I just failed smog today.... due to check engine light is on. The CEL has been on for a while. I had it diagnosed and it was due to bad Catalytic converter.

In the past i've been able to unplug my battery & do smog - and it pass. Today although i reset the battery - the computer said there's something in the CEL. Can smog computer detect that?

Everything pass except for CEL.

I called Honda and it's gonna cost me $850 just for the cat not including labor.

So any suggestion? should i go w/ aftermarket?

Somebody also told me that cat in 1998 accord is bad.

 

If I were you I would get a aftermarket cat anyway, alot cheaper... If you wanna turn that engine light off all you have to do is press and hold ur mileage reset button that located on ur cluster then start ur accord. Make sure u keep the button held until light goes off. Even if nothing is wrong with ur accord Honda has the computer set so that the Engine comes on so that you can take it in and get it checked. I learned the hard way when my 99 Accord reached about 40k.. I took it in and $165 later the light was off and there was nothing wrong with it.. Dealers Suck!!

 

OEM cats are $120 on ebay. The error code for emissions is typically an intermittent failure and will not trigger the CEL constantly. My CEL has been coming off and on for the past 50k miles. I've passed one smog test with my "bad" cat.

Cracker, that's definitely not how you reset a CEL. The correct method is to pull the Clock fuse in the passenger side panel for about 5 minutes, allowing the ECU to reset.

More misinformation...the light will only come on if an error code is triggered. You can easily find out what the code is by yourself and diagnose it from there with a Helms. Don't blame your stupidity/unknowning on the dealership please. I've seen way too much dealer bashing in here lately.

 

yea, the person at the smog test center didnt let me smog w/ the CEL on.

 

go online and get a cheaper cat, either OEM or aftermarket. have a muffler shop install it for you if you don't want to do the install yourself.

 

some states like california it is illegal to install a aftermarket cat. on a obd2 car...whats worse on the 6th gen ULEV they are 2k for the cat. using a afermarket cat. will get you a CEL pretty fast. if your in cali what you do is disconnect the battery and reset the light drive it far enough to clear 2 of the 4 redieness test leaving the evap and cat tests incomplete as in cali you can have 2 unset and still pass on 2k and older vehicles . or you can try the fouler plug adapter technique on the rear O2 sensor to trick the computer to think the cat is okay.

 

The ECM in an OBD-2 car has 'readyness' codes that don't set off the CEL. Basically, after you reset your ECM by disconnecting the battery, the ECM knows it hasn't had enough driving time to be completely 'ready'. Smog station can hook up a scan tool & check those readyness codes. So they'll know you have just recently reset your ECM.

 

You have the maintenance required light COMPLETELY mixed up with the Check Engine Light. The maintenance light comes on when it's time to do a service on your car, THAT one is reset by holding the trip button while turning the key on. That $165 probably bought you an oil change, tire rotation, and inspection. You don't turn off the Check Engine Light by pushing buttons, except those found on a scan tool.

 

dont ever buy honda parts from honda dealers...

 

Why's that I get them for dealer price.