Catalytic converters, is this a common fault?

[Marty_59]

Hi There,
I have been chasing an engine light coming on fault, bank 2 P0430, changed the downstream O2 sensor and installed one of those sensor cheater gizmos, used them before and been successful, anyway not this time.

I started chasing a second hand cat, seemed like I could get one for a reasonable price with some negotiation. Anyway I found that of the three sets I have looked at I found the N/S cat empty in two of the sets I have looked at, hence the reason possibly they were cheap and I had to take both.

Based on this I went home and did the "tap test" on my own installed cats, and again N/S sounds to be empty, O/S side make the "cat full of something" noise, anyway whatever sound they make they are different. There is no external damage evident on any of the cats I have looked at.

I have been wondering why I have only had a code on bank 2 and not bank 1, had to be something specific to bank 2. The O2 sensors when I removed them the one from bank 2 was slightly more "sooty' than the other one.

Is this a common failing point?
Cheers Marty

 

[vywgn]

Very common issue, I've seen it most with LY7 and LLT engines

 

[Marty_59]

Thank you for the prompt reply.

 

[syked]

Do you have access to a scan tool and if so are able to read live data.

Long term fuel trim, front O2 sensor mV and rear O2 sensor mV valves would be beneficial.

The front O2 sensor should fluctuate between high mV and low mV.
The rear O2 sensor should be steady high mV.

 

[Marty_59]

Yes I have an Autel scanner this has helped me get to where I have got to a great asset.