QuestionI have a ’97 Camry CE (190k, 6 cyl, std.). The check engine
light is on and I get back a P0420 error code. I called my
local dealership and told them the error code and that I
thought it was probably one of the sensors going bad. The
service guy said that it would be around $1600 to replace
the converter. When I asked him how much it was to replace
the sensor, he said that there wasn’t a sensor for it and
that I had to replace the converter. If I was more
confident in my knowledge I would have challenged his.
Another note that may or may not be related is that for the
past 5-6 years, occasionally when it rains and I drive
around for a little while the car will, for lack of a
better word, “growl”. It only happens when it rains and
the road is pretty wet. It is directly related to RPM and
has nothing to do with speed or gear that I’m in. It
usually lasts only about 30 seconds or so and then it goes
away. It sounds like it’s coming from under the car, but
I’m not positive.
AnswerMichael,
It would help if I knew how many miles are on vehicle !!!
Catalytic converters don't go bad on Toyotas. You need to have a
good Toyota technician hook up an expensive scanner to the computer,
it will pinpoint which sensor is acting up. They get dirty and only need cleaning most of the time. Everybody wants to replace them so
they can put money in their pocket. Find a small shop that's honest and works on Toyotas and understands this. Ask friends and family about local shops, you will find one.
