2002 subaru impreza outback sport catalytic converter

Keep in mind there are some legal requirements to be met when both removing an old converter and installing a new one. For example, your installer must document the reason for replacing your converter. We recommend consulting a professional repair shop if you are unsure of the exact requirements.

In these cases, a MagnaFlow high flow can help with high-end power output. The neck does not extend into the converter body where it could hamper exhaust flow. MagnaFlow maintains separate dies on different sized inlets. They don't skimp by putting larger neck sizes on smaller bodies. This would reduce the flow of the converter and reduce the quality of the product.

MagnaFlow uses a monolithic honeycomb catalyst. The ceramic is designed for maximum flow and surface area. The coating method is strictly controlled to maintain exact specifications. An improper coating could result in flow restrictions or an emission test failure. MagnaFlow uses a heavier gauge stainless steel, tip to tip. Other manufacturers use mixed weights and materials.

MagnaFlow catalytic converters are seam welded close to the converter body for a strong, tight bond. MagnaFlow does not weld along the edge, which could allow the converter to expand like the folds in an accordion, allowing the catalyst to move around. Sign up for our emails for the latest in cat prices. To identify your Subaru catalytic converters, most have 2 units on the downpipe. The first down the pipe is the pre-cat, the second which is in the shape of a bean is the main cat.

Below are some examples you can also click on the link to watch our video. Send your photos to receive a quote today! Catalytic Prices View All. CEL has been off for about 2 weeks but came back on last night no driveability problems. Thinks this is a great vehcile, but is it reasonable for the converter to fail after this kind of mileage? We save as many convertors as we replace. Other makes are experiencing the exact same issue Subaru Is not alone in this and its he price of clean air.

The only way to cut down on this is to put more precious metal in the Catalyst which would greatly raise the price. Subaru just like Toyota, Chevy, Ford etc uses the minimum amount of platinum, palladium and Rhodium to get the Job done, Google or Bing any car maker with the term P after it, you will see what I mean.

Hi, Justin, thank you for info you have provided on this site. Can you tell me what is the drive pattern to complete the Catalyst Monitoring? Thank you. Great site Justin.. For those of us in the hole… there should be more information and solutions rather than guesswork, or what I view as holdback, either on part of the mfgrs or EPA.

Like I keep stating, if instead of the price on the sticker when you buy the car instead stated how much to own over 10 years no one would buy it, this goes double for German cars. The regulations for new cars also increase every few years as well which make it very difficult as what was perfected two years ago must now be redesigned to meet tougher standards.

This is the only place on the web where I found a reference to my issue! After reconnection, the CEL came on with P code. I took the cables off to clean them again and a day later, same thing. Had the code cleared and now 2 days later the light came back on. Any more info on why you mentioned this could happen? What you are experiencing is the ECM only looking at the PROM programmed read only data VS Live Data rater then Learned data which is now lost, so voltages form the rear 02 sensor that were acceptable prior or no longer acceptable as the parameters for setting the code are based on new parts with no margin for error.

This would be that based on this condition X, Y shall be this voltage. There may also be some firm ware update for your car as well that may address the issue. I love the car, but the head gaskets were leaking. Last week I finally had the time and money to have my friend who is a former head mechanic at ford and also owns and works on subarus change the head gaskets, exhaust gaskets, timing belt, water pump, etc. Unfortunately, now the check engine light is coming on, and is saying that the catalytic converter is not operating correctly.

Any chance you have that other article around? After dumping money into these repairs, last thing I want to find is that I now need more expensive repairs. I have not posted another article about OBD II, they just are to technically difficult for the average non car person to get their heads around and overall not well recieved.

Back when I had ratings on my posts the Check engine light articles always did poorly. Hi Justin Great to find this information here. I am in New Zealand, and have a Dec Tribeca 3. Diagnosis by the local dealer P They are adamant its not an O2 sensor as they said there are different codes for that.

High octane fuel has always been used. Performance and fuel economy are normal. We do not have an extended emmisons system warrenty here as it seems you do in the USA. So I am hoping you can suggest what my next moves with my Subaru dealer here should be as i am very reluctant to rush into replacing the CC,s.

What other testing should they do? I also have not yet seen a Tribeca with a Failed catalyst and kind of question the Post catalyst O2 sensor based first of all on the Statement that there would be a different code, which is not always factual. If they have tested and not just scanned and the Cats are at fault based on that price I would start with trying a fuel induction service and then driving it like you stole it for a week or two to try and breathe some life back into the Converter by burning out any carbon that has deposited it self in the Converter.

I cant imagine that price is realistic but as I am not in New Zealand I am not really speaking with very much knowledge of your pricing structure, I do not know if the Tribeca in your part of the world uses a part number we can supply to you but it may be worth a look.

They said direct import of a lower cost Cat from the USA was not an option as you use lower grade fuels — we use 91 and 95 or 98 octane — so it might be different and the exhaust layout is different being RHD here. I have just had this code come up on my Tribeca. A diagnostic check gave us the what seems like standard with these cars! How did you get on with your problem? Did the techs come up with a solid fault? You mentioned further testing is not free. What should I expect to pay. I like to know before I decide whether to pump money into my Outback with , miles on it.

It my be time for a new car. Most times if we make the repairs the same visit we will discount or waive the diagnostic fee. Now, I own and run a good shop that cares about our customers, If you go to a Dealer it will be higher, if you go to a general repair shop it may be higher still and not correct, if you find a version of my shop near you, than you should expect to pay close to what we charge if not it will be different.

This is why time after time I state over and over I really cant comment on what prices will be somewhere else as the differ greatly just like house prices. You really just need to research this out in your part of town. Thanks, That really does help. I like to have a frame of reference before going in blind. If its over 80, miles than you should budget for a Catalytic converter Replacement in the Future. I just replaced the head gaskets myself in my subaru outback limited SOHC. Now after driving it for two days I have a p code.

I bought a fel-pro head gakest kit and changed all the gaskets on the way in as well. I pretty much went through the whole engine timing belt, water pump, cluth, ect. There is no more external oil or coolant leaks at the head anymore. But the code has me puzzled.

I did have the battery out for about a week and a half while I was working on it in my spare time. If it is because I had the battery out for so long what do I do to fix it. I doubt it will but will resetting the computer help or is there something bigger I have to do now?

So any advice would be much appreciated. I wish you would have purchased the gaskets from us, the brand you mentioned is just not a good option for Subaru and may in fact not be sealing. You can try to build up some exhaust heat with a spirited drive in lower gears and higher RPMS then typical and see how that goes.

The light went off a month ago and has not come back on after a few miles. Will this pass inspection or is the history still in the memory? I have a Subaru Forester with a P trouble code. It has a HG leak, I lose coolant, not at a very high rate though. I bought the car with , miles on it last spring, and it had the P code. So I got the cat replaced and the code went away…. The code is back now, P again. Those are the O2 sensors, right?

He said that the HG leak could cause the Catalytic Converter to fail. Would a HG leak destroy a cat in under one year and approximately miles? What do you think I should start with? I appreciate your input. If you used a cheaper Aftermarket Catalytic convertor than yes its most likely already failed, we generally see the aftermarket Catalytic convertors last a year or so if its under warranty than yes have it replaced if it fails the tests I have outlined in the Article.

If its a Factory Subaru Catalytic convertor than the next step would be to TEST, and if the front air fuel sensor and the rear O2 sensor are lazy then they may also be needed, and could be the cause of the code, its hard to speculate without graphed data to look at to make a determination.

I would just be guessing. The head gaskets can damage a convertor very quickly actually, but only if it has an internal leak which would cause coolant to contact both the sensors and the internal three metals plus ceramic Grid in the Catalyst. I had the converter done at just a regular shop in my area. Not a Subaru dealer, so I think it was aftermarket. And could a head gasket leak damage my sensors? I need to know what I should do first.

Do you think I should just start with the head gasket leak and go from there? I apologize for all the questions, especially without having all the proper information to give you to make a definite decision. The aftermarket Convertors just dont have enough of the three precious metals to work as well and as long as the Subaru OE.

One year life span for the aftermarket convertors is very typical and very unfortunate which is why we wont use them. The head gasket leak on your Subaru needs to be repaired, most likely the convertor and sensors as well.

The failed convertor wont do anything to leave you stranded, or do damage by waiting to repair it other than the air quality which is why its there in the first place. I would make the head gasket repairs, then budget for the Subaru convertor when you can and maybe replace the front air fuel sensor and rear oxygen sensor at that time as well. If all is done well with the RIGHT parts you should be looking at this in the rear view mirror for years to come.

You should be aware of a Subaru recall on head gaskets: recall wwp If your car complies, Subaru will pay part or all of the cost of a head gasket repair. I was able to demonstrate that I had taken proper care of my car, and Subaru paid for all of my entire HG repair, even though my car was at K miles and about 10 years old beyond recall specifications.

I had to demonstrate that they should have advised me of the recall during a timing belt replacement in Good luck! Howdy Justin,Thanks in advance for reading and advice. It seems to run fantastic! Car was owned by a easy driver and kept in top condition.

I have a few Questions to help educate myself of the safest rout to go. Are there any symptoms to watch for h. As far as the po code goes ,can I use bg 44k for cleaning cat in the subaru? I have had good results with previous auto injector carbon problems, is there a better product for cat cleaning to use along with running it hard? Also,should I be running hi octane fuel full time?

Keep the fluids in good shape and that is the 1 thing you can do to prolong the head gasket life. I work in a garage and been driving subarus for couple of years know. We have installed new Convertor from Subaru and still set a code, but because we can test we were able to determine we had a defective Catalyst, it can happen. What I am trying to explain to you is that just because a part was replaced in the past does not mean that its ok today. You cant know if the Cat is good or bad without testing it.

They reprogrammed the ECM. Being Memorial Day the only thing I could do myself was tighten the gas cap. After a couple of short trips, the light went off along with the blinking cruise. Thought myself a genius!

Happened Sunday as I rounded a curve. Tightened cap again—light went off after three short trips. What gives? If you have read this article or any of the other ones I have written about the check engine light you will see that I suggest a code scan in correlation of the light coming on.

Tightening the gas cap if its loose may correct the light , but more importantly why would you keep leaving the cap loose? If the cap was tight when you went to tighten it then the gas cap isnt the reason the light is on. Here is a link to a basic code scanner you should consider purchasing if you want to be involved in some of the aspects of your car needs, any one with a and newer vehicle should own one.

And yet the first couple times I checked it when all this started happening, it DID seem loose! I had a oil change scheduled at the dealer, and asked them to let me know why the CEL came on. Later that day, the light no longer appeared. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. If its not affecting the performance, you can put it off until you need to test for emissions if you live in an area that tests.

The light may go on and off until its resolved. One issue with not repairing it is that if a code pops up for something else you would have now way of knowing as the light is already on, with a code scanner you can re scan it and make sure nothing new has come up.

Hi Justin, My outback is a 2. Not pleased with them. There is no change in the performance. Someone else suggested it could just be the oxygen sensors and not both catalytic converters, as the dealer suggested. I appreciate your reply. When I bought this car from the original owner, my sister Legacy wagon with , miles she just had another cat replacment a her local shop.

I though great! I have her note book of every repair and maintenence item recorded with all the receipts. Well, within 8, miles got the bad cat code again and looked at her book of service records and come to find out that her local machanic was putting a new cat in the car every , miles. I put one in myself aftermarket with brandnew Bosch O2 sensors and the code comes back at about miles. Anybody that has pulled the code just wants to replace the cat or sensors with theirs.

Any suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated. All I want to do is get through the state of CT emissions test! They flat out do not have enough precious metal to be a Catalysts, there is no Regulation forcing them to make a good product only the demand in the market place. Buy an O. Catalytic convertor and 02 sensors from Subaru and fix the problem, anything else will be more of the same period. Just found your website today, fabulous! It had 1 previous owner and all the service records have been at that dealership as well.

ANYWAY, over the weekend I was driving thru town, when I had to abruptly stop to avoid someone backing out of a parking spot on the main street and my CEL came on immediately after this. Today they did not do the test for the emissions only read the code which I was unaware that reading the code and the test you mentioned were 2 different things of until reading your site.

Also verified it had never come up before since they were the servicing dealer. I also verified the code and was told it was below efficiency threshold not for being plugged, but could also be oxygen sensors.

They re-set my CEL, so it is not on now. They said could come on in 2 days or 2 months, or longer. Do you know of any independent subaru qualified mechanics in my area?

Should I take it to the dealer or let my guy do it? I cant offer any savings on Convertor, there is no margin. Thanks for all of this information, it is really helpful.

I have a Subaru Legacy with , miles and recently my check engine light came on. I took it to my local mechanic and said it was the code. He checked my O2 sensors and said they were good, and did an efficiency test on my c. I have already had the ECM flash done at the dealership. Any suggestions?? Should I just bite the bullet and have it replaced? Many thanks in advance!

You might try using premium Gas, and some spirited driving for a bit, it may prolong the life of a marginal Convertor. Hi Justin, I have a 06 Legacy with , miles. In the last 10 days the CEL and cruise have come on and off twice. I had my regular Subaru mechanic check the code and it was He also checked the sensors and said they were ok. But just before the lights went on the first time I had filled the tank and added STP engine cleaner additive, which I had never used before.

The lights were on until the tank was about half empty and then went off. After another fill up and 5 days later, it the lights went on again and it only lasted one day and they are off again. I drive about 60 miles round trip to work, mostly highway, and change the oil every 3k by the book.

What do you think? You could try using higher octane fuel and some spirited driving for a bit and see if that helps it. Thanks for your reply Justin. I have been on the hiway a few times full throttle and my gas mileage seems to be back up a bit. Hi Justin, the lights came on again and I went ahead and had the new Cat installed. Is that normal with the new Cat?

Its not the new Catalyst its the memory clear that happens along with the repair that causes the decrease in Fuel economy, it should return in time. Hi Justin, I have a Legacy with the code.

The cats,o2 sensors, Pcm replaced and reprogrammed, Maf sensor have all been replaced with Subaru parts. Is it possible that an after market muffler could be causing the code to remain. At one time I had a running to lean code but it has cleared its self. Is the work being done at a shop with a Guarantee? Is the Convertor reaching the light off point but the code appears anyways?

I have been now reading other posts and beginning to wonder. We had the headgasket done a month before the code appeared. They probably used non subaru gaskets and its possible they didnt do the whole tighten loosen step. They are an independent mechanic Friend. Now I need to go talk to them to see what they did.

The P code came on and so I recently cleaned the throttle body and sprayed carb cleaner into the butterflies in the intake manifold and tried to clean them as well as possible. The light stayed off for a week or two but then came back on and now never stays off for long even when I have the code cleared. There is special intake type cleaner you want to use. For the code, if you do nothing and clear it, it will stay off for a while, it takes awhile for the Catalyst monitor to be at ready status, even longer for it to monitor the Catalyst and set a code.

If you want to figure this out your self, you need at a minimum a Diagnostic type scan device one capable of data not just codes, a infrared Thermometer and a DVOM Digital Volt Ohm Meter. Or you can just try stuff, like 02 sensors, super unleaded, getting the exhaust hot and hope for the best. First off, thank you for all your insight to the Subaru community that has to deal with the dreaded PO code.

At about K, I remember hearing a rattle from the bottom of the motor. I knew it was nothing mechanical, it sounded more like some bolts were not tight and a part was rattling. After some research, I assume the rattle was coming from the CAT. I am in WY where it gets cold.

When the car is warming up in the morning, I smell gas odor, but it goes away when I begin driving. Are there some other signs that the CAT has failed? Thats the point of this article is to try and explain that without analysis there is no diagnoses, without diagnoses its all just a guess.

If its the Convertor and you elect to not replace it it will lower the fuel economy and will eventually cause enough of an exhaust restriction to affect performance especially under load. The gas odor is probably a fuel leak, use the search feature and type in fuel smell and have a read. Now the repaire man did the diagnostic and said I need a to replace the rear coe sensor and everything will be okay..

Please advise if this is the way to go.. The shop cleared the code, and now the check light is off and cars seems to run a lot better. I have been doing a good deal of research on the internet on the code with the hope that I might be able to avoid replacing the CAT. Your article is the most helpful that I have found thus far. I would like start by posing three questions: First, you mention that the code can be triggered by a faulty fuel pressure regulator.

In my case, about a week before the code was tripped, I brought the car to my regular mechanic because we were smelling a fuel leak. He examined the car and found a loose hose to I think the fuel pressure regulator or at least something that sounds like that.

He was able to get a wrench on the hose clamp to tighten it down. I am wondering whether this problem could be related to the P code. If so, how?

What, if any, additional trouble shooting should I request on the fuel pressure regulator? Second, I installed a Torque Pro App on my android phone and purchased a blue tooth compatable code sender. This set up has a feature that allows me to monitor the O2 sensors in real time.

How is this test performed—while driving or during idle? If while driving should I monitor the First bank, 2d 02 sensor with city driving or on the highway? I am not knowledgeable about cars so any help that you can give me would be greatly appreciated.

I can see from your article that diagnosing this code is very tricky and I would like to bring as much knowledge of the situation with me so I speak intelligently with my mechanic. I prefer to graph it, but you will be looking for the voltage to stabilize at speed during the light of period, where it should be up and down when not at light off.

This will be at op temp only and most likely never at idle. I was able to graph the 2d O2 sensor. After warm up I ran it while parked at about rpm.

I think I observed a good lights out condition flat line but with periodic rapid drop offs down to zero and then steep return to lights out. Does this mean I have a lazy sensor that is going bad and a likely cause of p code? Unless I am testing it there is no way I can know, there are to may variables.

Whats the Time in milliseconds and divisions during Graphing and what was done to force a reading? Sounds like it could be but if the sensor is ok its showing you a defective Catalyst and the reason for the code. Opps, I forgot my third question.

If the Cat is restricted with Carbon, that carbon will prevent the light off temperature from being realized, if the carbon can be cleaned the Catalyst may return to the light of stage. Chemicals and Exhaust Temps can acheive this, you can also remove the Convertor and sensors and try soaking it. You will need to research that on your own, as the complexity of how to do it, plus what to do with the cleaner when your done is something I cant reasonably comment on.

We at the shop will often do induction services with new sensors followed by driving instructions, Id say it helps 30 percent of the carbon coated convertors if I had to put a number on it.

Since then I get at random times, can be a couple of days to a couple of weeks before getting the P code up this will reset straight away eveytime It tends to come on when you just cruise along at a steady speed.

My thinking is that either the cat has fallen apart or faulty rear O2 sensor. Any other thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

Had a major engine service about 4 months ago and now check engine light is on. Noticed MPG drop right after engine work and told dealership twice. Argument was it is winter gas blend and just a coincidence. Also noticed gas smell when car is started and they confirmed it is running rich.

Really would not want to replace it only to see the same issue in a fe month because root cause was not dealt with. Sorry, that link got broken. If the Rear O2 sensor was tested out side of the data you gave me than yes the Catalyst is not reaching light off and will need to be replaced to satisfy the check engine light and the P code. A restricted convertor will negative affect fuel economy. But so will many other deficiencies in other systems. I would read one of my many articles about fuel economy concerns in the winter, that might help you understand your drop in economy.

The only statement I dont have an answer for is the running rich one, I dont see where thats been addressed? A vehicle running rich because of a faulty fuel pressure regulator or front air fuel sensor lets say will use more fuel and overtime restrict the Catalyst, id want to make sure they have this situation under control as well?

Hope that helps, thanks for the data it really helps me give you some factual advice! Even if its not what you want to hear. Actually I do not mind your answer.

I am considering to keep my subaru another k. Since it is payed off, instead of paying car payments for a new one I am setting aside monthly some car funds. This will be covered by that fund. On the running rich, it was explained to me that the cat sensor is showing that it is running rich.

I objected by saying that it could be running rich for two reasons: -cat is not doing its job -engine is not doing its job. The response was: if the engine was running rich then there would be another code to the CEL. From what I understood they are only going by OBD diagnostics. I suspect they did not do much more than that. Data from any sensor is only as good as the sensor it self!

If you have a heart monitor that states your dead, but your talking the first thing a good practitioner will do is swap out the sensor before pronouncing you dead. The industry or the market place rather does not allow for scientifically approaching the issue with a prove good or prove failed circumstance, instead its not an exact science unless you have the ability or the inclination to go one or several steps further in your diagnoses.

I spent 3 hours with a shop today who specializes in exhaust systems. Since you may have more familiarity with dealing with my exhaust system, here are the notes from today after a bunch of diagnostics: — Bank 1 Below Threshold — Short Term Fuel Trim in normal ranges during driving; however at idle hot spikes from Again, I know that without seeing the data yourself it is likely hard to suggest. Any insight would be helpful.

Also, is there another test the garage should be doing? Also, thanks for taking the time to help out fellow Subaru drivers. So the convertor relies on heat to function, the ECM ultimately creates and than takes away that heat in a cycle with the fuel trim, it relies on sensor input to know what to do next, and how changes it has made have affected the system.

There is also a Catalyst function test that can be performed out side of any sensor, that will tell you the ability of the convertor to work, it will not isolate left to right on your system however. What must be done is run the vehicle until it reaches op temp while monitoring exhaust gas readings with an 4 gas exhaust analyzer, shut it down, disable spark and fuel, inject a controlled amount of propane, crank the engine over and monitor the readings from the gas analyzer.

I would venture to guess that 1 out every 5, auto technicians may have actually ever heard of this test. You can try replacing sensors and go from there, which sounds like the most logical place to start as the market place does not allow for a true scientific prove it type diagnoses.

Great set of articles. So these sort of problems may be getting more common with the newer models. Or mine might have another common fault, as you detail. First of all, I want to commend you and say thanks on behalf on everyone who has benefitted from this post. You are still replying to people and seem like a genuine person. Now, here is my question. Some weeks later, in early December, CEL came on. We were still in contact with the seller and he came and checked it out and code P came up, but he said that it was nothing to be worried about and turned the light off.

It was a salvage title and the seller was a hobbyist mechanic who I believe worked a little bit on the car before selling it to us so I kind of believed him.