Anyone knows what the temperature of the catalytic converter should read on a 2002 toyota?

I got the P0420 code yesterday and went ahead and bought an infrared thermometer. The front reads 480 and the rear about 380. I cleared the code last night and drove a good 15 miles, today another 5 and the CEL hasn't popped yet. Anyone has any idea of the average temperature?

 

600-1100 degrees depending on a ton of factors


it's a 2002, likely the o2 sensor is just worn out. they last around ~120,000-150,000 miles

it is difficult to get an accurate read of cat temp without a probe inside the exhaust pipe where your o2 bung is, so would not worry. your temp of 380 is likely just a bad reading

as posted below, when running, 1100-1600 is normal means there is grime that can burn and the cat is burning it.

I have a +267,000 mile 5vzfe from 1999 on the original cats, second set of a/f and o2 sensors, and it still passes Mass. emissions tests. these cats can last a long time (but not always) if not damaged and you never got or stayed with a rotten gas station over time. my weekend 100 mile trips also help get the temp up and burn any residuals. a lifetime of short trips is what kills cats

 

800- 1600 is normal

 

If I am correct, your reading should be about 30- 100 degrees hotter at the rear of cat v.s. front for a normal working cat.

 

It's 97 degrees fahrenheit in Texas. I drove my '05 Taco 2.7L [2TRFE] at 60mph for 5 minutes. Coolant temp was 189. Catalyst Temp bank1 sensor 1 = 1375. Catalyst Temp bank1 sensor 2 - 1250.

 

There are many things that can cause the P0420 trouble code... but its usually the O2 sensor.

• Oxygen Sensor– The P0420 codes is thrown when the oxygen sensors on both sides of the exhaust have very similar readings. When the oxygen sensor is bad, it can cause a false reading and trigger the code. If the engine does not exhibit any of the decreased performance associated with a bad catalytic converter, it very well may be the oxygen sensor (if you haven’t noticed the performance loss yet).
• Catalytic Converter– A catalytic converter is responsible for scrubbing out as much pollution as possible from the Tacoma’s exhaust. Over time, they can become clogged. Although, modern catalytic converters are supposed to last the life of most vehicles, it could be there is some underlying problem if it has clogged.
• O2 Sensor Wiring– Over time, the oxygen sensor wiring can go bad. It is especially volatile since it is right next to the hot exhaust at all times. The downstream oxygen sensor wiring is especially volatile since it is so far from the ECM (more distance to travel.
• Tacoma Timing– If your Tacoma is misfiring or the exhaust timing is off, this can affect the gasses that are actually going to the O2 sensors enough to cause the P0420 code to register.
• Exhaust Leak– If there’s a noticeable exhaust leak coming from the vehicle it can change what the O2 sensors register enough to throw the P0420 code.
• Engine Temp Sensor– If the computer doesn’t know what the engine temp is it’ll keep the fuel mixture rich. When the fuel mixture is rich, the exhaust the O2 sensors see will be out of range and it could throw the sensor.

 

There's no temp sensing capability on these old systems, that's a diesel thing. The scan tool is taking a guess and throwing a number up there to fill in a blank pid

Check for exhaust leaks upstream or near any oxygen sensors. Like black soot around a connection or gasket

If no leaks are found it probably needs a new cat