THSCC Forums

So it seems that I'm buying a '99 Honda Civic from a friend of my mom's. They're selling it only because it has a check engine light on and won't pass NC inspection- other than that they say it's in good shape. The only diagnosis they have is from the "guy at Autozone" who said that based on his code reader, he thinks it needs a catalytic converter.

So, my questions are- is this a common problem and if so, where would you Honda folks recommend I find a replacement converter? Also, with the limited info I have, is the converter on this car made as part of the exhaust manifold or is it farther downstream and hopefully easier to weld in a universal replacement??


Thanks!

Rock auto, $150 magnaflow OE fit if it a d16y8. If it is a y7 then the cat is integrated into the exhaust manifold.

_________________
2011/2012 Autox VP
2013/2014.5 President
2013 Top Gun

2015 Fit

22R-EC => 4G63 => D16Y7 + D16Y8 => EJ255 + K24Z2 => K20Z3 + K24Z2 => K24Z2 + M54 => L15B

Bret if you sold every car of yours because of a CEL your lot would be empty.

Seriously, that is the reason they are selling the car? Did they ever consider just paying you to repair it?

_________________
Vincent Keene
'06 Ford Mustang GT (track rat)
'15 Dodge Charger R/T (yeah, it's got a HEMI!)
'07 Ford Fusion SE (205,000 miles and counting)
'98 Chevy Z-24 (retired)
'93 Acura Integra (Team SWB 24HOL Car)

Yeah, it's the D16Y7, so the cat is integrated into the manifold. Just drove it home tonight, so I need to check the code(s) myself to confirm the Autozone dude's diagnosis before I start buying parts.

Car is pretty decent, some slight body damage to the LF corner (bumper + fender) but overall it's in good shape. ~207k miles, but seems to run + drive well enough.

VK- to answer your question, this was their 3rd car and they didn't want to spend any money on it so they just dumped it. They were actually asking who they should contact to sell the car for scrap (!!!).. I did pay them more than scrap money for it, that's for sure, but still a good deal I think.

Bret,

I replaced the cat on Tina's civic (the one we just totaled due to her accident), but that was due to a really bad ignition miss that ended up passing enough gas through that it melted part of the core in the cat. Now I know what it means when the CEL flashes on and off (imminent cat damage warning)! If I remember correctly I used a Bosal replacement unit that I either mail ordered or bought at Advance Auto.

My civic is at 226K on the original cat. I can't remember, but I probably replaced the O2 sensor at some point in the past. Both cars have D16Y7 engines. It's not that hard to swap out the integrated manifold/cat.

Richard

_________________
Richard Casto
1972 Porsche 914
2013 Honda Fit Sport
2015 Honda Fit EX
http://motorsport.zyyz.com
Money can't buy happiness, but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than a Kia.

Thanks Richard, if it comes down to needing a cat installed, I'll give it a try myself.

I pulled the code and the only one was a P0420 (Catalyst efficiency) which the interwebs tells me is a sure sign of a bad cat. Since this car is OBDII, it's set when the cat is not "cleaning" the exhaust enough as determined by the different readings on the pre-cat O2 sensor vs the post-cat sensor.

I'm gonna try a "broke-ass baggypants" trick by installing one of those spark plug anti-foulers on the post cat sensor and see if it works. Cost me $5 for the parts so I figure it's worth a shot.


And the guy on the interweb said it works, so there's that..............