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> How to know that the catalytic converter is shot?, How to be absolutely sure?
KeithO
post Mar 10 2004, 12:49 PM
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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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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
beuke23   When a cat is shot, does it restrict flow? What re...   Mar 10 2004, 04:51 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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