Long story, but need any advice/similar situations from other owners. I drive car on long trips day and night and worry that I can be stranded or ruin my engine! Depending on source, I can totally ignore the light or I must give it immediate attention. When I sell this car, I don’t want this to be an issue!
Pilot has been religiously maintained by Troy Wheeler Honda in Garner, NC - excellent specialist!
At 70,000 miles, early Dec, emission control light (engine symbol highlighted in yellow) popped on and stayed on. Read manual, checked gas cap. Light went off after 3 days, approx. 150 miles.
Around Christmas, light kept coming on and going off Dec. My Honda mechanic read a catalytic converter code & sent me to dealer. Dealer (Autopark in Cary) read code P0420 and replaced Bank 1 upper cat converter. They did good job, no charge to me and problem appeared fixed.
Approx 850 miles later on Sat morning at 6:30 am crossing Ala/Miss. border light popped on again After 3 hours in Meridian, Miss, able to get computer code diagnostic of P0430, another catalytic converter code. Called dealer who did original work who confirmed code and told me to drive on to Dallas. Made trip OK but aggravated to have to find dealer, document problem, etc
In Frisco TX, D. McDavid Honda did diagnostics on converter and oxygen sensors and could not replicate code. Mechanic in Miss. had erased code “so light wouldn’t bother me” - didn’t know that erased it from car computer all together!
Honda Regional would not let McDavid Honda do any repairs as they couldn’t find problems. McDavid did NOT charge me anything and threw in a free check-up on car.
On return trip, at 752 miles - 8:30 pm in Anniston, AL, light popped on again and stayed on for another 400 miles.
I’ve called Honda national to register problem as the converter is covered under warranty up to 80,000 miles. Local Dealer told me to drive it and if light comes on to come back.
HELP!!! Anyone with similar problem? I’ve been putting gasoline in this car for over 70,000 miles in many towns and states, so the idea that I just started getting “bad gasoline” now, and that I seem to be continuing to find it doesn’t wash. Plus, I do know how to put the gas cap on – don’t know of any brain incident that has caused me to be unable to fasten the gas cap correctly!
Welcome to the world of emissions control…
Catalytic Converters can be VERY expensive…The MOMENT your car turns 80,000 miles, YOU start buying them. Honda will try to avoid replacing them any way that they can. Next time that CEL comes on, don’t let them reset it without fixing the problem that made it come on. If they try the “bad gas” ploy, counter with “I always use “top tier” gasoline”. Fight fire with fire…
P0430 is the “bank 2” converter code. They replaced the bank one converter.
The reality is that other than checking the oxygen sensor outputs there’s no direct way to check a cat converter itself for operating efficiency. Since the McDavid Honda shop had no code and was unable to confirm the diagnosis, Honda is not going to reimburse them under warranty for any work they do. The guy in Miss, meant well but did you a disservice.
Keep your copies of the shop orders. When the light reappears, and it probably will, they’ll be your evidence that you tried to get the issue addressed while it was still covered. That should get them to replace the bank 2 converter under the warranty.
I wish I could offer more, but I have no other ideas. Sorry.