday.
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Traded 10/10/11 for a 2012 Hyundai Genesis Track Coupe.
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