johninator

My check engine light (CEL) just came on this week. I took it to my mechanic and he told me that the front element/honeycomb of the catalytic converter has shifted back and knocked the cap of the O2 sensor. The honeycomb was still whole and the O2 cap was fished out. He told me that it should be covered by the 8yrs/80,000 emissions warranty.

Here is a little background:
I had this rattling sound since 12k miles, but no CEL. The rattling would come on at start up and eventually fade out once warmed up. When I had it inspected by my mechanic, he told me that it could just be the heat shield making the noise which made sense at that time. I eventually put a Vortech supercharger in the car at 20k and the rattling still remained. I now have 35k miles in the car before the CEL came on P0141 (Bank 1 Sensor 2, O2 heater circuit failure).

I took it to a local dealer here in So. Cal. and they told me that they cannot do anything because of the aftermarket parts. The Honda service adviser and the mechanic told me that it was the "turbocharger" that caused the failure due to a lean condition and disintegrated the catalytic converter. Since I just had my personal mechanic take a look at it few days before, I knew that he didn

TR-S2K

If you move this thread to Southern California sub-forum, you will get better responds.

Honda dealer in So Cal that are visited by most S2k onwers is Honda World of Westminster on Beach Blvd near Hwy 22.

BowlofRice

i had my cat replaced under warrenty couple months ago. i had to diagnose it myself. they didn't even replace my o2 sensor for me.

i would say as a backup, go get the used cat i saw floating in the FS forum and get a new o2 and be done with it if you can't get honda to replace it to you. though it is a federal mandate to honor the cat so maybe you got something here.

beanolo

Yadis

I had the exact same problem. Rattling cat. Material in the cat finally knocked the secondary O2 sensor and caused P0141. The cat and O2 sensor were both replaced under warranty. (Good thing too. It's around $2000 Canadian just for parts ) If it weren't for this forum, I wouldn't have had the knowledge to suggest the scenario of cat material damaging the O2, to my service rep.
S2KI

CKit

Usually it's a rich supercharger that toasts the cat with a flame ball.

Ask me how I know...

Option 1)
If you have a really close friend with a stock S2k, you could swap cats and have him exchange it under warranty.

Option 2)
Buy a used cat on S2ki. Usually between $100 and $150 US. Honda will charge you ~$800 for a new one.

Option 3)
Buy an aftermarket cheap cat for ~$250. They are lower flow than the Honda one and will restrict hp.

Option 4)
Buy a test pipe with mechanical O2 fix. ~$100

O2 sensor:
Option 1)
Buy a Honda replacement for ~$300

Option 2)
Buy a generic Bosch replacement (essentially the same) and splice the wires in <30 minutes. <$100

If you have jackstands, you can do the cat swap in 30 min.
If you have spliced the O2 sensor wires, installation takes ~10 minutes.

Slows2k

You will be fighting an uphill battle to get a Convertor covered with a SC even if you are under 8/80.