30K miles & CEL w/P0420 & P0430

[byathread]

Been dragging the TT around a good bit and feeding it 91 lately (lots) instead of usual diet of 93/94 octane fuel due to location.

Didn't see anyone else with these codes when I searched who is running bone stock like me.
Exhaust sounds like **** and stinks way more than normal.

$0.01 for your thoughts? O2 sensors? Cat?

Taking to dealer tomorrow and will update here for the group...

 

[JasonH]

In my Scooby Do voice...*ruh roh*. My stinky exhaust was a leaking head gasket. I hope you're not having this issue, it's expensive. You can ask the dealer to test the coolant system for combustion gases.

 

[Hamfisted]

Fouled Cats would be my guess. If it's still under warranty run it by the dealer. Ford has a 8/80,000 emission related warranty, and the Cats fall in that category.

 

[byathread]

Thanks @Jason and @Hamfisted for the replies/info... Both these codes at the same time not something they've seen much/if ever in this dealer. Actually not open today except for oil changes, but, one tech is here/going to have a look. Damn emissions stuff, wonder if it would be OK to drive a few thousand miles this way? I think so, maybe polluting a bit more than the EPA would like! No loaners that seat 6 OR really any new vehicles here. Seems the norm these days. Gotta love the pandemic supply chain issues!

*Also forgot to mention in original post, according to my wife who was driving out at the time, Thursday (two days ago) she got a limp mode condition but w/low fuel light active/displayed and she doesn't drive it much, so, not sure if any other messages. This was pre-CEL/why I made the appointment as the truck has been louder than normal at start up and when you rev from idle. Shop manager made the comment that it almost shootings like something broke off in the exhaust system somewhere.

 

[Hamfisted]

Yeah I wouldn't mess around with it if it's already gone to limp mode once. Let the dealer have it and go rent a van if you have to for a family trip. It could be anything that's fouled the cats, even the turbos blowing oil or something that'll end up being a catastrophic failure. At a bare minimum they're going to drop the exhaust and see what's in the cats.

 

[byathread]

OK, so, both Cats need replaced... I guess there are two? "Bank 1 and bank 2" both are exhibiting metallic noise/clearly something broke off inside them/failing. Why I wonder?

Tech said it is ok to drive... I'll be checking for additional codes and clearing often. Warranty work done after parts ordered, guessing September or later, will know more on that timeline next week. ~15K out of the 30K on the odometer is dragging my camper... Lots of fuel/air through this motor!

I'll advise here if anything else/additional. SOB!

 

[byathread]

Back from MT and now definitely over half the miles on mine are while dragging the 7K# camper... Plenty of fuel run through! I averaged 5.5mpg on the 91/no ethanol and that only really increased to 6.5 when I got to the 93 e10 states, so really ****** fuel mileage/below what I'd usually get by at least 1 mpg.

Took it in to my regular ford dealer for oil change/diag as they wouldn't order the cats without doing that and today was the first opportunity they had to take a look.

Service manager and service advisor said this AM "Wow, it's loud and it stinks..." Well no ****!

There was mention of fuel trim and some other speculations, but, in my mind something with this engine is completely off. I'm bone stock, this is the first turbo I've ever owned. What could it be?

So, garbage fuel mileage, but it performed OK and got us back from MT to PA...

Any other ideas from the folks with more turbo/eco boost experience?

Can't wait to hear what they say...

 

[byathread]

So, just got off the phone with the service advisor. They are just going to replace both cats, then will monitor and diagnose to see if any other issues...
What I'm keeping in the back of my mind is that it stunk/ran inefficiently on the way out to MT via CO from PA dragging camper (after a fresh oil change in PA).
Then noisy/terrible rattling internal exhaust sounds in MT.
Then 10 or so days later wife experienced limp mode (from the expy, not me ) then made appointment in Kalispell Ford b/c of limp mode.
Then CEL 0420 & 0430 that next day.
Then day after that Kalispell Ford says at the appointment that both cats are failed internally and need replaced, but are on back order until September, so, that tech said it'll be fine to drive back to PA.
Then today Fred Beans Ford is replacing cats tomorrow and will continue diagnosis.
Just wanted to write that all down/recap in case I or anyone else might need to hear that in the future.
*The only other thing I can think of is that I DID NOT check oil level after that before trip change back in June/July (kicking myself for that) but it was all the way at the lowest level mark last week and blacker than a well digger's a$$hole then.

In other news, this Escape loaner they gave me is a little sh!tbox in comparison...

Will keep everyone posted.

I'm happily accepting any solid advise on this issue or getting my head OK with spending ~70K on a vehicle that requires two new catalytic converters at 32K miles...
Even with the "piece of mind" of
3Y/36K Bumper to Bumper
5Y/60K Powertrain
8Y/80K Emissions
Warranties

 

[JasonH]

I suggest tracking coolant and oil levels. The cats failing at that mileage suggests fouling by something getting into the cylinder during combustion. I think Ford just has really poor QC. With the number of these engines on the roads, there are bound to be failures, but part from phaser issues, the failure modes seem terribly inconsistent. Good luck with the repair.

 

[byathread]

So, both cats replaced today and after that "everything checks out! Right side was worse than left, oh, and we did the turbo rattle recall reprogramming (which I didn't ask for/want at the moment given I didn't experience the issue much) and all that extra heat ate up your resonator, which is backordered, so, we'll get that ordered up and it'll be louder until that one is replaced."
I'm not really surprised by any of this...
There was also some dialogue about needing to keep the failed cats on site for 6 months in case Ford wants to recall them... I picked them both up off the floor and there was lots of sh*t rattling around in there, the one was worse than the other. The stainless looked like it had blued/browned in a few spots, but, that is what good quality stainless does when it gets hot. Then some additional speculative dialog around one cat fouling first and that causing the second because there is more air going through it? I kept a straight face, but, isn't there one cat allocated to 3 cylinders on one side and 3 cylinders on the other side and that is "impossible"?

Glad to be driving it again and be out of the shitbox escape loaner...

Probably best to just monitor fluid levels and just keep driving it, I guess...