How can I tell if I have a faulty Catalytic Convertor or my O2 sensor is bad?

10

Asked by Calvin Oct 18, 2020 at 01:11 PM about the 2013 Ford Taurus Police Interceptor AWD

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I bought a car from a dealership and it's running engine codes P0430 & P0420.
I have been researching around and seeing that it could either be. faulty sensor
or the Convertor needs to be swapped.

3 Answers

155,245

It's very rare that a vehicle will throw these codes and it's not the catalytic converters. A shop will need to plug into the vehicle and watch what the upstream and downstream oxygen sensors are doing. If both upstream and downstream sensors are sending the same signals to the PCM, the catalytic converters are bad. The signal from the downstream oxygen sensors should be a flat line. This is because if the catalytic converters are working there's very little or no oxygen in the exhaust exiting the catalytic converters. When they fail the oxygen levels will be the same or very close to what the upstream oxygen sensors are seeing. Hope that helps! Jim

3 people found this helpful.

Your Answer:

Taurus

Looking for a Used Taurus in your area?

CarGurus has 2,251 nationwide Taurus listings starting at $600.

ZIP:

Own this car?

Share your experience with others.

2013 Ford Taurus

Review another car

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    Gene Arnett
    Reputation
    3,950
  • #2
    MrBlueOval
    Reputation
    3,680
  • #3
    Lanadella
    Reputation
    3,160
View All

Know more, shop wisely

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Ford Fusion
733 Great Deals out of 9,172 listings starting at $1,350
Used Ford Explorer
2,202 Great Deals out of 63,718 listings starting at $1,000
Used Dodge Charger
742 Great Deals out of 29,280 listings starting at $2,500
Used Ford F-150
6,043 Great Deals out of 131,894 listings starting at $900
Used Ford Mustang
908 Great Deals out of 22,970 listings starting at $783
Used Chevrolet Impala
271 Great Deals out of 4,011 listings starting at $700
Used Toyota Camry
1,996 Great Deals out of 35,907 listings starting at $375
Used Honda Accord
1,493 Great Deals out of 29,449 listings starting at $500
Used Ford Edge
1,450 Great Deals out of 41,328 listings starting at $1,200
Used Chrysler 300
318 Great Deals out of 7,213 listings starting at $1,550
Used Chevrolet Malibu
950 Great Deals out of 19,888 listings starting at $800
Used Ford Focus
399 Great Deals out of 5,287 listings starting at $750
Used Nissan Maxima
248 Great Deals out of 3,604 listings starting at $2,400
Used Dodge Challenger
677 Great Deals out of 22,672 listings starting at $6,690

Used Cars For Sale

2017 Ford Taurus Police Interceptor AWD For Sale
16 listings starting at $8,300
2016 Ford Taurus Police Interceptor AWD For Sale
25 listings starting at $6,980
2015 Ford Taurus Police Interceptor AWD For Sale
5 Great Deals out of 50 listings starting at $6,900

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.