P0430 and Drivability

Hey folks, have a P0430 code in the 98 Suburban. Coworker that I sold it to a few years ago needs to drive from Southern Oregon to Tucson Arizona in a few days and she will make the return trip in a few weeks. Everything else checks out on the old truck as good to go except for the code, it has somewhere around ~185k miles currently.

Now my understanding is that the P0430 code typically means that the passenger side catalytic converter is plugged and no longer functioning correctly. Reasons for it being plugged can obviously vary, however with the higher mileage I would assume that it is simply age rather than major engine issues causing it to damage the cat.

Okay, if you have stuck with me thus far, is it generally okay to drive with it like that for a while? Or is performance going to take a sudden plunge to where it won't be able to maintain speeds anymore heading down the highway? Any quick and dirty temporary solutions to be sure it is fine for a little while until I can get a converter ordered and installed?

Thanks

It has nothing to do with being plugged, it just saying it isn't working as well as it did. Cats wear out over time. No concerns to drive it. I forget what the threshold is for it to tag the light but it's silly (coming from a pro-emisions guy). Most cars can still pass the sniffer long after that code tags.

I'm not a big fan of defeating the emissions stuff, but like I said the threshold from good to bad is silly and seems arbitrary to me. Put one of these in and space out the secondary O2 and clear the code. Most likely you'll never see the code again. They can be found cheaper it's just the first link I found to show them.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G89F857/ref=dp_cerb_3

As stated above, a p0430 code only indicates an inefficient catalytic converter and has no effect on drivability.
A plugged catalytic converter is more likely to cause drivability issues than set a code. As long as the 2nd o2 sensor is sniffing sufficiently catalyzed exhaust, the ECM doesn't know a thing. My Yukon which was choked by plugged cats for a while never set any p0420/p0430 codes.

Thanks for the information! Will tell her not to worry about it and just drive it for now. I'll get a set of spacers to throw under the oxygen sensors after she gets back from the trip.

seanb98 said:

Thanks for the information! Will tell her not to worry about it and just drive it for now.

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If the cat plugs, she's gonna be stranded until someone welds a new one in place.

I drove from home to Oxnard, CA, on the return trip the cat plugged. We were stranded in Kimball, South Dakota for two+ days waiting for a "universal" cat to arrive and be installed.

seanb98 said:

I'll get a set of spacers to throw under the oxygen sensors after she gets back from the trip.

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Huh?