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P0424

Heated Catalyst Temperature Below Threshold (Bank 1)

The heated catalyst on bank 1 does not reach its target temperature within the expected time. Common causes are a defective heater element, supply fault, or a damaged temperature sensor.

  • Check engine light: Yes
  • Emissions related: Yes
  • Repair difficulty: hard

Symptoms

  • Check engine light on
  • Failed emissions inspection
  • Possibly slightly increased fuel consumption
  • Sulfur (rotten egg) smell from exhaust under load

Common causes

Ordered by how often each turns out to be the cause.

  • Heater element open or shortedCommon
  • Catalyst temperature sensor failedPossible

Parts involved

  • Heated Catalyst
  • Catalyst Heater
  • Cat Temperature Sensor

P0424 is a generic OBD-II code defined by SAE J2012. Exact wording and diagnostic procedure vary by manufacturer and model. Code definitions are drawn from the public-domain OBDex dataset; the workshop notes are our own.