Lacquer Thinner in My Gas Tank! Testing Scotty Kilmer Method for Cleaning Catalytic Converter P0420 

UPDATE! I've been driving the car every day since I did this video. I have not done anything further, filled up a couple times, probably an additional 300-400 miles and something interesting happened today...I'm going to keep driving to make sure it's what it appears to be and I will update soon I have to be honest about the outcome no matter what that outcome is...stay posted!

A famous song once said "Scotty doesn't know oh Scotty doesn't know"

This method worked on my 2000 Toyota Camry 2.2l. po420 went off and have been driving for about a year now. Code has not returned and no driving concerns. I would use it again if on another vehicle without being scared. One note I drove 500 miles took about four hours on highway after adding. Beats new cat anyday. Thanks scotty

Cataclean catalytic converter cleaner/additive has been working great for me for my Toyota Tacoma with 375k. Check engine light with same code. Engine light goes off by itself. Has saved me several times for smog checks and of course not having to purchase a new catalytic converter. I also recommend Chevron 91 octane with Techron, much improved engine performance.

.......a little bit of chemistry.......my G-35 mileage had dropped to 13 miles highway so i ran 2 gallons of lacquer thinner through my gas tank over a 150 miles of highway driving and the mileage went up to 23 miles per gallon....also noticed a distinct increase in performance. What the industry doesn't want you to know is that the soot and carbon build up on the cats becomes quite restrictive over time and they need to be cleaned.....interestingly the toluene in the thinner doesn't burn until it reaches into the thousands of degrees, so it goes through the combustion cycle still intact and it is an excellent organic solvent, and cleans your intake values, exhaust valves, catalytic converters, and your muffler quite well. But it needs to be done routinely say every 25,000 miles or so!!!!!!!gh

A p0420 code can be triggered by a multitude of things. From coolant sensors to maf sensors to vacuum leaks. Its one of the more in-depth diagnosis there is. We all know a spacer isn't fixing anything. On a side note, I never had a clogged cat throw an efficiency code on the multiple fleets of cabs I've serviced.

Im an ASE certified master tech, no one should ever do what this fool says ever. P0420 can be either the cat or the o2 sensor. It has to do with the efficiency. Lacquer thinner is not meant to be in engines nor will it "clean" your cat lol. Some of the stuff he says is so bogus. The lacquer just changed the octane rating of your fuel and does more damage than good.

nah, O2 spacer after the cat

Couple data points, lacquer thinner and spray carb cleaner are pretty much the same formulation, neither has a specific recipe. Places like Rock auto will offer varying quality on parts like cats and your cat will have value at a salvage yard if the wash doesn't work. My ford catalyst rusted through, the salvage value was more than a replacement cat. Good luck on the wash!! Your scan tool can read the after cat o2 sensor and graph it so you can see what its doing while you are driving. If the before and after sensors look alike after its warmed up, your cat may have taken the dirt nap.

My car was throwing a p0420, so... I replaced the cat with a cheap one. I think it was $70. Put in an old stock $35 wideband o2 sensor, too. And I didn't have to dump any heavy solvents in my fuel system 😬

That Scott Kilmer video is 13 years old now ... Scott Kilmer video title "How to Clean Your Car's Catalytic Converter using Lacquer Thinner"

Lacquer Thinner does a wonderful job of cleaning deposits off ot the injectors so you should see an improvement in the vehicle's performance and milage.

It will work only for emissions testing but you're better off using heet cause it has lubricants that wont ruin seals

Scotty Kilmer is the Yankee Marshall of the car community.

Idk if you drove the car "Normally" ive heard folks say that you really need to get the rpms high, ( be agressive with it) to get it flowing in the system plus get the Cat nice and hot that stuff is the same price as Caticlean but with unknown risks but its great to have a car as a test mule

I'm glad you took the time to test out his video. As most have already said, his advice is mostly junk, but I watch optimistically. Regardless great car for the money!

its great to have a car as a test mule

I believe you have a 3.8 GM. Great and one of the best engines. All engines have a problem. This engine is the intake gasket. If you haven't replaced it with over 200 thousand coolant will seep into the intake causing you catalytic converter to fail. Its typical. Knowing this I replaced my 3.8 gasket at 60 thousand with the updated version.

I had the same problem. But decided to use transmission fluid instead. I read it was great at cleaning carbon. Used a gallon of transmission fluid to a full tank. Did it twice! Haven't seen any engines codes for low catalyst efficency. Or o2 sensors either. Also use it as a motor flush. Every 5 other oil changes! Get the same effect as using sea foam. When I add 1/2 a cup down an air line. To the throttle body intake. Do a hot soak for an hour. Start the car & than smoke the crap out of your neighbors!

I think lacquer thinner with detergent is perfect to leave and soak overnight the whole cat itself in a big bucket 😊 otherwise it’s a 50/50 scientifically proven safe

I had no issues with my 2010 Sonata (160,000 miles), getting 27 mpg. I did a lacquer clean, 2 quarts, and one month later I'm getting a little over 30 mpg.

Gut the converter and remove the light bulb for the check engine light problem solved! Unless you live in a state with inspections if that is the case move lol.

p0420 probably due to oil burning. Try BG 109 in the next couple of your oil changes. Strong stuff will clean your piston rings.

what was the ratio gas lacquer thinner. did you do 10-gallon gas to 1 gallon lacquer?

hey there' ive had this same issue before, and fixed the problem with $20 by installing a O2 sensor spacer on the downstream sensor. do some research

Turns out Lacquer Thinner is really good. For thinning lacquer.

The cats in those cars were VERY problematic. They would plug up and kill the performance. I'd recommend replacing it.

Wow my GP got that 420 code so I smoked a J cleared the code all good But the code came back so another Joint smoked cleared code this has been going on for a few years now 😂

DONT DO THIS!!!!! I REpEAT! DO NOT DO! In 2019 I buried my Pops on a Saturday. Following Monday I was getting his 2006 Taurus ready to sell. Loud bang.. engine stops…next thing you know the car caught fire - engine. Fire extinguisher no help. Hose water didn’t work. Car went up in a raging fire with flames 10-15 feet in the air. Wind shifts… blows flames towards the garage. and caught his house on fire. Total loss. $500k loss. Also gone most of our family heirlooms were destroyed. Also destroyed were my cherry SAAB 93 Turbo convertible, a low miles 76 Moto Guzzi, and a Yamaha Venture that I was keeping there. I had suspended the insurance on all for the winter. I cant post photos here unfortunately.

I had the same code, then some scum bag stole the cat off my jeep. He first started cutting on the freaking drive shaft first. Then cut two trans lines that really werent in the way. It still makes my blood boil.. I bought a cheap chinese amazon universal cat and it actually worked. Of course the dimensions stated were wrong (like diameter and length) so had to add two adapters but its done. A couple weeks after mine was stolen a cat converter thief was caught in the act and shot by a homeowner. He lived and the police found dozens and dozens of cats at his house.

Scotty will never steer you wrong

Always impressed with the technical lingo! Gotta love scotty kilmer! He knows his stuff! Thats wild putting lacquer thinner in the gas tank😮😮! Sorry to hear that it didnt work bud!

Terrible idea, please don't do this as it will damage the seals in you fuel system.

SCOTTY WATCHED YOUR AC VIDEOS-- THANKS---- BUT WHAT ABOUT ADDING IN OILS AND DYES. I HAVE 2009 CHEVY EXPRESS SUPPOSED TO TAKE 48 OZ WITH FRONT AND AND REAR. 32 WITH JUST THE FRONT. IF I EVACUATE THE SYTEM DOES ALL THE OIL GO THROUGH THE VACCUUM PUMP? OR DO I ADD IN THE 11.0Z OF OIL AND THEN TEH R134A WITH PAG 46/ NOT SURE ... PLEASE DO A MORE INDEPTH VIDEO.. IF U CAN AS GAS CONTAINMENT MAY BE AN ISSUE????

Put a spark plug spacer on the o2 sensor 2

You missed the part at the end of Scotty's video where he says he was just kidding, this actually destroys your entire fuel system and engine. He said its like using sawdust to quiet lifter tick.

Easy fix put a piece of electrical tape over the lite easy

wrong! use an EPA/DOT approve cleaner, not some shade tree mechanic method. lacquer thinner is for painting not for automotive use.

I thought it was acetone that scotty used?

☺

Why not wash it with the thinner?

Nice video❤

M18*1.5 O2 Sensor CEL Check Engine Light Spacer Eliminator Adapter Oxygen Sensor Delete Kit Generic

Don't take advice from an idiot who made a video in which he used copper compression fittings to fix a broken brake line. In that same video, he showed and used a package that said to not use those compression fittings on automotive brake systems.

Hey guys don't make fun of John Lennon's mentally feeble brother, he has feelings too.

O2 spacers

Hi my brother 🔥👍💯

Scotty is a joke amongst automotive professionals.

Maybe it only works on toyotas 😮

Scotty Kilmer the SAME guy who said parking your car in your garage will destroy it because of the temperature change. Ok boomer

Win some lose some

Nice video 😊🩷

A few people in the comments are dunking on Scottie Kilmer rn 😂

Why would I take advice from a left lane Richard?

you really believed, scotty?🤣🤣🤣🤣.. he will say something one day and a few weeks later he will tell you the opposite... he is just a loud mouth drama queen,, a few time he even said ' this will be my last video' or something to that extent

Waste of fifty bucks. Fix it properly

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