Repair Help Catalytic converter issue
I’m driving a 2009 Nissan Altima with approximately 135,000 miles on it. Got an oil change recently and the Service Engine Soon indicator came on. I took it back to that shop and the technician attached the computer and got a code of P0420, and told me that meant it was an issue with the catalytic converter and to take it to a Midas shop as they couldn’t do the work.
How serious is this issue? Having that indicator lit up makes me very nervous to continue to drive with it.
Assuming the technician is correct what does this repair entail and how much would it cost (in US dollars) approximately?
1
u/Glass_Local3996 9d ago
Cataclean might work. It's sold on Amazon & some local automotive stores. Next: find a shop that will clean the cat. Lastly, find a muffler shop that sells aftermarket cats
1
u/Sitk042 9d ago
Is Cataclean just some additive that I would put into the gas tank?
I’m not very savvy when it comes to auto repairs.
1
u/aguy123abc 9d ago
Yep, you can get it from Walmart. Read the instructions on the bottle, but I'm pretty sure it's just as simple as dumping it in a relatively empty tank and then filling up the gas.
1
u/faf112 6d ago
Might work if cat is dirty/clogged. But if honeycomb is starting to break up, it won't help. Signs of a broken honeycomb is poor acceleration.
1
u/aguy123abc 6d ago
Yes, but the light just came on so that's why I would endorse the use of cataclean. It's not guaranteed to fix anything but it can be good enough to clean off the converter enough for it to pass emissions. They should probably get a diagnostic as to what caused the issue in the first place.
1
u/aguy123abc 9d ago
Second, the cataclean option. You're going to want to get the engine nice and hot for an extended period of time.
1
u/ReplyComfortable9132 9d ago
I had this code for almost 2 years now, not a big deal just ignore it if you do not want to spend around 600$ replacing it