Cadillac Repair: 1999 cadillac escalade converter, gas mileage, cadillac escalade

Question
I have noticed that my escalade has been getting bad on gas mileage. The check engine light shows P0420 bad converter. Is there a way to bypass it, perhaps cut it out and replace with a short piece of pipe. As far as the engine light I could care less if it stays on.  Any suggestions?  

Answer
Hi,

You better care about the check engine light. This is why your mileage is bad because the computer is not looped and the engine running properly.

No, you can't just put a pipe in to replace the cat. Not only is this against federal law, but the engine is designed to run with the cat.

The check engine light only is a symptom that can be caused by numerous problems, the cat being one of them. Cats rarely fail unless the engine was not running right in the first place.

I am sorry, but you have to bite the bullet on this one to get it fixed right.

Rob