About a month ago my check engine came on. Code was P0430 (catalyst system efficiency below threshold bank 2) Ended up taking it to Jag and they confirmed the same thing. They reset the code and told me to come back if it comes back on. Came on again two days later. Took it back and they said my cat con is bad. I'm out of warranty and thankfully, I did my research and found on that the Federal Emissions Warranty covers the cats for 8 years and up to 80,000 miles along with other emissions parts..believe 02 sensors as well but don't quote me on that. They ordered the cat and it will be arriving tomorrow and they are replacing it at no cost. Just thought I'd share in case anyone else has this issue so you don't have to come out of pocket for it.

But I wonder how can a converter go bad that quick..I have an 07' with only 35k miles. Sounds pretty unusual. Besides just having a defective cat what else can cause it to go bad? In the meantime, I noticed at WOT especially in DS mode I noticed a bit of blue smoke in my rear view mirror. Is that because of the bad cat and is running rich because of it?? I know blue smoke usually means oil. No smoke on startup, idle or regular driving but only when I smash it. I have no loss of power and the car runs fine. I pray and hope that it's not the piston rings and only cause of the bad CAT. If anyone could provide any insight on the blue smoke at WOT I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks guys.

 

If you haven't got one it would be worth an OBD setup that will let you see short and long term fuel trims (STFT/LTFT) as well as just the codes.
I use an android phone with the Torque app and a cheapo bluetooth OBD adaptor.
At least then you can see if you're dumping a rich mix into the cat.

 

Catalytic converter failure is usually the RESULT of an engine issue and not the CAUSE of one. The exception to this is physical damage.

The internal core, or substrate, of a catalytic converter is often the component that fails. The 4 most common reasons for failure are:

1. Structural Damage to Catalytic Converter
Denting from potholes or collision damage is common. External damage to catalytic converters can also result from:

a) Pipe joint failure
b) Metal fatigue from heating/cooling cycle of engine use in winter conditions (rapid cooling action of driving through cold water when engine is operating at normal temperature)
c) Corrosion from chemicals like road salt

2. Overheated Substrate
A substrate that is overheated for extended periods of time will eventually melt and/or fail. The most common causes of substrate melting/overheating are:
a) Worn or failed O2 sensor causing incorrect fuel control
b) Fuel quality is substandard or contaminated
c) Air filter restricted
d) Weak spark
e) Weak ignition
f) low engine compression

The substrate overheats when the engine runs too rich and consequently operates at higher than normal temperatures. When the substrate fails by overheating or melting, the vehicle will emit excessive:
a) Hydrocarbons
b) Carbon Monoxide (CO)
c) Oxygen (O2)
In these circumstances, the cause of the catalytic convertor failure must be diagnosed and repaired before replacing the convertor or the replacement will subsequently fail.

3. Substrate Contamination
There are several things that are poisonous to the substrate of a catalytic convertor:
a) Leaded Fuel – using in a vehicle with a catalytic converter causes catastrophic damage; the tank and fuel lines must be flushed or replaced should this happen.
b) Antifreeze – if present in the exhaust system indicates leaks within both the cooling and the exhaust system, the leaks must be located and repaired immediately. Cross-contamination can cause severe damage to both systems.
c) Zinc (present in some oil additives) – carefully read all labels to insure no zinc is present
d) Certain silicon sealants – carefully read all labels to insure no zinc is present

4. Substrate Coated with Oil
The presence of oil either on or in a catalytic converter’s substrate can indicate a leak in the vehicle’s engine or could be the result of excessive engine wear. The underlying cause of the problem must be remedied before replacing an oil coated/plugged catalytic converter.

Although a 'free' replacement is great news, your Jaguar Dealer should determine WHY it has failed and correct the cause.

Graham

 

Graham, thanks for the breakdown. So must likely you're saying it's an engine issue that caused the Cat to go bad in the first place? That can't be good. Why didn't the other Cat go bad as well or only a matter of time? Could it be that oil is slipping past the rings? I know it's stupid thinking but I'm almost scared to have Jag find out the cause of what made the Cat faulter especially since I'm out of warranty and prob looking at several thousands of dollars if indeed the engine caused the issue. Like I said previously, no smoke on startup, idling, normal driving etc. it's only when I mash the pedal especially when it changes gears do I see a bit of blue smoke coming out the back.

 

It could be one bank running rich for some reason, hence my advice to read STFTs LTFTs.

 

Steve, I just watched a video on YouTube with your phone and obd device..pretty cool. I have an iPhone. Gonna look around for one that's compatible with my phone. Hopefully they sell these devices in the stores cause I hate waiting for stuff in the mail.

 

Any other helpful insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys.

 

There is only one device that is compatible with the Iphone bluetooth stack because of Apple license fees. Forget the name though. Check the approved odb dongles thread, it may be mentioned there.

 

Thanks Plums, I'll check it out. Anyone think I'm screwed with my engine and that the issue I'm having is being caused by my piston rings or valve seals?! Please someone tell me something different! Lol. What about maybe oil being sucked into the intake? Thanks fellas.

 

On our 1997 XK8, we had a valve guide issue that was covered under warranty. The valve guides wore prematurely, allowing oil to run down into the engine after shutdown. Then, upon startup, blue smoke would be visible. This also can cause it to fail smog. We see slight evidence of this on our 20K mile 07 XKR, and am also getting the MIL with a Bank 2 Catalyst efficiency code. Also notice a slight miss when cold. I changed plugs, and one ignition coil as my scan tool noted misfires on Cyl 2. However, no change, and even though I see misfires on my AutoEnginuity scan tool, I'm not certain that's really taking place. The scantool says misfire monitor is not supported, and I only see data on some of the cylinders, not all? Thinking I must take it into the dealer for a diagnosis? I'm also getting a code P2229 that indicates barometric pressure circuit high? That could indicate a MAP sensor problem.

 

I would have them or yourself cut the cat open and see what is inside. Blue smoke on acceleration is usually rings . Valve guide oil smoke usually happens when you are coasting (high vacuum) and then get back into the throttle. If you had a O2 sensor going bad you would usually get a MIL . This would also have a tendency to have the engine run richer which could after time damage the cat.

 

07 with 35k?
I'm guessing its not blue.
You're running rich as the computer ecu is compensating for the bad cat.
These engines for the most part are trouble free way beyond 35k
Rest easy

 

Are you really sure its blue and not black? With my xkr i find that if I haven't floored the accel for a while I notice some black smoke from the rear. However when I floor it a couple more times it doesn't happen. My guess is that it happens when on boost from the S/C. See if you can get someone to drive behind you and see what happens. Just to be sure.

 

muncher, I find the exact same thing on my XKR. I started a thread a while back on this but I can't find it right now.

 

I thought that maybe this is what is being seen? I changed my plugs and air filter. Also cleaned the throttle body. I will be doing a full dyno check soon. The only way really to see what's going on.




In addition to what I have said in previous post. I would also monitor the engine oil level over a period of time. If it is really burning oil you should notice it that way.

 

I believe I was told that this is perfectly normal on a supercharged car.

 

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