CONVERTER MONITOR

OBD II monitors the operation of the catalytic converter with a second oxygen sensor in the tailpipe behind the converter. It
compares the upstream and downstream O2 sensor readings.

If you look at the two O2 sensor readings on an oscilloscope, the upstream O2 sensor should be flipping back and forth from
rich to lean (high voltage to low voltage) while the downstream O2 sensor should be flat lined. If converter efficiency has
dropped off due to old age or contamination, the downstream O2 sensor reading will look like the upstream reading.

The OBD II converter efficiency monitor is a "noncontinuous" monitor that only runs once a drive cycle -- and then only if
certain driving conditions have been met. This monitor is the most difficult one to set.

OBD II CATALYST MONITOR

The main purpose of catalyst monitor is to detect a drop-off in converter efficiency that may cause emissions to increase 1.5
times the federal limit.

When the vehicle manufacturers calibrate their OBD II systems, they have to pick cutpoints based on laboratory testing and
computer modeling. They know if converter efficiency drops below a certain threshold, it increases the risk of elevated
emissions in the exhaust. So they pick a number and program the OBD II system to turn on the Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(MIL) if converter efficiency drops below the number they've picked.

The built-in catalyst monitor in OBD II systems is probably the most accurate method of diagnosing converter efficiency
because it checks the converter all the time. The catalyst monitor does not actually measure tailpipe emissions but uses a
second "downstream" O2 sensor located just behind the converter to measure oxygen levels in the exhaust as it exits the
converter. On some Ford applications, the downstream O2 sensor is located in the middle of the converter between the
reduction and oxidation chambers inside the converter.

Monitoring the downstream O2 levels and comparing them to the upstream O2 sensor readings allows the OBD II system to
estimate converter efficiency. It does this by counting how many times the upstream and downstream O2 sensors switch back
and forth from rich to lean and then calculating a ratio between the two.

If the engine is at normal operating temperature and running in closed loop, the upstream O2 sensor should be rapidly
switching back and forth. When the air/fuel mixture is lean (more air, less fuel), the O2 sensor switches to a low voltage output
(typically 0.3 volts or less). This causes the computer to increase the on-time of the injectors to add more fuel. When the
mixture is rich (less air, more fuel), the O2 sensor switches to a high voltage output (typically 0.8 to 0.9 volts). The computer
responds by decreasing the on-time of the injectors to reduce the amount of fuel.

So what is the downstream O2 sensor doing? Not much if the converter is working properly. If the converter is storing oxygen
and burning the pollutants, downstream oxygen levels should be consistently low. If the output voltage of the downstream O2
sensor is observed on an oscilloscope, it should be almost a flat line with little switching activity.

If the rate at which the downstream O2 sensor is switching starts to increase, it tells the OBD II system converter efficiency is
dropping and there's a potential emissions problem.

Dividing the number of downstream O2 sensor switches by the upstream O2 sensor switches should yield a number close to
zero if the converter is working at a high level of efficiency. But if the switching ratio is close to 1.0, the converter isn't doing
much of anything. Many OBD II systems are calibrated to set a code if the ratio of downstream switches reaches 0.75 of the
upstream sensor.

GETTING THE CATALYST MONITOR TO RUN

The catalyst monitor is one of the most difficult monitors to set on OBD II vehicles. It's supposed to run on every "trip, which is
a drive cycle that begins with a cold start and continues until the engine reaches normal operating temperature. But the monitor
monitor won't run until all the "enabling criteria" are met. This may require driving the vehicle at various speeds and/or loads
until the system decides it is ready and runs the test. As a rule, the vehicle will have to be driven at highway cruising speeds for
at least 15 minutes to get the catalyst monitor to run.

The catalyst monitor will NOT run if the OBD II system has detected a conflict with other tests (such as the EGR, fuel system
or purge tests), or there are hard codes or pending codes for a misfire condition or oxygen sensor.

If the test runs and the OBD II system detects too much of a drop off in converter efficiency, it will set a pending code. If the
same condition is noted on a second or third trip, the code will mature and turn on the MIL lamp. If you plug a scan tool or code
reader into the vehicle and discover a generic OBD II code P0420 to P0439, you've found a converter problem that will have to
be diagnosed and repaired to turn the MIL lamp out.

For additional diagnostic information, see the section on O2 & Catalyst Diagnosis.

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