Took my car to a shop today after I'd been experiencing a "tinny clunking" sounding rattle. I was worried it might be my catalytic converter and after couple of bumps on the exhaust system while on the lift, the tech thought this was indeed the case. Replacing the catalytic converter could be a $1500+ job from what I hear if replaced by toyota.
View 17 RepliesThe catalytic converter shield is tack welded on the front end but free on the rear end. There was originally some braided wire packing at the rear to keep the shield from rattling against the pipes. Mine was deteriorated and had been damaged, I think, when I sustained some oil pan damage last summer -- big jolt to the system when running over a muffler on the highway.
The fix is simple. Bought a foot of 3/16" braided stainless steel cable. I used about 8 inches and layed in the lower bead line on the catalytic converter shield (see picture below). You can see a bit of the cable thru the gap in the upper/lower shield on the left side. (1/4" cable would be a better fit, but this will work for a long time.) Cost: $1.84
The local VW parts man dug out an exploded drawing of the system but it showed NO parts or packing for this problem.
I have this rattle coming from underneath the car that's been going on for a while.
The car has 110k miles and the rattle is most prominent when I start the car or accelerate hard or just cruising downhill without gas.
I went to one of the well known shops in the area and they said it's coming from the cat and it needs to be replace and quoted me like $1300 for parts and labor which seemed quite steep to me.
They said it's coming from the inside the cat so it needs to be replaced.
Is this a common issue with our cars? I though maybe something is loose and can be just welded together or something.
Heard a funny intermittent rattle and my mechanic told me that my check engine light should be going on any time now as my cat converter is bad. The part is about a thousand bucks! Looked on line and see some aftermarket ones from walker and some other retailers. My car has 103K miles on it,.
View 17 RepliesWent out to run some errands this morning, and was alarmed to hear a loud, tinny-sounding banging noise from the rear of the car. It would occur on every bump. little or big; every time I braked; every time I started up from a stop; after each shift to a higher gear; and every time I turned a corner.
I was getting really concerned, as I had never heard a noise quite like this on any car, ever before. When I got home, I pulled the floor jack out of the garage, then went to the trunk to get my torque wrench with the wheel bolt socket on it.
When I opened the trunk, this is what I saw: ...
2010 f150 with 5.4 catalytic converter. Engine light has been going on and off for the past couple of months. Had the code read and its says bank one catalytic converter. Ford dealer said to replace the 02 sensors. Had that done but light still comes on and off with same code. Could there be something wrong with the sensor or should I just have the CC replaced also. I just don't understand why it would come on for a few days and then not come on for a few days if its the CC?
View 1 RepliesI have a 2002 Toyota Prius that is currently in limp mode...
Took it to the dealer for diagnostics and they said the Catalytic Converter has failed...So I went online, bought a new one and replaced it. The symptoms prior the Cat replacement were still there...mpg loss, power loss, and exhaust air was not exiting the end of the pipe but actually leaking out the connection point where the Cat and the manifold met.
My '08 Prius Touring is in the shop today because the 'check engine' light came on at 68,500 miles. I just got word from them that the catalytic converter is bad and needs replacement. Good thing I bought the extended warranty! Well, I searched the forum for similar problems and it seems like this is somewhat common, albeit on cars with a bit more mileage and maybe a year or more older. I don't abuse my car at all, though I often roll into full-throttle while merging.
Is this a symptom of a poor part design or of a system that fouls the cat over a certain amount of time? I'm not looking forward to replacing it again at 130K after my extended warranty expires.
Toyota says the code is P0420 and the Catalytic Converter is rattling under heavy acceleration showing the Catalytic converter is bad and should be replaced. Toyota wants 2,334.00 which seems very high to me. Is it the Catalytic converter? The car is a 2004 Toyota Prius.
View 12 RepliesThe check engine light came on a few times. Went to the old trusty repair shop and the codes pointed to an issue with the catalytic converter. When we started the car again, multiple warning dash lights came on: ABS, (!), Check Engine, and emergency brake light. The brakes also felt very stiff after this.
The mechanic at the shop was taken aback. Said there was a glitch with the computer and that we needed to take it to a dealership to have them "perform initialization of linear solenoid valve and calibration." He said that would fix the issue with the lights.
We were a little upset this happened but love this shop and only stopped going because we moved a few hours away. The mechanic has always been very honest and upfront through the years.
I took the car to the local Toyota dealership today, told them what happened and what the mechanic said. All they did was charge me $100 for a diagnosis of bad catalytic converter pipe and tell me that all the lights came on because the catalytic converter is so far gone. They said they couldn't turn the other lights off until the catalytic converter was replaced.
I don't understand why my brakes are affected when the issue with the car is the catalytic converter. I was also told by the guy at the shop where we first took the car that we would be able to drive with a faulty Catalytic converter with no problem.
I checked out a 2006 Prius yesterday a guy is selling. It had the CEL on (not sure why somebody would try and sell a car with that, but anyway). He said that it's because they get gas at a station that consistently doesn't tighten the gas cap enough but by the time the tank is down to 1-2 bars the light always goes away. Although I don't doubt his story, I absolutely doubted the cause. So I took it to get the code pulled and it was P0420, which is catalytic converter threshold below efficiency.
View 15 RepliesI just moved to Colorado with my 2009 Prius and on the fifth day here the check engine light went on and the dealership said my catalytic converter failed. Luckily I was still under warranty. Is this related to the altitude or just a coincidence?
View 3 RepliesMy wife's car is a 2002 Prius, 149 k miles. Lately the check engine light has been coming on. I took it to the dealership, and their assessment is that the catalytic converter needs to be replaced. They are recommending about $2,000 + of repairs. While I am contemplating the practicality of investing that much in keeping this car going I'm wondering if it harmful or dangerous to continue operating this vehicle.
View 12 RepliesI got a awful tinny rattle sound that comes on sporadically around 3k RPM. It tends to only do it at through a small RPM range (2750 - 3250 rpm approx) and when pressing the throttle 1/2 way down or more (but not when less). This sound is exacerbated when I had the flapper mod which is a large contributor to why i went back to stock.
I am thinking the sound is caused by a heat shield, but without getting underneath and having a second person blipping the throttle, its hard to diagnose. Are these cars known for rattling heat shields? Is there a particularly troublesome shield that I should look at first ?
After hearing some loud noise coming from my exhaust system, it was determined that there is a hole (from rust) in part of the cat. assembly. Three shops advised for replacement, there are no aftermarket products for this unit. I have NOT gotten any error codes, the only problem is the noise. What to do? The car is 10 years old with 86000 miles. I have been reading about some of you getting just the one piece and having it welded on, but I do not believe any of the shops here will do that, and indicated that it would be a very temporary fix.
View 17 RepliesMy check engine light has been coming on and off and it seems to show P0420 for catalytic converter. The light stays off for about a week and it'll come on for a day or two and off again.
Wouldn't a failed converter stay failed? Can P0420 be triggered by loose/bad gas caps?
04 F150 4.6 ltr Has a tinny rattle during acceleration . Sounds like 2 hammerheads in a washing machine....
View 2 RepliesThird owner with about 81k, sometimes when I go to shift into sixth it seems like there is something stopping me about half way into normal position. Normally I have to go back to neutral and then try again. I don't have this issue with the other gears.
second question, I've noticed under deceleration mostly or going slow over bumps that I can hear a tin style rattle. Now the last couple days when I start the car with or without AC running there is a constant rattle making me think that whatever was rattling over bumps is about to make a run for it when I hit a big bump or something.
I have had my 2010 Tiguan SE for about a month now and I have noticed a sound when it shifts that sounds like a tinny grind or rattle. This happens mostly in "D" not "S" mode and at the lower RPMs. Is it normal?
I took it to my dealer and of course they said they heard nothing, but it doesn't seem like something a new car should sound like.
I recently had my catalytic converter replaced with a non-OEM cat. The check engine light came on and a different shop (different from the shop that replaced the cat) said that it will keep coming on because I had the cat replaced with a non-OEM cat.
View 3 RepliesI have a 2001 VT GTI with 155K miles on it. It is in very good condition. I have loved the car except for the high maintenance costs that typically seem to be associated with VWs.
I found out this week after my check engine light came on that the car needs a new catalytic converter and a new new secondary air pump.
Let's assume that this diagnosis is correct and the repair is accurate for the sake of this posting (and I have no doubt it is). In other words, I don't want to get my question derailed on that issue.
The car has new Michelin tires on it and runs well. The problem is that it will fail the state emissions test I am required to take next December, and I will either be forced to have the car repaired or will not be able to get updated license tabs (isn't that sweet?!).
It seems that I have a few options:
1. Get the repair done (ouch) and keep driving the car for a few more years. Repair cost is about what the market value of the car is (from what I have seen).
2. Sell the car "as-is" between now and December and see what cash I can get out of it. Any buyer will discount the value of the vehicle based on the repairs needed. Of course, then I'll need a replacement vehicle of some sort.