steagle
Dedicated LVC Member
Just recently I was reading one of the daily coil-problem-threads and someone mentioned something about fixing the coils, else the cats will get flooded and die. Well this made me think back to when I first saw the CEL light up on my dash and I was scratching my head for months trying to figure it out. I think I finally figured out the cause-and-effect of the various issues in this car.
Just a little backstory so we're on the same page. 2.5 yrs ago I got the common "catalyst converter operating below threshold" message referencing my passenger side cat, but no one could tell me for sure if it was an O2 sensor or the cat itself. I never swapped the sensors which probably would have been a good idea, but I did the electrical diagnosis at the mechanic and they could not pinpoint it. I then got smog checked and I passed fine which makes me believe the cat is still alive and kicking. two years and another smog check later, I'm still passing inspections though the CEL comes on and goes off intermittently. Not blinking, just solid for several weeks then off for several weeks. Mechanic's not even resetting anything just happens on its own.
Anyways let me know if this is accurate:the coil-causing-cylinder-misfire issue causes you to run too rich, which overloads the cats, which trips the O2 sensors and sets off the CEL. If that's the case... then I have had this issue in some form for over two years!! The car only started getting noticeable shakes a few months ago but that doesn't mean it wasn't misfiring in small amounts beforehand. This would explain why I get a very rich exhaust smell all the time, why the CEL is on and of course why the engine is shaking.
Just a little backstory so we're on the same page. 2.5 yrs ago I got the common "catalyst converter operating below threshold" message referencing my passenger side cat, but no one could tell me for sure if it was an O2 sensor or the cat itself. I never swapped the sensors which probably would have been a good idea, but I did the electrical diagnosis at the mechanic and they could not pinpoint it. I then got smog checked and I passed fine which makes me believe the cat is still alive and kicking. two years and another smog check later, I'm still passing inspections though the CEL comes on and goes off intermittently. Not blinking, just solid for several weeks then off for several weeks. Mechanic's not even resetting anything just happens on its own.
Anyways let me know if this is accurate:the coil-causing-cylinder-misfire issue causes you to run too rich, which overloads the cats, which trips the O2 sensors and sets off the CEL. If that's the case... then I have had this issue in some form for over two years!! The car only started getting noticeable shakes a few months ago but that doesn't mean it wasn't misfiring in small amounts beforehand. This would explain why I get a very rich exhaust smell all the time, why the CEL is on and of course why the engine is shaking.
