PO 420 and lacquer thinner

[another-bill]

So my array of dash check engine lights came on as I left lunch yesterday, it is a PO 420, catalytic converter bank 1. Auto Zone priced the part at $650ish, I'm waiting for a price to replace it from my local Toyota dealership, I know a service writer there and he cuts me some slack. Anyway, of course I went to Google on it and eventually ended up on You Tube and the videos of using lacquer thinner in a ½ tank of gas and running it out "cleans" the catalytic converter and clears the dash lights.

So, I am tempted to try this as a gallon of it is like $13. Anyone here ever tried it?

 

[blackoutt]

Could also be an exhaust leak pre outlet O2 sensor on driver side or bad O2 sensor, I wouldn't jump straight to the most expensive part without hopping under and taking a look. Just fixed a GX470 with P0420 by finding that the stud at the connection between y pipe and header was stripped and leaking exhaust there. Pulled stud, put a bolt and nut through it, ran the emissions cycle and the fault is cleared and not pending!

 

[another-bill]

Could also be an exhaust leak pre outlet O2 sensor on driver side or bad O2 sensor, I wouldn't jump straight to the most expensive part without hopping under and taking a look. Just fixed a GX470 with P0420 by finding that the stud at the connection between y pipe and header was stripped and leaking exhaust there. Pulled stud, put a bolt and nut through it, ran the emissions cycle and the fault is cleared and not pending!

I will check that first, it has 160K on the odo.