LAS VEGAS — Finding good technical training is a challenge but AAPEX attendees only had to head over to the Venetian Thursday morning to be treated to one of the best I’ve ever seen. Tenneco (Walker Exhaust) hosted Kris Lewis, who presented an excellent emissions troubleshooting session entitled “Reduce Emission Control Comebacks with Advance Diagnostic Skills and Strategies”.
Lewis’s class focused on the successful diagnosis and repair of one of the most common Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) today’s technician faces – the P0420/0430, or “Catalyst Efficiency Below Threshold, Bank 1/Bank 2”. Relying on the brief description provided by the OBD standard often fools those not schooled in the proper troubleshooting of emissions-related concerns. In the case of these two, techs are often quick to replace the catalytic converter and according to Lewis, that results in unnecessary comebacks – comebacks that could cost the shop a valued customer, especially since the cost of these emissions control components is not on the low end of the scale.
Before the class, Lewis shared that the focus of his session is on more efficiently and effectively diagnosing any emissions related issue or complaint. As any tech worth his paycheck understands, the annoying little “Check Engine” light only illuminates when a fault has occurred that will impact the emissions of the vehicle it’s attached to. Lewis shared a procedure for diagnosis that can be applied to any DTC. With that in place, he proceeded to show attendees the more common causes of the P0420/0430 DTCs. Some of these causes, Lewis pointed out, can cause a false DTC to set while others are the “converter killers” that will take out the replacement converter just as fast as they took out the first if they are not identified and corrected.
No doubt those who took time out of their busy AAPEX schedules to attend Mr. Lewis’s session left believing it was time well spent.
