Postby dragondesign » Sat Mar 30, 2013 8:48 pm
Hey guys, getting a P0430 code. Normally I wouldn't think the cats are the problem, but I've got a serious oil burning problem. Some details:
- 2005 Pathfinder, 180,000kms (115,000 miles)
- uses 1L of oil every 2000kms driving and has been quite some time. Money is tight and I don't want to do a full rebuild to fix the burning at the moment
- About 3 months ago started gettign P0430. When I clear the code it doesn't come back for about 2,000kms.
- About 3 weeks ago started feeling the engine stumble when accelerating above 70km/h
- Engine idles perfectly, revs normally, and has strong acceleration up to ~70km/h
- When I let off the gas the stumbling stops, but starts again as soon as I apply any amount of throttle
- If at highway speeds of 130km/h or more under acceleration, there is a loud deceleration followed by the engine slowing its self (similar to engine braking in a manual transmission)
Because of the oil burning problem I suspect that I've plugged the driver's side front CAT with carbon. Currently in the process of removing the secondary cats to see if I can see anything plugging the primaries. Have been trying to get the front driver's side cat off at the header, but having a real tough time getting tools in to all the bolts.
I don't want to spend big money on new cats yet because the burning oil will ruin new ones too, so I'm thinking of emptying the front cats to clear the exhaust. This should buy me some time until I can fix or replace the engine.
Before I empty the front cats and destroy $2,000 worth of parts I want to make sure they're the problem. Temperature diagnostics didn't tell me anything but I couldn't get them as warm as they get under load.
Does this sound like the solution to my problem? It feels a lot like a missing spark plug / coil, but I'm not getting any codes. Checked the driver's side bank and the plugs look decent, can't get to the passenger's side without a bunch of work so I'm hoping to save that for when I do a compression test to diagnose the oil problem.
Any ideas? I'm stuck out of town at work until Wednesday and am working on the pathy in the evenings. The exhaust plugging could stop me on the road, a misfire shouldn't, so I'm tempted to "fix" the cats to make sure i'm breathing free. Any ideas?