Catalytic Converter Cleaner

Check Engine Light with CODE P0431

The dreaded [Service Engine Soon] light came on since many many months ago.

That's why I bought the CODE READER!

The code was P0431, which had info as "Warm Up Catalyst Efficiency Below Threshold Bank 2"

Not very clear, is it?

Some good folks on the internet said it was due to oxygen sensors, some said it was due to the age of catalytic converter.

I was lucky to have the light mysteriously cleared right before I needed to do a smog test for registration at the end of 2021.

Things I tried then:

I did not know exactly which one did the job, but I drove straight to the smog test station the moment I noticed the light went off; and by the grace of God, the car passed the smog test. Halleluyah!

But that hideous [Service Engine Soon] light turned back on not long after the smog test. I have had to face the yellow light on the dash ever since. But since I would not have to do a smog test again in 2 years, I just endured that annoyance.

I put Lucas Oil into the gas tank a few more times before I filled gas. I did that because I had bought a whole gallon of it. But the light was not going away.

Recently I wanted to do something about the light because I had spent over $3k replacing a bunch of parts in the 2007 model year car in May 2022. I better make that investment worthwhile. I have run 7k miles since the repairs. I had to get rid of the yellow warning light.

 Things I tried recently:

The light did not go away!

I then looked up oxygen sensors on Amazon to replace, but decided I should try a few more bottles of catalytic converter cleaners first before putting in the real sweat and frustration.  

DURA LUBE to the Rescue

Yeah, This is what I am talking about:

DURA LUBE SEVERE CATALYTIC & EXHAUST TREATMENT. 

The picture shows the 2nd empty bottle in a shipment box from Amazon. This product had many good reviews on Amazon. Some customers claimed that it saved them hundreds of dollars by not having to replace their CAT. So I ordered 1 to try a couple months ago. The [Service Engine Soon] light stayed as solidly lit as before. Then I went through the pain of researching and freaking myself out by picturing all the possible scenarios. I may even have to just let the car go if the CAT and parts would take hundreds of dollars to replace.

I tried 1 bottle already in the recently trial. After reading up info on the potential costs to replace and try different things. I thought to myself that I better try a few more bottles of that stuff. Just treat it like filling gas at $6/gal. So I ordered 2 more at about $19/each.

I put the 1st bottle in with a full tank of gas - the light was on when I had to fill gas again.

I put the 2nd bottle in with a full tank of gas - hoping that I would see a miracle, like one guy claimed that one day he noticed something not right about his dash board. Then he noticed that it was the [Check Engine Light] being OFF. Hooray!

Yes, I want exactly that to happen to me. Please!

Check Engine Light Off

Miracle happened to me, just like that guy had said! I noticed something was not "NORMAL" as I drove home this Sunday. It turned out that the dreaded [Service Engine Light] had gone out by itself. Halleluyah!

At the 2/3 mark of 2nd tank of gas with full bottle of Dura Lube added to each, the [Service Engine Soon] light went off by itself.

This old car with 257K miles may still have ways to go.

Strictly speaking, I had spent money on 3 bottles of DURA LUBE, which costed me about US$60. Money well spent compared to the cost and hassle of replacing the car parts.

I have already ordered 2 more bottles of this good stuff from Amazon. I am planning to put another bottle with a full tank of gas immediately. Keep that CAT clean, and even cleaner! Then I plan to do maintenance follow ups on every 3rd or 4th tank of gas. Hopefully, this approach can keep the CAT happy and the [Service Engine Soon] light OFF, as it should be.