paid for tune up and got this code now p0430

[ooglab]

2005 g35 stock,wifes car..never a minutes prob untill now. Paid for new sparks ,belts,radiator flush,trans service, oil change and a few other things done. Service engine light came on an hour after getting it back, returned to mechanic and he said it was cataltic error and reset the service light and said return if it comes back on. Its back on now and Im kinda pissed that I have to now spend more money to fix more stuff that wasnt broken when I took it to them in the first place. Would fresh sparks make the system go haywire? Thanks in adavance for your thought!

[tollboothwilley]

Not common for the sensor to go bad from new plugs...but if the old plugs were bad the new plugs might have more noxious emissions from better combustion.

O2 sensors are a wearing item. They can go bad anytime, but mostly don't go until 100-120K miles.

[ooglab]

TY...The car has 105000 on it and I just did what was recommended.....It ran fine before the tuneup. Maybe just a coincedience. Got any guess about cost to replace sensors?

The car seems to have lost a little pep...although no noticable skip,ping or hesitation.

Maybe I should ask for old plugs back and the car will once again be happy camper....J/K

Guess I should go ahead and have all the sensors replaced since its at the milage you say they go bad?
Modified by ooglab at 3:30 PM 8/30/2009

[SVTCOBRA]

I've heard that you should change the sensors at some point to regain lost mpg. I had one die in my cobra. Was ez to replace, but had to go to Furd to get them to tell me exactly which one was bad. This was after wasting money replacing the bank 1 spark plugs that the Autozone reader said was bad.....Had to pay Furd 89 to find out. But, saved $$$ doing it myself.

[joe603]

Welcome to NICO!

Where did you take your car? Sounds like the mechanic may have missed connecting a sensor...or broke something while changing the plugs.

I'd take it to Infiniti and have a certified tech look at the car.

[tollboothwilley]

I don't see how a mechanic could have missed the connector since he shouldn't have disconnected them for any reason.

at 105K miles, its about time to change them anyways.

I replaced mine. I got the universal O2 sensors from Checker/O'Reily. I think they were like $65 each (~$130 for both) for the ones behind the cat which are throwing the code. I just spliced the wires and taped it up. Saved me like $60-70 I think. Not difficult either.

[ooglab]

The sensors are all functioning..however while on a moniter this morning 1 sensor seemed to be stuck while idleing untill motor was reved...the voltage stayed the same on the 1 in question while all others were jumping around .

So far 2 places have said I need a bank 2 cat .....

I have used this mechanic for many years but They normally only work on my work trucks.... The G has never had any real issues other than brakes and tires. I hate to go to Dealer cause work is slow and my rear end dosent have room for any new clients.

I still have questions about the plugs they used...this weekend ima pull 1 a see what they used. Ive alreday pissed the mechanic off questioning them with internet knowledge .

Thank you all so much for helping and repsonding to my issues!

Kinetix 350Z G35 G37 High Flow Cats...they seem cheaply priced ..I cant get a remanufatured 1 here for the cost of 2 new ones from them. A diy job for someone with above average skill?

[Sentientbydesign]

Maybe there's a corroded connector?

Cheaper to check that, than replace O2 sensor.

You could find a smog place and see if they can measure your exhaust gasses. Would be an interesting method of verifying the CAT or O2 sensor.

[loystock]

The Oxygen sensor is expensive (@ $125 for front, $142 for rear) and the catalytic converter is VERY expensive (@ $800) - and these are based on discounted price from IoS, Although the code calls for Bank 2 cat and possibly an O2 sensor, it would be better to verify other items first. Such code can be triggered by problems with spark plugs, air intake leak, exhaust leak, etc.

The problem may be due to non-OEM spark plugs. The standard plug is NGK PLFR5A-11. Bosch and Denso plugs are known to cause ignition/emission problems in Nissan engines. Other models of NGK [plugs can also cause problems (due to different heat range and/or gap).

Also, check the air intake duct for leak, especially downstream of the MAF sensor. Spray carb cleaner around the air intake joints and listen for change in engine response.

[BrandAidDesignG35]

1+, I bet he put in some cheap plugs, I spent around $150 bucks for plugs, they were 25 a piece I think...

I bet they just got a cheap set

[ooglab]

I pulled a plug just now and they are ngk plfr5a 11....Ill try the carb cleaner now.

I just cant believe its a coincidence that 2 cranks after tune up that my cat went bad. They are so stubborn about this and say they see it happen all the time. I said well the you should tell folks that bring a car in for minor tuneup and brakes that the cat has a Good chance of going out if we mess with it!

Ty all for the helpful hints on figuring this out!

[ooglab]

No Luck with carb spray and noticeable sound difference in motor rpm. Also replaced rear O2-sensor on bank 2 (driver side) ...reset cpu and two cranks later and 10 minute dives the Light is back on.

Guess its Cat time? Is it a hard do it yourself replacement.? My only concern about the job is getting enough slack in pipe to get new 1 in without undoing most all exhaust.

[pfarmer]

No Luck with carb spray and noticeable sound difference in motor rpm. Also replaced rear O2-sensor on bank 2 (driver side) ...reset cpu and two cranks later and 10 minute dives the Light is back on.

Guess its Cat time? Is it a hard do it yourself replacement.? My only concern about the job is getting enough slack in pipe to get new 1 in without undoing most all exhaust.

I tend to lean towards an exhaust leak which disrupts exhaust flow (stratification) across the 02 sensor. This may present itself in a condition as you stated where the one sensor was not rapidly changing like the others. If you can reset and it stays out when cold and then comes back when the car warms up this may indicate a leak. Go hunting with a short piece of garden hose. It is not all that uncommon. If this is it and you find a leak then you can try to seal it but you may have to go beyond a short term solution.

Perry

[ooglab]

Perry

Thanks for your thoughts..... Im a bit confused though on how to "Hunt" with a garden hose. Can you elaberate a little on this method please Sir.

Also I was told or have read somehwere that the SEL light will not come on after reset untill 2 cranks with those trips getting the car past just a short drive.

[tollboothwilley]

Very highly doubt you have an exhaust leak bad enough to throw a code. You would have to have a leak between the headers and the cats and I doubt the mechanic touched the exhaust at all. What kind of O2 sensor did you install? did you make sure to reconnect the plug after installing?

The plugs you have in are the stock platinum tipped NGK's. I went with the Iridium IX plugs. Both work great in the engine. I have my stock cats still that I might be willing to sell. Still, you can have an exhaust shop check out the cats before you decide to replace. Might think about getting Test Pipes or HFC if you get them checked out and one is bad.

[pfarmer]

Perry

Thanks for your thoughts..... Im a bit confused though on how to "Hunt" with a garden hose. Can you elaberate a little on this method please Sir.

Also I was told or have read somehwere that the SEL light will not come on after reset untill 2 cranks with those trips getting the car past just a short drive.

The leak is actually a known issue with some Infinitis. The garden hose is a listening device. One end goes to your ear, the other end is used to move around the engine bay listening for the sound of an exhaust leak.

As far as the code goes it is basically just telling you where to look. With the sensor acting like it is (is it still reading odd?) then you have a couple of possible issues. There is the issue of connections. The other may well be a leak. The cat will toss the code however I would think that you should still show signs of a fluctuating reading, similar to how the others look, just different values.

From FSM:

DTC No. Trouble diagnosis name DTC detecting condition Possible causeP04200420(Bank 1)Catalyst system efficiencybelow threshold Three way catalyst 1 does not operate properly. Three way catalyst 1 does not have enoughoxygen storage capacity. Three way catalyst 1 Exhaust tube Intake air leaks Fuel injector Fuel injector leaks Spark plug Improper ignition timingP04300430(Bank 2)

My initial thought would have been damage to one or more plugs or coil packs, but what I found telling is you mentioning that the sensor appeared dead at lower rpms and replacement did not cure it. Is it still appearing dead and at lower rpms? As the capacity of the cat decreases I would think the sensor would actually start to get more in step with the one before it, assuming the sensor and cabling is functioning. You mention that it seems to pick up with rpm increases. To me this points possibly in the direction of an upstream exhaust leak.

Perry

[ooglab]

My initial thought would have been damage to one or more plugs or coil packs, but what I found telling is you mentioning that the sensor appeared dead at lower rpms and replacement did not cure it. Is it still appearing dead and at lower rpms? As the capacity of the cat decreases I would think the sensor would actually start to get more in step with the one before it, assuming the sensor and cabling is functioning. You mention that it seems to pick up with rpm increases. To me this points possibly in the direction of an upstream exhaust leak.

Perry

Thxs Perry for the Info

I only replaced the downstream sensor with a universal one. I will be able to get back to exhaust shop thursday. When i origainally went to exhaust shop ...I was sent there by the mechanic that I do trust and have been going to for years but in this case let me down to get a cat put on. The exhaust shop didnt have 1 in stock and ordered 1 after hooking it up to his monitering machine..... That was when he noticed the 1 sensor not moving except upon accleration and then it seemed to work normally. I left his shop thinking in 3 days the sel would be a thing of the. Also the code was cleared before i went there by first mech. I got home...got mad and cancelled the cat purchase thinking it had to be something simple and not a 800.00 economy helper. So I didnt observe which sensor was not functioning correctly but did see it was bank 2. I will return to him and find out if its upstream thats lazy and then I will spend the 140ish on an oem type O2 .

You guys run a great help forum ...Thanks Alot for being there!

[thiefgarrett]

Usually in other cars, the 2nd 02 sensor just reads how the cat is doing. With a tuner/programmer, we just disable this DTC for the 2nd 02 sensor (bank 2).

The 1st O2 sensor though, usually mounted on the aft part of the exhaust manifold is very, very important. This is where (in other cars) where the MAF sensor will corelate as per table in the PCM (or ECU in other cars) it's fueling. A malfunctioning 1st 02 sensor is detrimental especially during wide open throttle.

[pfarmer]

Thxs Perry for the Info

I only replaced the downstream sensor with a universal one. I will be able to get back to exhaust shop thursday. When i origainally went to exhaust shop ...I was sent there by the mechanic that I do trust and have been going to for years but in this case let me down to get a cat put on. The exhaust shop didnt have 1 in stock and ordered 1 after hooking it up to his monitering machine..... That was when he noticed the 1 sensor not moving except upon accleration and then it seemed to work normally. I left his shop thinking in 3 days the sel would be a thing of the. Also the code was cleared before i went there by first mech. I got home...got mad and cancelled the cat purchase thinking it had to be something simple and not a 800.00 economy helper. So I didnt observe which sensor was not functioning correctly but did see it was bank 2. I will return to him and find out if its upstream thats lazy and then I will spend the 140ish on an oem type O2 .

You guys run a great help forum ...Thanks Alot for being there!

Just keep in mind that the cat is part of the exhaust system that could have a leak.

If you do some research on this you will see that this is a very common problem with more than just Nissans, although it certainly appears to have its base there as well.

From what I have seen on this topic in the past is that if the cat is failing one of the clues is that the two sensors will start to come together in activity levels. The term often used when a catalyst bed is failing or simply overwhelmed is 'slip'. This refers to exhaust gases that are not acted sufficiently upon by the catalyst, that is they slip by the catalyst. If the catalyst falls apart and you now have essentially a straight path through the converter then the outlet sensor ends up seeing the same gasses as the inlet sensor.

So to me what is important is that you end up verifying that the sensors are in fact working correctly regardless of the need or lack of need for cat replacement which like others have stated may be just around the corner.

If you have your friend do the tests associated with the system I would have him carefully follow the FSM which details them for the Infiniti.

Perry

[ooglab]

Follow up !

It was the Cat... I should have trusted my mechanic that I have used for almost 20 yrs now! The pro shops have much better diagnostic tools that give much more info on codes than do the simple code readers that say a Parts store have. I replaced the cat myself ...easy job , and then I called my mechanic and apologized for getting testy with them .

Thanks guys for all your input!

[tollboothwilley]

tell me you didnt pay $800 to replace the cat.

You could get a nice set of high flow cats for $400 and get a performance gain while replacing them.

[ooglab]

Catalytic Converter Benchmark Catalytic Converter G35 Benchmark Price: $344.19

Its my wifes daily driver . Stock is all she needs. If she wants to hear some exhaust noise Ill crank up the 455 olds in the garage and let the big block breath!

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