My husband,who is an engineer and has done all of our car maintenance for decades is stumped by our 2000 Mazda MPV. He replaced the catalytic converter and put every thing back together, but the car won't run. Will start, but dies right away. Took off new cat,and runs with that off, but not sure why it won't run with the cat on.
View 4 RepliesI have this vehicle, which keeps blowing out the catalytic converter, its been replaced 3 times in the last month, and the mechanic doesnt know why, he refuses to put another one on it, until he figures this out.
View 3 RepliesI was told that my 1997 kia Sephia needed a new catalytic converter by a very reliable shop. My car had been stalling out and running very rough. They did replace the distributor cap which seems to have increase the overall performance and that same day i had a smog check and passed with flying colors! Why would I still need to replace my converter if I passed smog. My car has only 36k on it.
View 19 RepliesI just failed inspection because check engine light is on. The codes state that catalytic converter and O2 sensor are "not ready". I understand it has to do with the computer but not much else. Someone on Mazda 6 message board provided a complicated sequence of driving instructions including maintaining various speeds and RPMs for specific lengths of time which they said would reset the computer. My mechanic is at a loss. This car is a lemon and I would just like to get the inspection done so I can trade it in and get something that doesn't keep breaking.
View 6 RepliesCar is a 2001 MK4 Jetta with 2.0 Auto Tranny and 120k miles, stock exhaust
A little over a year ago I was getting a cel and the code that was being thrown was a DTC 16804. I changed the cat and both o2 sensors and the light went away for almost a year. The other day I was driving and the light came on again. Scanned the car and its the same 16804 code. I replaced the front o2 sensor thinking it was bank 1 but it didn't solve the problem. I clear the code and it comes back the next day. I'm finding it hard to believe that the cat is bad after only a year. I checked for vacuum leaks, faulty MAF and nothing under the hood looks out of whack. My mission is up next month and the car won't pass with this code.
My 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 RepliesAfter 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 RepliesYesterday my 1995 Toyota Corolla (which runs well otherwise) started making the loudest rumbling exhaust sound I've ever heard whenever I stepped on the gas pedal. It also felt like it had trouble accelerating when I would try to get going after a stop. I took it to a mechanic right away, who says it needs a new catalytic converter and resonator pipe.
My boyfriend says this is a repair he could do. He has done some car repair and worked with a mechanic before, so I am considering trusting him on that, but I don't know what types of repairs he's done before and I know he has never worked on this model. What would you take into consideration whether or not it would be safe to attempt this repair at home?
I have a 2000 Chevy Camaro. Two years ago my catalytic converter went out and I had it replaced. 20,000 miles later my mechanic says that I need to replace it again. Is this accurate? I thought the life of a Catalytic Converter was much longer.
View 2 RepliesI own a 2000 E 250 Econoline van with 170,000 miles. I've been encountering loss of power on acceleration for months. Terrible gas mileage (8-10 mpg) and just recently, I get that rotten egg smell when I gun it and and travel above 65/70. I can feel heat from under the van when i step out as well. I've been blowing individual coil packs every other month after a long drive with a lot of inclines. It all points to a clogged catalytic converter. This van has 3. A front left and right by the manifolds, and a large one before the muffler. My question is, what causes them to go bad? I want to fix the cause before spend the money on new cats. Ive heard a rich fuel mixture could do it. Are there sensors that need to be changed?
View 1 RepliesThat Car Grand AM 2000 2.4L SE
The current problem with the car is that it is not accelerating fast, for example i would push the petal to the metal and only go 25 mph and my RPM would be 3000-4000. Initial my brother and cousin though it was the Catalytic converter because it was getting hot but that has recently been change along with the fuel filter and spark plugs. but the catalytic converter is still gets red hot so i forbid myself from driving it till i fix what every causing the slow acceleration and the temperature of the Cata when i took the error code think P0300 random misfire to the local Autozone they printed me a long list of things that could be a issue my question is what is the likely culprit so i can fix those 1st before shelling out cash to rebuild a engine. may just have to get rid of it at that point. so i guess what am asking is a list maybe top 10 so i can fix them one by one as my money comes in.
Before the accelerating issue the car would randomly stop when i slowed down or stooped that when i replace the spark plugs.
My 2000 Forester has 96,000 miles on it. A few months ago, the CEL came on. At first it would turn off every couple of days but would eventually pop back on. I first thought it was tied to putting gas in the car, now I think it was just a coincidence.
Over the past two months, I have replaced the catalytic converter with a aftermarket piece (done by a mom and pop muffler shop) and replaced the front o2 sensor three times. The first two times, I used Bosch sensors from an auto parts store and had the code cleared. After about 50 miles the CEL came back on. Just yesterday, I picked my car up from the dealership where they installed a Subaru fron o2. After about 30 miles, the light is back on again. Code is P0133 - heated oxygen sensor, bank 1 sensor 1, circuit slow response.
Now, the dealership is suggesting I need to replace the catalytic converter with a Subaru converter before they can source the issue.
Long story, I'll try to make this short, 2000 E250 5.4L What would or could happen if the catalytic converter was removed from the exhaust system?
View 5 RepliesI 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.
See related guides and technical advice from our community experts:
How to Replace a Catalytic Converter
Step by step instructions for do-it-yourself repairs
Browse all: Air Intake and Exhaust Guides
I have a 2000 Lincoln Town Car with a single exhaust system, part of/attached to the frontal area of the exhaust "Y" pipe are two lumps with heat shields, the muffler is obvious in the mid-section of the car, but are those "lumps" the catalytic converters, and if so, why two when the older cars had only one?
View 2 RepliesSomeone put sugar in my gas tank so I had it worked on at the Dodge place they replaced my fuel pump..fuel filter cleaned the tank..flushed the lines cleaned my injectors and replaced the plugs..I went to pick it up I barely made it a mile down the road I had no power and a lady flagged me down to tell me to pull over because I had sparks coming from the bottom of my van I looked under the van and the catalytic converter was red like hit coals the Dodge place is telling me its my flex plate? I think they are misdiagnosing the issue because before the sugar issue I had no problems with my van?
View 14 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.
So this morning (Kind of Cold) I went out site and started my car. I heard some noise under the car and I noticed that the noise bad been coming from the Catalytic Converter area and there was water dripping off of it.
My guess is that it was just warming up and the water was from the cold. Is it normal?
I have a GLX V6 ...
I own a 2004 Acura RSX that I purchased new nearly 10 years ago. The car currently has 182,000 miles on it. Two years ago (approx. 130,000 miles), I had to replace the catalytic converter and both O2 sensors. This lightened my wallet to the tune of $1,200 (aftermarket franchise, OEM replacement). A few weeks ago, the "check engine" light came on. I used my scanner, and got the dreaded P0420 code, and had it verified by another shop. O2 sensors were OK. What REALLY shocked me was that replacement catalytic converters are only warranted for 5 years/25,000 miles (50k in CA). The first replacement piece lasted 52,000 miles (less than half the miles/years of the original part)
Here are THE QUESTIONS: What killed this catalytic converter? What can I do to prolong the life of this part? My car has the base powertrain that (according to the owner's manual) recommends 87 octane fuel. That's all I've ever used. The mechanic suggested moving up to mid-grade fuel, though he admitted that he wasn't sure.