Wife's '01 Camaro failed state required emission inspection. DTC is P0430 Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold (Bank 2). I've done some googling/reading til I was blue in the face, and couldn't find the answer I was looking for. Does the "bank 2" refer to right side catalytic converter or the second O2 sensors, after the cats (V8, it has two)?
Unless GM does some funny numbering, I'm betting that Bank 2 is cyls 5-8 on the LEFT side (as looking from the drivers seat)- right side if you standing in front of the engine.
The rear catalysts are not typically monitored-
So it will be the catalyst that's between O2 sensor 1 and 2 on cyl's 5-8.
Eric
Just found this.
obd-codes.com said: Quite simply, Bank 1 refers to the side of the engine that has the #1 cylinder. Bank 2 is the opposite side of the engine.
Now, I have to find the shop manual to determine where #2 cylinder is.
RealMiniDriver wrote: Just found this.obd-codes.com said: Quite simply, Bank 1 refers to the side of the engine that has the #1 cylinder. Bank 2 is the opposite side of the engine.Now, I have to find the shop manual to determine where #2 cylinder is.
?
Cyl 1 is the one in front, passenger side of car, and that's bank 1.
Bank 2 is the opposite side. As I pointed out.
Drivers side, cyls 5-8, catalyst between first and second O2 sensors on that bank.
Manual is in her car, at work, but after searchin a few Camaro forums, driver's side is 1-3-5-7, passenger side is 2-4-6-8.
Thanks for your help, though, Eric. 
Another emissions question: my Supercoupe recently failed the sniffer test massively. HC limit was 220 and my car made 392. We're going to work on a tune for the emissions test, but are there any fuel additives that might actually help me? Aside from getting the cats hot as hell, anything else I can do?
I have that same CEL code on my V6 Contour for the past 1 1/2 years. I finally got rid of it by installing CEL eliminators into the wiring of the downstreem O2 sensors.
As for the the emissions test. Try adding some E85 fuel to your fuel tank if you have it in your area. The extra ethanol may lower the HC's enough to pass. I used to add a gallon of denatured alcohol or a number of bottles of fuel line antifreeze (Ethanol or methanol) to a near empty tank to get one car to pass.
Will wrote: Another emissions question: my Supercoupe recently failed the sniffer test massively. HC limit was 220 and my car made 392. We're going to work on a tune for the emissions test, but are there any fuel additives that might actually help me? Aside from getting the cats hot as hell, anything else I can do?
Two possibilities:
The O2 sensor isn't. How many miles does this one have on it? You can back probe the sensor signal wire (not the heater wires if so equipped) and watch it cycle. If it doesn't show much more than .1 volt and never cycles, your sensor es muerte. If you run up to around .4 - .6v and there's some movement, the sensor is probably OK
Vacuum leak can cause a lean misfire which means unburnt hydrocarbons down the pipe. Check all vacuum hoses and devices including EGR.
Everything on the SC is brand new (under 1000 miles). The whole engine, every inch of exhaust, O2 sensors, you name it. EGR has been deleted, I suppose I should have mentioned that. It does have cats. A vac leak is a possibility, but since everything is so new and the car did well on the dyno that wouldn't be my first guess.
Typically, P0420/P0430 means the cat has died on that bank. There is a certain amount of post cat O2 sensor switching that has to go on for that code to not come on. Replace the cat, reset the code, and drive, drive, and drive some more to make the system "ready" again.
Also, Bank 1 on GM/DCX will always be drivers side and Bank 2 will be passenger side.
Brian
Actually... technically, the passenger side is 2, 4, 6, 8 and yes its bank two.
Usually 0430/0420 codes mean you go straight to replacing them, but try something first. Buy a 12-16 oz bottle of HEET gas line antifreeze. Take a vacuum line off the manifold while keeping the RPMs around 2000. Stick the vaccum line in the bottle of heat with a pair of pliers to regulate how much gets sucked in. You want it to suck enough that it bogs down the engine a bit, but not enough to stall it.
This has worked for us about 40-50% of the time at the shop. If someone brings in a 97 Infinity with a P0420 code and 225k on the ticker, he doesn't want to shell out $950 for new cats. So we can often times get the light to go away for a year or so.
It depends on the root problem. If the catalyst itself is spent, there's no saving it. If its just carboned up from not getting up to temperature (short drives, cold weather operation), the above HEET proceedure should do the trick and get a few more months before the light comes back.
Jerry From LA wrote: You can back probe the sensor signal wire
heh heh... backprobe the sensor 
/immaturity
Will wrote: Another emissions question: my Supercoupe recently failed the sniffer test massively. HC limit was 220 and my car made 392. We're going to work on a tune for the emissions test, but are there any fuel additives that might actually help me? Aside from getting the cats hot as hell, anything else I can do?
You mention working on a tune for the emissions test. Do you currently have a factory tune or do you have a custom tune? If its a custom tune (at the risk of being Captain Obvious), I'd recommend going back to the factory tune for the test and trying to pass that way. Have you added larger injectors or a different MAF sensor? Do you have a set of smaller injectors you could throw in to lean it out for the test, and then swap back in your current injectors?
Aside from that, is your ignition system working properly? Are the plugs and wires in good condition?
Bob
Will wrote: Another emissions question: my Supercoupe recently failed the sniffer test massively. HC limit was 220 and my car made 392. We're going to work on a tune for the emissions test, but are there any fuel additives that might actually help me? Aside from getting the cats hot as hell, anything else I can do?
What were the other constituents?
That will tell you more of what's going on.
Eric
jimbbski wrote: I have that same CEL code on my V6 Contour for the past 1 1/2 years. I finally got rid of it by installing CEL eliminators into the wiring of the downstreem O2 sensors.
[editorial] Weak. [/editorial]
alfadriver wrote:jimbbski wrote: I have that same CEL code on my V6 Contour for the past 1 1/2 years. I finally got rid of it by installing CEL eliminators into the wiring of the downstreem O2 sensors.[editorial] Weak. [/editorial]
Weak! Weak! Do you know what a new cat for a Contour v6 costs? Do you know how hard it is to replace? This CEL code started to come on at 80K miles. It's a common code on Contours, Ford even has a service notice to reflash the ECU on certain models. I'm not polluting the air. The car runs great, gets good mileage, etc. A new cat is not called for.
curtis73 wrote: It depends on the root problem. If its just carboned up from not getting up to temperature (short drives, cold weather operation), the above HEET proceedure should do the trick and get a few more months before the light comes back.
8 miles, round trip to/from work. Not driven much other than that.
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