Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Dang CEL codes-Help (maybe bad manifold?)

96 Contour SE V6 MTX, 125,000 mi, throwing 0133 CKT Sensor slow and 0430 Catalyst below efficiency bank 2.
Last month, it gave a 0174 and 0430. One of the hoses under the TB wasn't connected, so I cleaned the TB and pluged it in and that got rid of the 174. The 430 came back.
I occasionally get the engine speed dependent twangy popping noise that makes me think there is a leak in the exhaust manifold somewhere. Is that even possible? Would that throw a 430? Can I just JB weld it?
The car is running great, it got great mileage evan as I set a personal best time going to Lansing.

Lets start with this

Quote:

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throwing 0133 CKT Sensor slow

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Ckt sensor???
P0133 is Upstream Heated Oxygen Sensor circuit Slow Response - Bank No. 1.
Possible causes:

-- Contaminated HO2S.

-- Exhaust leaks.

-- Shorted/open wires.

-- Excessive fueling.

-- MAF meter.

-- Air leaks.


P0430 Catalyst System Efficiency below Limit - Bank No 2.
Possible causes:

-- Use of leaded fuel.

-- Oil contamination.

-- Cylinder misfiring.

-- Damaged HO2S.

-- Damaged ECT sensor.

-- Downstream HO2S wires improperly connected.

-- Fuel pressure too high.

-- Damaged exhaust system pipe.

-- Damaged exhaust manifold.

-- Damaged muffler/tail-pipe assembly.

-- Damaged catalytic converter.

According to my service cd a p0133 with your other codes

Fuel calculations can be affected by unmetered air leaks.

Carefully inspect the following areas for potential air leaks.

-- Hoses connecting to MAF.

-- Hoses connecting to throttle body.

-- Intake manifold gasket leaks.

-- PCV disconnected.

-- Vacuum lines disconnected.

-- Improperly seated dip stick and tube.

-- Exhaust leaks at flanges and gaskets.

Are there any air leaks?

Wow, thank you very much for your response. I feel like I have a much better idea of what to look for now. My gut instinct is telling me it is some kind of exhaust leak (there was a metalic ticking noise that shows up from time to time like a manifold leak, although I'm not sure that's what it is), but it seems these cars are more prone to (and sensitive to) vacuum/air leaks, so I will double check that.
I have noticed the engine has been running much cooler since the waterpump got replaced last month. Is there a way to see if the ECT was damaged?
As a matter of maintanance on a 125k car, I was going to do the fuel filter (3rd time in 125k) and drop the 50k old Bosch DPs in favor of the Autolite/Motorcrafts, and change the PCV valve.
I'm glad the weather has been at least a bit warmer, much easier to work on the car without going numb in the cold.
Thanks