 How to know that the catalytic converter is shot?, How to be absolutely sure? |
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 Mar 10 2004, 12:49 PM
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Veteran Member  Group: Advanced Members Posts: 2,647 Joined: 23-December 03 From: Pittsburgh, PA Member No.: 14  |
My wife's car (1995 BMW 525i) has been slowly losing power and having reduced fuel economy over the last 18 months. I rarely drive the car. 2 years ago, it got about 32mpg on highway trips. Yesterday, I drove it for about 150 miles and only got 25-26mph.
It is down on power and very occasionally smells like a morning-after Guiness-fart. I am 90% sure that the cat is shot. I priced OEM replacement cats and every source I checked was in the $485-$500 range (yikes!). There is also the obvious choice of getting a universal cat and making it fit... How can I be absolutely sure that this cat is bad? I'd like to be completely sure before I commit the time and potential effort on this. Thanks |
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Mar 10 2004, 04:51 PM
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#2
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Member Group: Advanced Members Posts: 166 Joined: 25-December 03 From: nYc Member No.: 39 |
When a cat is shot, does it restrict flow? What really happened when a cat's shot? I'm just guessing here, but if it restricts flow, see if you can feel lack of flow from the muffler when you gun the gas pedal.
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Posts in this topic
KeithO How to know that the catalytic converter is shot? Mar 10 2004, 12:49 PM
231go When you floor it and you can't get past 3k in... Mar 10 2004, 04:24 PM KeithO Unfortunately for this situation, the car has vari... Mar 10 2004, 04:32 PM 231go Beings thats its been a slow process I would do a ... Mar 10 2004, 04:36 PM Lucas Black seafoam it? Mar 10 2004, 05:15 PM KeithO Yeah, I thought of the plugs and wires. I was pla... Mar 10 2004, 05:38 PM Lucas Black seafoam is...............seafoam. i believe i... Mar 10 2004, 05:54 PM 231go Never used the seafoam, always used the GM top eng... Mar 10 2004, 06:04 PM KeithO I thought you were pulling my leg talking about ... Mar 10 2004, 06:19 PM mitchntx How does one know if a catalytic convertor is shot... Mar 10 2004, 06:36 PM beuke23 QUOTE (mitchntx @ Mar 10 2004, 01:36 PM)How d... Mar 10 2004, 07:35 PM 231go QUOTE (mitchntx @ Mar 10 2004, 12:36 PM)How d... Mar 10 2004, 07:50 PM mitchntx I wish it were that easy. Keith, sorry for the hi-... Mar 10 2004, 08:22 PM 231go You can also do what we did w/ my friends T/A whic... Mar 10 2004, 08:32 PM robz71lm7 I know a procedure in one of my gm helm's manu... Mar 10 2004, 09:59 PM KeithO That makes some sense to me. I have the Bentley m... Mar 11 2004, 12:33 AM Sam Strano The smell could be a bad cat. or could be shitty ... Mar 11 2004, 05:31 PM 231go Not to mention it gives to a hollow "cow... Mar 11 2004, 05:43 PM y5e06 Yes, a bad converter can also cause a vehicle to r... Mar 11 2004, 08:56 PM rmackintosh ....could ALWAYS sell the BigMoneyWaste....
Two... Mar 11 2004, 10:59 PM mustbnutz I've been asking the same thing about my truck... Mar 12 2004, 12:46 AM bruecksteve I just did that to mine. It rattled for along time... Mar 12 2004, 10:37 PM
Bald54 When I had my 2000 SS the cat went bad. I tripped ... Mar 14 2004, 03:28 AM |
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