How to Clean Your Car's Catalytic Converter using Lacquer Thinner
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- Опубликовано: 1 окт 2024
- Catalytic converter cleaner. How to clean catalytic converter DIY with Scotty Kilmer. Catalytic converter clogged and problem code P0420. How to fix and repair bad or clogged catalytic converter in your car by cleaning it with lacquer thinner cleaner (life hack). Replacing a catalytic converter in your car can be expensive, but this hack can help fix it cheap and fast. DIY car repair with Scotty Kilmer, an auto mechanic for the last 43 years.
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⬇️Things used in this video:
1. Amazon version of Lacquer Thinner: amzn.to/2B0gIL3
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⬇️Scotty’s Top DIY Tools:
1. Bluetooth Scan Tool: amzn.to/2nfvmaD
2. Cheap Scan Tool: amzn.to/2D8Tvae
3. Professional Socket Set: amzn.to/2Bzmccg
4. Wrench Set: amzn.to/2kmBaOU
5. No Charging Required Car Jump Starter: amzn.to/2CthnUU
6. Battery Pack Car Jump Starter: amzn.to/2nrc6qR
⬇️Things used in this video:
1. Amazon version of Lacquer Thinner: amzn.to/2B0gIL3
2. Plastic Drain Pan: amzn.to/2jAH4Yx
3. Actron Scan Tool: amzn.to/2ngeCQJ
4. Shop Towels: amzn.to/2jGDfkA
5. Disposable Gloves: amzn.to/2zSRuxO
6. Common Sense
7. Full HD Camera: amzn.to/2AvoEk7
8. My computer for editing / uploading: amzn.to/2i2sKYz
9. Video editing software: amzn.to/2jv5Fhf
10. Thumbnail software: amzn.to/2k7tz6C
🛠Check out my Garage to see what I use every day and highly recommend:
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Great Video! I just have 1 question. As for the lacquer thinner, is it detrimental to fuel injectors or beneficial ?
Can the thinner cause any damage to fuel line, rubber seal and gaskets on certain cars? Thanks Scotty, Love your videos ^_^
do you have to drive 150 miles all at once or can you knock out 40 a day?
I assume this will help p0430 as well right ?
Both codes are for the cat, one is for the upper, one for the lower, both function the same.
When I get the 420 code, I break out the bong, and forget about the cat.
That's what I've done for the last month, but even I'm not too lazy to put some lacquer thinner in my tank lol Gonna give it a shot today.
@@BrianOfAteionas did it work?
@@stevekooz5240 Nope. It was too far gone. Ended up replacing the cat with a bolt in option from Rock Auto. Made by Eastern Catalytic. Replaced O2 sensors with high quality. Still spent less that even just the OEM cat itself would have costed. Everything is perfect so far.
LOLOL I think Scotty got beamed up as well when he made this video.
Lmao
I wish I had seen this $700 ago.
Oops.
mine costs 2900 -.-
😂😂😂 me too
5000? you got ripped off, no way a cat is 5000, that's like the value of the car
I stuck with an03 honda pilot it's easy to work on!
I tried the lacquer thinner trick today.. and it worked !!! passed emissions in my 02 Toyota Camry with 270k miles, had a bad cat.. Scotty saved me at least $1,000.. this dude is a national treasure 🍻
Wow you serious? I have 02 toyota camry with 251k miles with the code P0420. Kinda skeptic about doing this but I wanna fix my ride and get that stupid code off
@@kilet.5776 there's a 50/50 chance it'll work.. I've had success on 2 cars
My 04 Camry has had the light on for over a year and its tag time. Going to try this. 168K. Shop wanted $5500.
Please don't do this. Check for exhaust leaks or O2 sensors first. @@1_Fish.2_Fish.Red_Fish.
@@kilet.5776so use it!! It will work,no damage but fixes your issue in minutes
This 100% works! Tonight, I drove my 15’ Honda Accord 3.5L V6 with just under half a tank of gas and almost a gallon of lacquer thinner at named brand gas. No need to use higher octane unless your vehicle requires it. I drove exactly 162 mines ( Trip B reset before start up leaving the gas station )
Drove higher speeds between 75-85 on a long interstate route there and back. Light was still on when I parked. Shut it off and turned it right back on... NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT!
I’ve watched Scotty for many years now and I’ve owned 4 vehicles during that time. Any issue I had, Scotty had an answer💯
Where did you get the lacquer thinner?
Which lacquer thinner did you use?
Did your code come back? Wondering if this is worth a try. I used cataclean and the code went away too, but after 150-200 miles it came back.
@@christianalvarado7543 it can come back but if u drive it fast on the highway for a long while it can suddenly go away again.
I did it, it took 155 miles to go away. It flickered on/off again a few times for a short while after that.
now more than a year it hasn't turned back on. Definitely worth trying once or twice.
Good I have a 13' honda accord sport and p0420 comes and goes so I'm gonna try this
Nobody:
Scotty after every sentence: 😐
Won't ever be the same now lol
Now i can't unsee it
Man i still laughing wtf
😂😂😂
🤦🏾♂️
The reason Scotty is so good is because he is honest/Sincere about helping people with car problems. He has been there and done that. Very experienced automotive technician.
guy has literally saved me thousands of dollars. and not just informative but entertaining.
Any brand will work??
@@vaylenecharley3821 yup, got mine from wal mart. I did it twice on my spectra and once on the wifes focus, both cars running better now,
I agree I've learned alot through scotty I wish he was my next door neighbor so I could get first hand advice as much trouble as my charger's been giving me
@@christophermiller4550 hahaha, the flip side is that you would have to listen to scotty bashing your ride all the time ... unless toyota
I like this guys energy and enthusiasm
Kinda like Billy Mays
+Scrateshooter yeah but billy was powered by gofast powder!
You sound like a child or a woman
Space Warrior go back to the space you keyboard warrior
Yes
I tried to find anyone that messed their vehicle up with this and couldn't
So I tried it and it worked for me. Thank you so much. Great fix
Sometimes i seriously wonder wtf i would do without Scotty's videos... The only channel worth a subscription that isn't dumb things i find on the internet
just found this channel and just bough a reaaaaly cheap used car, a 2007 kia, under 150,000 km on it. i have been watching all his videos all day. I got this car fos a few undred bucks cause the original owner was quoted something like 1700 bucks for a cat, thing has zero lack of power now, also had a parasitic battery drain that Another one of his videos showed me the best way to find, and i did, thing runs like a top now, original owner lost out on that sale and I am such a happy camper right now. :)
@@MrDmadness That is the way to do it. Smart thinking.
@@Morehills840 I have a man crush on scotty for his sound advice and honesty. Scotty is THE man for car repair. :)
Honestly. Him and my uncle's teachings I wouldn't know anything about cars lol
yes he's the greatest
Mr Kilmer YOUR IDEA WORKS! i just put the thinner in my vehicle like you said and the code is GONE 2/15/2019 THANK YOU.
Did the light go off by itself or did you mnually reset it?
@@atx23gurl I just put-the thinner in I did nothing else
What kind or brand of thinner did you use
@@plasamagirl i got it from Walmart
How much did you put in as far as compared to what was in your fuel tank ?
Tried Cataclean a year ago on my wife's '07 mustang gt, ce light went out for a day or so but returned. did not really worry about it because there is no smog testing here. I was about to relace the cats but was a little worried about it lowering the octane level. Her car is tuned for 89 octane so I put 93 in it with the lacquer thinner. Lacquer thinners are blends and usually cheaper products have lower flash points. Anyway after the first 100 miles I noticed the engine was running smoother but light still on. At about 150 miles I reset the computer and light has not returned.. That was 2 months ago.
John Flanagin, I wasn't sure if the lawyer thinner in the gas tank was a joke. I don't want to try it and end up burning something else up, like gaskets.
How'd it end up?
Despues de 2 años, cuanto tiempo duró sin aparecer el codigo de falla?
@@dieandlife88 No se. El carro se disolvio una semana despues...
Lacquer thinner is cheaper than cataclean and really works
One thing that most people are not really aware of...the Cat clogs up when your engine uses oil. Most
people on here regularly change their oil, but most do NOT change their PCV valve. If this valve fails,
your engine may well be sucking up oil into the intake. If you have to clean your Cat, change your PCV valve.
It's Cheap, and it just might prevent it from doing it again.
Thanks for the tip!
Nail it !
Yeah I might be out of luck. I have a 2003 camry with the oil burning 2.4, so changing the pcv valve hasn't really helped that much.
Thanks brother
@@otpyrcralphpierre1742 Thank you I tried this first and it cleared the P0420 code?! Still "rattled" but it was all sludgy and definitely in need of replacement.
Scotty, I'm so glad that you posted this. I was in a bind and needing my daily to pass emissions. I replaced both front and rear o2 sensors on my 2001 Subaru and the check engine light was still on. I tried cataclean, CRC guaranteed to pass,and neither of those could stop The p0420 from lighting up. Today, I put 3gal of 100 octane in the tank to have half a tank full of 91 and 100 octane gas. Then I added the gallon of lacquer thinner and drive around for 20 miles at 4k -5k rpm. The light was still on, so I decided to take my wife and daughter out for a family date, and put some miles on car. So I cleared the trouble codes and I figured I'd wait to see if the light comes back. After 1.5 hours of driving, I was able to go through all the drive cycles and clear the readiness monitors -and the check engine light stayed off. I took it to the smog check station and passed the test! Thanks Scotty!
Did the light came back on after few days?
I'm out of state. Wife calls and says light came on. O'Reilly Auto Parrs checked and says Cat. ... Going to send your testimony and Scotty video to her. She will parade around like she fixed the car! Woo-hoo!
@@doranvee5944 how'd it go with the wife and the catalytic converter
@@Tommy_Gibbs_II my wife, "the mechanic," is waiting for me to come home. I knew it was too good to be true. Ha!
@@Angels_Are_Vengeful I prepared ahead with rags and plastic bag as I knew lacquer thinner will ruin the paint. Never got any thinner on my vehicle and I cleared the code...
Scotty, you saved me over $1,800.00 in repairs. My 3rd gen 4runner has over 321,000 miles on it. The check engine light came on and a well known repair shop was going to charge me big bucks for a new converter and O2 sensors. I poured a gallon of lacquer thinner into a half tank of gasoline and drove until I had an eighth of a tank left after about 120 miles. The light was still on, and I was disappointed, but when I filled the tank and drove about five more miles, the check engine light went off!
please give us an update? what about months later? is everything fine still?
Need an update.
?
Where's that update?
No update = bad news
Ha! When he throws the converter in the tub :D
Qasim Mir Most people would of just place it there but he was all like " well in you go"
And the winner for "Dramatic Effect" in the "DYI Car Repair Guru" category is ... Scotty Kilmer with tossing and sloshing the catalytic converter in your wife's laudry soap!
Thank you so much Scotty I tried the Lacquer Thinner running for 30 min & it worked. The check engine light went of on it's own after a few days. Then I drove my car over the weekend & passed my emissions test Monday morning. Thanks again.
Would that not affect the engine? Sorry if its a dum question.
What kind of car do you have?
2003 Honda Civic LX
What brand of thinner did you use?
@@josephwooten4363 I used Klean-Strip1 Gal. Lacquer Thinner - South Coast Formula. I just grabbed the one they had available. Hope that helped.
As always, Scotty answers any question I can possibly have, in a short understandable video. What a legend.
fr tho 😂
❤yes!❤
OMG! THIS JUST WORKED FOR ME! April 8, 2019. Thank you for savings me $2774 Scotty! DIY 💪My wife’s ‘08 Jeep Commander has had the check engine light on for nearly 3 years now. The Jeep Dealer in quoted us between $2400 and $2800 to replace the catalytic converter. I said no, because the car’s performance didn’t seem injured, and that I would eventually do it myself (after market part about $400). That said, it’s no easy job, I’ve just never gotten around to it. Well, decided I was going to do the replacement. had seen your video previously but was very nervous about trying this. Well, after much online research, I decided to give it a shot before ordering parts. SO GLAD I DID!!! With a nervous tension, I poured a $13 can of Laquer Thinner that I got in the paint section of Walmart, into the gas tank. Well, a can and a half actually (so, $26), as we had about 15 gallons of gas in the car, and the perceived ideal ratio is 1:10, laquer to gas. Then we drove the car around for about 80 to 90 miles last night and tonight. Well, about 5 miles ago, BAM! Problem resolved. I ran the diagnostics again (I use the Bluetooth FIXD tool, although this one is cheap and I will eventually upgrade to something more functional), and the P0430 Catalyst engine error is now gone!!! Wow!!! Just WOW! I must admit I was scared about doing this, but...the science prevailed and I did it. Again, thank you!
Thanks for the results. As preventative maintenance, I am still wary. Do know anything about effects on:
Plastics
Rubber
O2 sensor
Per-ignition
rich/lean burning (timing)?
@@louf7178 I think it's not meant as preventive maintenance; only for when the fault code is triggered. Remember, if ain't broke don't fix it!
@@pdr5926 Yes, I have learned not to do that. I do have random misfires (125,000 mi., all original), and this may help. Thx!
@@louf7178 Change your spark plugs if you haven't done so already. If this does not solve the misfires then you'd have to look deeper into the issue. Wrong AFR due to a clogged fuel filter, injectors or a bad lambda sensor to start with. My 02.
@@pdr5926 Thx, Pablo.
Hey Scotty! I just have to get this out to the public because there is nothing on the internet or youtube that supports the lacquer method, the Lacquer thinner method does in fact work ! I didn't even have to take off the catalytic converter to soak in soapy water. I poured 1 gallon into my half tank. I was fucking scared at first because I poured it right when I bought the lacquer thinner outside the home depot parking lot and all the mexicans outside were looking at me weird and saying that I will ruin my vehicle, but after driving it for 30 miles that check engine light code P0420 went off! My next option was to replace the O2 sensor but the lacquer thinner did in fact save me alot of money. I am so glad that scotty put this video on youtube. I literally do not have any words to describe my thankfulness. Thanks a million!
Thanks for the sharing, I'm definately gonna give this a try tomorrow.
Sergio Alcaraz what kind of car do you have? what codes did u have up?
nyc2cuse Read his post.
Hi Sergio, What kind of car do you have? I have a Honda Civic Hybrid 2008. Do you think a hybrid could handlea lacquer thinner?. Hoping for your reply. Thanks.
Hi Edwin!, you already dealt with this in your car.
Is that I have one the same and I would like
to know first. Thanks
Mr Kilmer, whoever has you as their mechanic should really thank God. Ur a gem
1 gallon of Lacquer Thinner to 10gallons of fuel.. it WILL clean it.. just passed inspections and code gone!
I have a 2000 F-150 and have had the 420 code for a year now. My smog is due Feb 2018. Will do this at the end of the year. Truck has 374,000 miles.
Any problems since then? Just trying to see if there's anything I should look out for. I may try this in a few weeks.
My buddy did this with his Subaru Legacy. It does work. He passed smog. Make sure you use a full gallon of lacquer thinner though. My buddy decided to do something different though, and it might have bit him in the ass. He decided to run the car with a high RPM. His thinking was he wanted to "Blow all the crud out" of the Cat, so why not take overdrive off and run the car between 3000-4000 RPM? Well, he now has a leaky head gasket. He thinks that might have happened because he was running the Subaru at such a high RPM. When I have to do this at the end of the year, I will drive the truck until the fuel light goes on and put in the lacquer thinner with about 8 gallons of fuel. I will then drive it normally without revving the engine too high for fear of blown gaskets.
Will the same ratio apply to a 2003 Kia Spectrum, 1 gallon of Lacquer Thinner & 10 or 8 gallon of gas? Oh yeah, what brand?
Had to replace an ignition coil on my 1995 Toyota corolla. Failed emissions at 380 hydrocarbons with 220 being the max allowed. Removed the catalytic converter and put in a bucket with laundry detergent (about 2 loads equal to) for 24 hours.
Removed and rinsed very very well, and replaced with new gaskets. Passed emissions with 214. went from 380 to 214 hydrocarbons.
Thank you!!
Will be replacing the Catalytic converter soon. this was to get through emissions
Scotty, what I like about your channel is that you know “old timey” repairs.
Lots of people wondering if lacquer thinner will ruin your engine or any other related parts. From experience, I ran 2 gallons of straight lacquer thinner in the tank when I ran out of gas on a deserted road. The car ran great. Never had any issues after that, so I’m trying this on my Accord.
Did you try on your accord ?
What brand? Not one with acetone right? Or does it matter?
@@josephwooten4363
What do you think lacquer thinner is ?
@Kronik Maths debater I was unaware if there were different kinds of lacquer thinner available as I have never used the stuff. Furthermore, is it far-fetched for one to have questions on a topic where answers are so divided? Some say "Yes it works!" Others say,"Absolutely do NOT do this!"
With all due respect, I think you're trying to brown nose good ol' Scotty
Here we are 8 years later.
#2019
2020
2021
@@benschnur2708 does it work?
2021 January
2023... And Donald Trump is President of the Republic!
I tried this on my wife's 2004 Beetle and it worked! Smog passed ok , no engine light and no issues 2 months later. Thanks!
I tried this and it works . I have real-time diagnostics on the sensors whilst driving and can confirm it worked on the FJ Cruiser which has 4 cats on the V6. Also the fuel economy has gone from an average of 16.7 litres per 100klm to 14 litres per 100klm. Thanks Scotty. In Australia , the manifold and cats are sold per bank and fully installed genuine is around $4000. I did change one lazy o2 sensor .
That's a drastic improvement in fuel economy. That's the reason I'm trying it out. Recently my car has been burnjng through more fuel.
Steven, here in Michigan there's like this auto junkyard but this one is pretty much all good vehicles. Some wrecks but 95% all in good shape. It's called U-Pull Auto Parts. You pay a entrance fee of like $7, then you go through the building into the yard & go see if your part or parts are there. they have a list of the rows & the vehicles in that row. There an engine & trans complete are $300-$500. Small parts, including cats are under $30-$40. I've bought alternators for $10 & $15. Tires [good street legal] on nice rims usually run under $400, with just tires at 80% tread & up run $150-$250 for a set of 4. If I need some parts & the weather is good, I'll head there on a Saturday or Sunday & hunt around. It's a cool way to spend a day. Once my vehicle gets in, I'm gonna grab two doors because the doors on my Jeep are rotted at the bottom. It's a common Michigan, or as we call it in this part of the country, ''The Rust Belt''.
@@montydaniels1054 They need these in Ontario, Canada. The muffin top to your rust belt lol
@@montydaniels1054 You'll never find a catalytic converter, they take them off and send them to salvage for $$$
16.7 to 14 is an improvement? I must be high on something
My mom's 2008 Acadia had the same problem. And HELL YEAH it worked for her as well! Runs better and picks up faster! Scotty again saving me thousands. Thank you.
Did you put lacquer thinner in the gas tank or take it off and wash it
Brian Shimp
1 second ago
As a person who is 53 years old and has worked on engines since age 10, I thought the suggestion of lacquer thinner in my gas tank was crazy. Our 2005 Toyota Sienna had the check engine light on and had just failed the PA emissions test. The Toyota dealer wanted over $1300.00 to replace the 2 converters on our van. I was planning on doing the job myself but I read on the internet about cleaning them. The more I read about this working for a lot of people and after considering what chemicals are in intake cleaner, I decided to try it. I added 1 gallon of thinner to 10 gallons of gas and we ran that through. Light still on. I thought that the van ran the same with the thinner as normal so I tried the process a second time. Within 2 days, the light went out on its own. it had been on for 9 months straight before the thinner. Definitely, something positive has happened with the thinner. Moral of the story, always keep an open mind and follow directions. For $9.00 a gallon for the thinner, this was great.
Have you had any negative things happen due to the thinner, such as eat your fuel pump or injectors up or break down any rubber on the inside of a fuel hose such as the filler neck or anything on down the line?
@@heywatchthis1992 the only time I've seen rubbers being eaten by it is where people haven't followed the 1 to 10 rule and filled it 50/50. Try Cataclean first. If no luck, give this baby a go.
@@the.internet what did scotty mean a half tank plus 1 gallon ,
@@heywatchthis1992 you can always try an intake cleaner. That's basically an acetone/lacquer thinner too. It also cleans the cat as it passes through the exhaust system.
I have had friends put two small bottles of alcohol in the tank with a fill up of 93 octane and clear the codes.
Dude, I just wanted to say that I followed this and ran my car for 225 miles and the check engine light went off. Thank you very much for this. I love this channel.
Anything happen after
I'd like to know if that laquer thinner melted any of the plastic parts inside of fuel system.
How long did it take u to drive 225 miles?
Thanks, Scotty. Lacquer thinner worked for me. CEL had been on for a year. '03 Dodge Intrepid, 176K miles. 3/4 gallon lacquer thinner with about 13 gallons gas. Drove about 100 miles. CEL went out, car passed inspection this morning. I owe ya' dude.
Raoul Cruz did you drive that 100 miles straight or just throughout the week?
Can i use any laquer tinner??
My 05 Odyssey just got the CEL on 9/6/2023. The code reader shows P0420. I went to Lowe's and bought 1 gallon of Jasco Lacquer Thinner ($19) and put in a half-full tank of gas per Scotty's recommendation. Today, 9/8/2023, I drove 37 miles on the highway to go to work. At noon I went out to lunch and that CEL light is GONE!!!!!! I still have almost 1/2 tank left to continue cleaning the crap out of the cat. Many thanks, Scotty. LOL
Did you use the fast drying lacquer or slow drying? Don’t know if this makes a difference or not but I thought I’d ask.
@@marvelousjoebuy a Cataclean at a auto parts store. It is safer and it works also.
Hi Scotty!!!! I added laquer thinner to my car and took it for a lil drive last night and then for a long highway drive this morning and boy all I can say is does this method really work very well! My car doesn't hestitate when trying to manuover to high speeds and she is performing over all much better. It is thanks to so many caring people like you on the Internet that I shall also now be able to assist others who are experiencing the same difficulty with their vehicles. My car...who I call Faith Pampered Princess Lil Jalopy sais thankyou Scotty!!!! You totally Rock and thanks for being such an awesome teacher to learn from. May lots of great happiness come your way for spoiling Humanity rotten with your wonderful tips!!!!!!!!
what brand of lacquer thinner did you use?
I bought it from Canadian Tire...sorry didn't keep track of the brand name. I bought 2 x2litrs @ 18.95 each. Goodluck...cleaning your catalytic converter!!!
sandra valani how much did u put in?
Hi James...2 x 2 litres. But plz do it with only about a quarter or one eighth of a tank of gas in the car. I had to do this method with my car being very full of gas as it was running extremely rough and I couldn't afford a new catalytic converter. It is Halloween today and my lil car kid is acting like a kitten....simply running on great energy!!! Scotty's advice was awesome!!!!
Hi Sandra, what car do you have? Mine is a 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid and my check engine just lit up yesterday and when I had checked yesterday 01/30/17, it was saying that I have a catalytic converter problem. I'm thinking of using the pure lacquer thinner on my car, but not sure if it's for a Honda Hybrid. fixing or replacing a catalytic converter is expensive:( Hope you can give me suggetions. Thanks.
My Subaru legacy 2000 was backfiring, lagging, choking and sputtering under pressure.. I did this. It bow runs like a new car :). Ready for sale!
Darci Ford evil
My buddy has a 2009 Honda Accord with 196k miles. His car started lagging and wouldn't accelerate more than 2200 rpms without choking and sputtering. He was told by multiple mechanics he needs a new catalytic converter and that its clogged. With nothing to lose we tried putting 1 gallon of lacquer thinner in the tank with a half a tank of fuel. The light turned off after 100 miles and the car runs better than ever now. We can't believe this worked but it does!!!
Steven Pace is there a prefer brand for lacque thinner? Or you just choose whatever
Just wanted to share my experience. And say thanks to Scotty. I tried cataclean first and after 100 miles my check engine light came back. Then I tried 1 gallon of lacquer and after 300 miles my check engine came back. Thank goodness my car is a flex fuel model because I heard that will also help clean my catalytic converter. After 2000 miles my scanner reported my smog system was ready for smog and I passed my smog test . 1000 miles was all freeway and using flex fuel. Be persistent and don’t give up after 1 attempt. Your cat may just need more time and additive to get the job done…. Passed smog and saved 1500 bucks…
Any update?
Amazing followed the instructions and my engine light went off an hour later.. just save me a few hundred
Did you ever have anymore problems with the cat bro
Any problems after?
Thousands he saved you
How long do you run the engine on
I took off the Cat and soaked it overnight in the product, Purple Power. Pure product. No water. Eats everything, even paint. USE GLOVES. Clean as a whistle. Codes gone. Thanks, Scotty.
Did you used water the day after? Or just purple power.
Want to try this also. (2 cat for the mercedes c43amg) Thanks.
Did you use 1 gallon or more?
I used Scottys idea of 1 gallon of lacquer thinner to 1/2 tank of gas on my Lexus. Cleaned the cat. Passed smog check (finally)
@@jimb4404 I have a 2011 is250 with p0420 and thinking about doing this. Did you clear the code before pouring the lacquer thinner? Did you have any other codes?
I had renamed my 2004 Grand Am (88k miles 3.4 V6) the GrandAmnit because for the last year it progressively ran worse and worse. Wouldn't idle, stalled, hesitated, no throttle response. Replaced MAF, MAS, TPS, ICS. Didn't work. One gallon lacquer thinner, 10 minutes later it was running and runs like new. Incredible, thanks Scotty.
This man, Scotty, is amazing. He really knows his stuff. A new CARB cat for my Grand Cherokee would have been $1450 + labor.
I pick up a gallon of lacquer thinner and put it in with 9 gallons of gas and go for a 125 mile drive and CEL is still out, gas mileage is up and engine is running better.
Thank you Scotty, you saved me a ton of money!!
Did the CEL ever come back on?
Well, I had a P0420 on my '05 Odyssey for months. I was past due on registration because I couldn't smog it. I did this trick and passed CA smog! I have to say I did a few other things along with this so I can't say with 100% assurance that it was the lacquer thinner that solely did the trick but I will say that after doing the other things (Sea Foam, etc.), the Check Engine Light (CEL) came on less but after the lacquer thinner, it stopped coming on at all. Put 1 gallon of thinner (Lowe's, $20) in half a tank and drove to Six Flags Magic Mountain and back on a Friday (over 100 miles each way). Then filled up with Chevron with Techron 91 octane just for the heck of it and passed smog the following Tuesday. CEL still off. So stoked to have current tags, thanks Scotty! :D
I have an 07 Pilot and I was a lil scared about trying this because I think my cats are severely clogged. We’ll see what happens though!
Nothing to be scared of.
In the worst case it won’t help.
Sometimes the cat material is molten or broken.
But for that price point it is worth a try and it won’t damage the engine. So no worries
Bro, my lady has a 2006 Honda odyssey and we just bought the $20 lacquer from home depot. We tried the 30 min 2500 rpm. Light is still on.
Gonna take it for a spin. In east LA so probably head to Orange County and back.
@@hollywoodsaint57 did it work??!
@@inaedemarughu8275 did it work? Thanks
THIS WORKED. My car is super gas efficient so I had to drive it for about 3 hours, but the check engine light TURNED OFF. Thank you Scotty!!! You saved me $1,000
What kinda car you got looking for my first car now
If you don’t care about street credibility, get a used Prius 2 (2004-2009)
They are super reliable and super cheap on gas.
They almost never break run as Taxi for over 500,000 miles easy.
And repairs are also an very easy thing.
Yes it is an eco car, but with spirited driving it really goes.
Lots of torque.
Toyota sold so many of them so used ones are plenty and cheap
No way your car didn't break down a month after doing this?
I can’t freaking believe it, this actually worked!!! Saved me $2,300. Thank you so much Scotty! 🙌🏻🙌🏻
Did it aff power back to your car
Can you put a picture or the name of the product I will be grateful to you and does it work with Honda Accord
Scotty, I'm in deep gratitude to you. It was time to smog my '99 Camry with roughly 200k miles and the dreaded p0420 came on. I brought home a gallon of lac thinner poured it in with about half a tank of gas. Then took the car out on a 40 Min drive on the freeway, but the light was still on. Fortunately the next day when I went to fill up, no check engine light and no more p0420!! Thanks, Scotty
I'm about to do it, crossings my fingers..... This comment is making me feel a lot more confortable
Wtf I did this and it worked.
+TheMass33 Which one ? The lacquer thinner or dipping it in soap ?
yea, which one you did?
how did you do it?
Yeah which one worked?
HELLLO WHICH ONE !!!
So glad I found this video. My 03 Camry goes through oil like crazy and it caused my Catalytic converter to show this code. I did exactly 1/2 tank of gas to 1 gallon of Kleanstrip Lacquer thinner. By the time the low gas light came on the check engine light was gone. Totally blown away with this and glad I don’t have to replace the cat.
Thanks Scotty
Hello have you gotten any issues? Considering this on my 2004 camry 135k Miles
Wow!
No issues from doing what Scotty suggested. The vehicle eventually required a new catalytic converter but that was almost 9 months and 20,000 miles after cleaning it. At that point the vehicle had roughly 200k miles on it and had been burning oil for years.
@@Sirach985 off topic But did you end up addressing the oil burning?
@@stanza77 No I didn’t. It still burns oil. It would require a rebuild and I can’t justify that cost.
Scotty your a life saver. I wouldn't consider myself anything close to a mechanic but I know how to read a scanner and iv been working on my car for almost 4 months trying to figure out what was going on with it causing it to misfire. It kept me up at night. The other day I finally realized the o2 sensor on the cat was malfunctioning and not throwing a code that it should have. Through trial and error I decided that had to be it. And I found this video. Within 15 minutes of the laquer thinner being in the car the missfire was gone and running like a dream. Thank you so much!
be careful with those misfires it could be an early sign of head gasket
I had to subscribe. I just had to with in the first ten seconds
Never got the P0420 code, but my 2000 Honda Accord had 200k miles on it. Gave this a shot and drove 120 miles at highway speeds, and my car is running like a dream now! It idles much smoother and has much more pep. Thanks, Scotty!
does it matter what thinner you use?
The thinner has to be lacquer thinner.
Just worked for me! June '19, my '09 Ford Flex 145,000 miles running like new, 1 gallon of lacquer thinner into half a tank of gas, followed by 30 minutes of freeway driving, ~60 miles later the engine light is off. Thanks Scotty!
U poured lacquer thinner in your gas tank n it worked? Wat actually happened wit your truck. Did it run better
You drove 60 miles in 30 minutes; that's 120 mph!?!!?!
FOREVER GREAT FULL!
I trust Scotty's advice very much but this one I couldn't be sure about. The check engine light came on my 2018 Chevy Silverado at 118000 miles. Wasn't sure this would work for me as this video is ten years old and made no mention of trucks, especially newer ones with Y exhaust and multiple Banks (catalytic converters). I had to try it a couple times (3), increasing the amount of thinner each time. As they say, third time's the charm. No more check engine light and it only cost about $100 unlike the $3000 + it would have cost me to replace the catalytic converters. Scotty! You've saded me thousands of dollars over the years but this one I'm most great full for!
How much Thinner to Fuel did you use?
I just added a gallon to my 2016 Chrysler 300, let’s see what happens
@@lowzb9685 did it work?
@@lowzb9685 ? How’d it turn out
i don't even have this code but it makes me wanna try to clean the catalytic converter
If it's not broken don't fix it
@@matarazzo209 sometimes, I write dumb comments on youtube. I absolutely won't touch my cat, anyways, I don't have to pass any exhaust inspection where I live
Couldn't this be done for preventive maintenance? Has anyone tried this product: Boost Up Vehicle Engine Catalytic Converter Cleaner?
@@nzt4890 in my experience just stick to the maintenance your manual recommends, i was a young fella a while back I always believing all the snake oil claims once I tried the Lucas oil stabilizer I added it first then filled up with regular oil when I started the car the thick oil prevent the oil to flow and there it goes the engine.... Please just stick to your manufacturer recommend maintenance if your cat ever goes bad then I guess you can try the snake oil you won't lose much anyway
You're silly 😆
so i used lacquer thinner with my gas.... but my cat still bothers me.... now it is laying across my keyblkja;lkj=-adfjal;kj ;oljadgf
Lol
Took me a second
😂
😂😂😂😂
Funny! I took a second to catch it, tho.
Cat code check engine light $1,500 repair (cat in exhaust manifold + 4 Oxygen sensors). $22/gal lacquer thinner at Home Depot, check engine light went out 60 hwy miles later, praise the Lord! That was 3 weeks ago hasn't come back on yet. Wondering if the lacquer thinner cleaned up the Oxygen sensors as well.
Man Scotty makes me laugh everytime. When i saw he was about to pour that lacker thinner in the gas tank i was waiting for him to say "Are you crazy! Don't be putting crazy stuff in your tank!!!" but then he was dead real. That's why Scotty is the boss!!!
Es número uno !
The guy reminds me of my Uncle Bruce so much it makes me laugh.
So you can put lacker thinner in the gas tank?
@@sooflex15 ikr coming from him I’m still thinking hard as sh!it
Lacquer Thinner is petroleum based so your seals won’t be harmed by it. Not too crazy just strange to us.
05 Honda Accord - WORKED!
I’m glad I didn’t listen to my friend (mechanic) and took the risk. FTW!
Thanks I plan to use it on my 05 Honda Accord but I'm a little scared where did you buy it
Moxman Home Depot. Put the gallon at half a tank and plan to drive on the highway. Light went away after 2 hours of highway driving (not in one shot). When I started the car the next day I was happy I saved money!
@@jwd5160 I went to Walmart before I saw this. Unfortunately I've been driving with it for 2 days. The engine light is still on.
Moxman sheesh..with the same code?!
Sorry to hear that.
What code did you have? I have the po430 code on 06 accord v6
It just worked for me , but it took me 600 miles. But I'm still satisfied.
Did you drive all 600 in one go? Or just drive it around for a few days?
Scotty, you just earned a subscriber. Check engine light came on near a year ago on an '04 Toyota Camry. Was told I needed a new cat for $900 plus, and was unable to pass emissions inspection in NC.
Tried the laquer thinner suggestion, figuring I had nothing to lose. The CE light went off after approximately 60 miles. I put an additional 300 miles on the car, and this morning pulled into the inspection station. I passed the inspection.
Much respect, and thank you!
Just got the same on my 07 Camry they said $1300 I’m hoping this works 🙏🏻
@codyblackdc4, please let me know if that worked
Worked for me! 2013 Infiniti JX35 p0430 for the past year. Half tank of gas, one gal of thinner. Drove until low gas light came on(about 200miles) cleared codes with scan tool, drove until every monitor was ready. Codes did not come back! Emissions passed! Thanks Scotty!
does it matter what thinner you use?
Scotty knows what he is talking about ! Old school mechanic , my huge respect . I watched Erick’s the car guy replay on Scotty’s video about trying lacquer thinner . First of all, Scotty never said that lacquer thinner is going to totally clean and fix your cat , he said it might help to clean it ,
it all depends of how much is clogged and if there isn’t any other issues that caused it to get clogged. Also Eric used only a pint of lacquer thinner with 9 or 10 gallon of gas to clean not one but two clogged cat converters on his Subaru . In my case happened exactly what Scotty was
saying , efficiency on my cat ( Scion xB 08 ) dropped a few percent maybe , but enough to throw code for it . I did a tune up myself and followed
Scotty’s advice, and it worked . Some people don’t understand , cars have to be maintained in order to run fine and to prevent problems which
they can and are going to happen . This is my personal opinion.
Greetings to Scotty !
thanks for the support!
Scotty is a used car salesman at best
@@scottykilmer excactly ! Every time I watch one of your videos , you are saving me a ton of money to which my other half usually takes away from me lol ! But it's the pride of knowing that I did it with your help and common sense ! All the common sense I have received, I received from you and your videos and personal advice 😊 stay alive Scotty or die trying !
Excellent!
@@lard1892 your mother is a used car salesman.
So glad that I kept researching...I had a few mechanics to tell me that you couldn't clean them and was going to charge me $600+ 👍
Same. I had a feeling there was a way.
Did it work?
Same
Scott.....would this be safe to do once a year to keep the fuel system clean or what would you suggest? It didn't get rid of my code but I could tell a big boost in how my truck performed after running this out for half a tank.
Thanks for sharing this. I think you saved me about $2000!
Did it completely work out, the engine light didn’t come back on?
Ok I just did this treatment to my 2011 Equinox. (11/29/2019) Now I had just did a Seafoam sprayed directly into the catalytic converter treatment that I seen in another RUclips video, with minor success for me. Light would return within a week or so. With the Seafoam treatment, I had cleared the most recent light and code, but my scan tool identified a permanent P0420 code had been stored. I tried disconnecting the battery to see if the permanent code would be cleared since the scan tool would not do it. My understanding is the OBD2 system will clear the permanent code once it is satisfied the issue is fixed. Well after the lacquer thinner and 165 miles of driving at 70mph. I hooked the scan tool up to see if the there were any emissions drive cycles completed and I noticed... cycles completed and the permanent code had been cleared as well. I hope my success will last at least as long as some others!!
Thanks... MR. SCOTT... Live Long and Prosper!!!
how much gas did you had in the tank and how much lacquer thinner did you use? I am somewhat skeptical of trying this, it sounds too good to be true. have you notice any problems with your Equinox?
@@dm4013 I did 1 gallon of lacquer thinner to a half a tank of gas based on the fuel gauge reading. I believe my fuel tank capacity is 18.8 gallons. The car ran flawlessly. In fact I did notice some performance improvement. A smoother idle and slightly more responsive acceleration. There has been 'zero' ill effects on the car, to the point of me considering doing this treatment once every 1.5 to 2 years to my car and my wife's car, that has no issues yet.
@@videoviewer34 what brand did you use?
@@dm4013 Klean Strip... I got it from Home Depot. Also sold at Lowes and Walmart I believe.
Sir, Did you drive the 165 miles non stop for this to work or was this different trips that added to 165 ? thanks
Hi Scotty Kilmer , as an auto technician for the last 15 years I've never heard of pouring lacquer thinner into the gas tank to clean a catalyst. But I've learned quite a bit from your videos that I'll watch more and more just to learn new things.
I'm definitely going to try this technique out really soon .
Thanks scotty kilmer
I followed Scotty's instructions to the letter... and nothing happened. I was kind of mad, but hey... I was only out $20 bucks for the gallon of lacquer thinner. But wait! Two days later, my check engine light went off!... I was SO psyched. I had given up on it working... but what do you know, it worked! It just took a couple of days, I guess, for the computer to determine that the cat was performing correctly, and turn off the light. Made my effin' day!
@@jefferymayhann312 Hey Jeff, did the light stay off? I think it did. But he'll the heck would I know
did u try?
Old school tricks both Scottie’s and the ones I learned while working at a small town gm dealership in the late 1960ies to mid 1970ies while going to school and college save me a lot of money .
@@jefferymayhann312 does it matter what thinner you use?
I think this is a very sketchy practice, because 'Lacquer Thinner' has many different formulations that consist of different chemicals. So without knowing exactly which lacquer thinner Scotty used, you probably are not using the same chemicals as he used. The other thing to be aware of is, lacquer thinners used to have a high concentration of Toluene, which may be the chemical ingredient that actually does the cleaning. Now days, all of the lacquer thinners that used to have high concentration of Toluene are now discontinued by their manufacturers. The bottom line is, there is a very high likelihood that the chemicals in the lacquer thinner Scotty used in this video are different from the chemicals you will get when you buy lacquer thinner.
I know by the look of the barrel that it was English color house brand “old school “
This is a good tip. Lacquer Thinner used to be mostly toluene (40%), naphtha (30%), acetone (~20%), and some other misc stuff. Now, the Kleen Strip LT crap is almost 100% acetone and other brands are 50/50 acetone and methanol. I haven't tested it, but acetone is probably the chemical that is bad for o-rings. I plan to do this trick, but I think I'll buy straight toluene and naptha (and a splash of acetone) to 'recreate' the LT he's using here before everyone went California crazy and neutered their lacquer thinner.
I would suggest looking for an off the shelf product specifically intended for cat converter cleaning.
He said pure thinner
@@ttvmudgeez You completely missed the point of my earlier reply. The terms 'paint thinner', lacquer thinner', 'pure thinner' are AMBIGUOUS terms that do not specify the chemical compound(s) used in the product. And in fact, the chemical compounds in those types of "thinner" products by a given manufacturer have changed over time as a result of economics and government mandate.. In this case, Scotty is dispensing bad advice.
Thank you so much, the lacquer thinner worked on my 04 jeep grand cherokee. It saved me over $600 dollars. I bought it to two shops and they both said I need a new catilitic converter.
Did you use the thinner on half a tank of gas ?
@@damionmorgan3569 a quarter tank of gas. Ran down to almost zero. Filled it up after that, no more code. Passed inspection with no problem. It has been about two years with no code.
@@chefboydc1 ok thank you. I have a 06 Mini Cooper S so I will try it this week and see if it works. Ty
Where do you buy this product at? My light just recently came on
@@victorrimey77 Hechinger's Hardware for $14 dollars. For a gallon.
My father took the catalistic converter to the car wash and use the high presure water to flush ..and it work on nissan maxima....pass the inspection .
You will save a lot of money.
I didn't think this was going to work and was skeptical about putting 1 gallon of lacquer thinner in a 2014 Ford Focus. I did and guess what, I worked. NO more engine light for a week and it runs perfectly. Scotty, you are very good in giving information to people to help them save money. I saved $1050.00 and did not have to spend money on cleaning a fuel system. Thanks a bunch Scotty and keep doing what you are doing. God bless.
Did you fill up your whole tank since its a smaller tank?
😮Anthony’s Citric Acid powder (5lbs): $18.
Cheapo 12 Quart pot: $9.
Savogram Wood Bleach (340ml @ 95-100% Oxalic Acid): $8.
Bottled water (5gal): $7.
Propane use: maybe two dollars-worth.
Candle-making thermometer: borrowed for free.
The formula & procedure:
Caution: do this outside in a well ventilated area and wear gloves and goggles. The acid is not particularly caustic, but you don’t want to get it on stuff unnecessarily. Also, while heating it produces a smell that would not be pleasant inside-and that might indicate something unhealthy.
Formula: Per gallon of water I used 75ml citric acid and 50ml Oxalic acid.
Procedure: I placed the CAT in my cheapo 12 quart pot. Two and a half gallons water nearly reached the brim and completely covered the catalytic converter inside the housing. So I mixed 190ml Citric Acid and 125ml Oxalic Acid with the 2.5 gallons water. Ideal temps for the solution are said to be 150-160* F for six hours. In 2016 the tempertures were higher than recommended (185 or 190) most of the time. In 2018, I got it just right. This second time I lifted and submerged the CAT in/out of solution six times each half hour to ensure flow through the substrate
Thanks Scotty!!!!!!!!!
My 1999 ford taurus didn't pass smog check here in Southern California last week. I had no trouble codes but when I had the smog done I was told" too much condensation in the catalytic converter" and told that I needed to change the cats (572 bucks on RockAutoparts). Saw your video and Eric the car guys try at your method with lacquer. Needless to say, I did it exactly like you said 10:1 ratio gas to lacquer drive to empty. Drove my car to San Diego From Los Angeles with the wife as a field trip and back. 260 miles to empty tank. Refilled tank and then got it smogged the next day.Passed with flying colors And the occasional sputtering resolved ( must have had gooped up injector or something).
Thanks for your videos. I al;so did your cigar me3thod for detecting exhaust leak..... worked again.
Scotty, you are the man.
+trojan nacho Exactly what kind of lacquer thinner did you use? I live in Southern California also, and there seem to be laws against them. What brand did you use and what store did you buy it at, please?
I used Kleen strip lacquer thinner. Bought it at Home Depot $ 18.00 for a gallon. Have 13 gallon tank in my car and tank was about empty put in the lacquer at the gas station then filled it up. It worked great. Granted this.... 1999 Ford Taurus with 105,000 miles was garaged for about 5 years and started driving it 2 years ago. So my cat was just dirty and not totally gunked up or broken. While I was driving to San Diego after about 60 miles, the idle smoothed out for me. And now the car engine purrs awesome like. My son now drives this car in Arizona while he is in college at ASU. Good luck if your car has over 150- 200,000 miles may not work for you but give it a try. If this doesn't work , the cats lean won't work also. Suerte hermano. Nacho
+trojan nacho Didn't Scotty say to use Half a Tank with One Gallon of lacquer thinner?
@@l31007 ...tank sizes vary. Small car may have a 12 gallon fuel tank....large cars maybe 20-25 gallon size. Just put in the CONCENTRATION he advises.... 1 gal thinner for every 9-10 gals of fuel.
Edit: only lasted about a month, I repeated and only lasted about another month. Bought new cats from Rockauto and got a great price, replaced them myself, and that fixed it. The originals had just worn out. This lacquer thinner trick was only temporary.
THANK YOU Scotty!!! Saved me $1900 on replacing all 4 cats like the mechanic shop told me needed to be done! 2006 Nissan Pathfinder, 202,000 miles light came on, 1 gal lacquer thinner in 12 gal gas, 220 miles, light went off...stayed off! And it runs better.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Any cat issues yet? How long did the lacquer thinner trick last
@@pitchforkpeasant6219 maybe a month, repeated and got the same result. replaced Cats and fixed the problem. Bought from Rockauto and got a great price over the local auto parts. Lesson: sometimes things just wear out and you got to replace them.
@@cabinman thx for reply👍👍
aight so boom my 2010 audi q7 been throwing this code ever since I got it at 83,000 miles. dealer quoted me at 3 yes $3,000 for a new catalytic converter and other places like a thousand and up. I tried tech the fuel system cleaner (the black bottle from a mechanic recommendation it worked I guess but not for long). the code would come up every couple of weeks go off and then come back in a week or two. I was skeptical at first when I saw this video but I read all you guys comment and some of you guys eased my concerns and I said what the hell lets try it. bought my own car scan tool I had a lil over half a tank I poured lacquer thinner in drove for 150 miles. scan my car computer for any codes and no codes going on week two nothing engine more quiet, better idling and better gas mileage. thank you scotty and everybody in the comments!!!!!!! y'all saved my ass
+Lifewith Lj glad to hear it, thanks for watching
Lifewith Lj Hey man, did the check engine light ever come back on? Thanks
I just got quoted over $11,000 for a new cat at the Lexus dealership. Haha no thanks.
What a joke! Scott warns about buying luxury vehicles in one of his videos.
Seriously did this really work??
I have a Honda Pilot 2007 and the engine light came on with the inefficiency catalytic converter code set. Tried the lacquer thinner and it worked perfectly pasted CA smog. Thank you Scotty 💥😃💯
I did the catalytic converter washing in laundry detergent thing, and while I didn't have any P0420 and I already passed the yearly inspection after using E85 ethanol fuel mixed 40/60 with regular fuel, I did notice a large drop in fuel consumption. Far more than what could happen randomly. Before cleaning it, the consumption was around 7.2 - 7.3 liters / 100 km (roughly 33 mpg), and after cleaning it and driving for 2 weeks, the average is now around 6.8 liters / 100 km (roughly 34.5 mpg) and still decreasing little by little. When the car was brand new 11 years ago, the consumption was around 6.5 liters / 100 km (36.7 mpg).
Scotty----Thumbs up on your tip....2003 Nissan Sentra with showed a p0420....ran a gall of thinner through it....code is now gone. Will still replace cat eventually but this was an excellent tip!
Thanks Scotty! You saved me once again. My catalytic converter was clogged and this saved me.
[2021] This worked on a 2004 Saturn Vue 3.5L. NOTE: the check engine light didn't turn off until the tank was ran almost empty and then filled up again. Light has stayed off since. Seems to have done the trick. Put in the lacquer thinner with about 2/3 tank (12 gallons), then drove the tank to almost empty over the course of a few days.
Your Vids are THE most entertaining on you tube. Stellar production quality and you are a showman for sure. Years ago before the EPA banned the stuff, there were several expensive "Catalytic Cleaners" available. Close inspection of the ingredient label....Lacquer Thinner! We sold this stuff every time an emission test came up, and what is surprising they all had an empty bottle money back guarantee,
yes, it's odd how things that work are often banned these days. Perhaps obsolesence will be the law for everything in the future.
I have a 2002 Nissan Sentra. This lacquer thinner idea worked so well for me! Took it to a garage and they said both of my cats were failing and wanted to charge me $1500 to replace both. I realized my spark plugs were basically completely gone and i figured that maybe the cats needed to be cleaned. Not wanting to dump that much money in it I decided to give this a shot. I had one gallon of lacquer thinner and mixed with 9 gallons of gas. I put that in my tank and drove the recommended 150 miles. I noticed it was running a bit hot. That was the only thing that sketched me out. I'm assuming this is normal. My check engine light went off around the 270 mile mark. The car doesn't run hot anymore either. Thanks for this man, save me a lot of money!
Awesome
this saved me over 1600 dollars from a honda dealer to replace a cat on an 08 ridgeline i used to have.
I'm getting tired of other people saying this "doesn't work", try it and find out. I did this on my Toyota Corrolla, (good for 300k miles easy) and almost instantly I noticed the car's "increase" in power. But more like it was was just a tad slower before, almost felt like there was more gas being let in when I stepped on the pedal, AND the light went away after a few days and stayed that way for months.
Now you say it went off and stayed off for months does that mean that it eventually came back on and that this is just a temporary fix?
@@DigitalLoom until I sold the car. I didn't see it after that. But I also tried it on an old Grand Caravan and it did the same thing, if I didnt' believe it I would of given it thumbs down or never would of bothered, but I noticed right away both times. I just did what he said on how to do it, and noticed a change almost instantly. Like something clogged got flushed out.
Which part did you try the liquor or laundry detergent?
Does it work if your catalytic is making the rattling noise because of the honeycombs have broken in it?
2008 Jeep Wrangler.. Put this stuff in/reset my battery and check engine has not been on since(3 weeks)-Work for me
Any idea how it affects the entire fuel path (pump, injectors, valves, O2 sensors etc). Wouldn't want to cause other problems while fixing one.
The beads in the catalytic converter go into the muffler choking down the engine . most wont tell you this . im due for a new muffler myself due to this
@frankieroberts how old is your car? They screens these days!!! I don’t know any cats that are beads any longer, too restrictive.
It cleans everything,if you let it sit for days at a concentrated amount instead of driving it it might hurt some older non flex fuel rubber parts. Just burn it out and refill with fuel ASAP and it works great. The first car I used it on was a 75 olds and that had beads.
Amer Khaqan; Back in the day, (80's), we used a fuel additive generically known as "dry gas" to remove water from gas tanks due to condensation. It got rid of the water, but would often kill your O2 sensors. Don't know about the thinner. Might give it a try. I have four new O2 sensors in the box if it kills 'em.
I use 1:4 ratio (14 lt thinner to 54 lt fuel) . It takes a week to empty the tank. No issues at all.
Could this help clear exaust restrictions other than a clogged Cat?
Don't waste your money on laquer thinner I tried and didn't work. Just buy spark plugs non foulers to space the o2 sensor got rid of the p420 code permeantly for me
Thank you as a mustang owner with some cats that need cleaning because i was seriously concidering buying new ones. Saved alot of money and made a 16 year old smarter!
I was scared but tried this also and it worked for me. Took till that first 1/2 tank was just about bone dry before the light went off but it's been about 2 weeks so far and still cruisin. I didn't has up till i was pretty close to empty. I did run it at 3k rpms for about 45 minutes at the start but that didn't clean it up right away. guess you gotta run it all through! Be careful when you open the Lacquer container, it almost splashed in my eyes as the metal can was pressurized or something and when I popped the top it splashed out all over me. Thanks so much!
Wasn’t sure if this guy was trolling at first, he seems so happy! 🤣
Is this hard on other fuel components? Should i do a fuel treatment afterwards? My '03 Honda Accord is throwing a p0420 code and getting poor gas mileage. Going to replace the pcv valve too.
lmk on this but we have the same car
@@OSOIC will do 😜 Ive seen 4 '03 style Honda Accords today alone. They take forever to die lmao. I'm at 382,000 mi.
@@marceline8488 sheeesh i’m at 203,000 right now
The cop said I smell weed. I said nahh it’s the po420 code the catalyst is burning hot need to get it to the shop ASAP
Hahaha
I have 2008 Pontiac grand prix, the lights been on since I got a plugged catalytic converter, the mechanic charged me $150 to unclog it but he said i need a new catalytic converter....the lights still on. Of course I'm a woman so they wont explain to me, just replace. I want to do this , is the recipe the same? 1 gallon lacquer to half tank of gas? Thanks for all your help in advance!!
Tamilla Green What did mechanic do to unclog it? That sounds shaky! Buy one gallon of lacquer thinner at Home Depot and mix with 9 gallons gas (approx. half tank). Light should go out after a bit of highway driving if it’s going to work. Or you may have to have the light turned off manually. Any garage or even quick oil change place should do that for nothing.
Light may not stay off if converter is too far gone, in which case it would need replaced. Honest mechanics are hard to find, but worth the search!
@@mikearcuri406 thank you ill try this!!
@@tammyjg drive your car till gas light comes on, but find out how much gas is still in car then top off with 10 gallons total. Then put your thinner. Listen to Scotty!
Scotty, your advice saved me hundreds on replacing the cat on my 2002 BMW 525i with 110k miles on the clock. It was throwing a P0430. Then I poured in a gallon of lacquer thinner I got at Wal-Mart for 13 bucks to about 11 gallons of premium unleaded and drove it for 150 miles straight. The CEL went off and hasn't come back in over 2000 miles! I'm not expecting it to either. I was a bit worried about the thinner doing damage to seals and rubbers, but so far, so good. Thanks, Scotty. God bless!
Can you put a picture or the name of the product I will be grateful to you and does it work with Honda Accord
I want to try it, did in the past, but am not willing to drive that far, it's insane, I have a 2007 X3, code you said is p0430? because I think my cat is going, I am at 90k
what are the contraindications to doing this? is this going to hurt O2 sensors, others sensors, engine/exhaust gaskets/seals? thank you scotty!!
... I realize that this is more or less a last ditch effort when a 0420, or similar code, presents itself... but what if it could be considered maintenance, something to do every 75-100k?
@@jclemenzi no and he’ll no. Your seals will all be compromised if you keep hitting it with thinner. Once to clean out the converter, sure, but keep hitting it consistently and you will have bigger more $$$ problems on your hands. Rather for after cleaning maintenance in lieu of, use Techron, it’s a system cleaner and can be used safely.
Just tried the technique and it worked. My idle was awfully low until I refueled. The thinner must be very low octane. I put half a gallon with a quarter tank and drove 30 miles then decided to clear the code with a battery disconnect. Then drove 30 more without a problem.
so the idle is low and the car runs slower or what?
Worked for me, had P0430 and figured what the heck. Hasn't been back since and I have had a few fill ups since then.
I’m not sure what’s crazier.... that this works or I even tried it. 2001 206k mile Subaru, cleared the check engine light p0420 after a 110 mile drive and letting it sit overnight. Thanks Scotty, you’re the man!
I wish i had seen this months ago
My 4 runner starts up then shuts off converter is another thing to check on it. Igh
I have a 2014 Honda Civic with 68K can I put 1gln in half a tank in my vehicle I also have a 2016 Honda Odyssey with 63K. Thinking out loud should clean the muffler honey comb at the same time like the catalytic converter too!