ns87 Posted August 2, 2008 Report Share Posted August 2, 2008 For the past few weeks my car has had trouble starting up (some may remember at the Green Lane Park meet lol) and idle hunting. But unlike all the other times something went bad, there was no stuttering. Today I was driving and my car couldn't get over 2000 rpm. Rotten egg smell, bright red catalytic converter. 2 part question. Is a high flow catalytic converter worth it for me? 3.1 mpfi Can I keep driving for a while? I'm in a new town and don't feel like being ripped off by the local welder. ---------------- While I'm down in the exhaust, what's a good resonator to make my car NOT RASPY. I don't want it loud or to vibrate my seats at idle. I just want to get rid of the rasp. Are they welded in replacing part of the pipe? (newb question forgive me) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted August 2, 2008 Report Share Posted August 2, 2008 you can get the high flo's cheap from summit so might as well go that route. ~$65. i prefer the vibrant resonator, you can get them on Ebay. they are welded only. you can likely keep driving as it is, but MPG will suffer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91LuminaEuro Posted August 2, 2008 Report Share Posted August 2, 2008 In my experience at my garage we've dealt with two people who had bad cats and decided to keep driving and the cat got to the point where it clogged and wouldn't allow the cars to run at all. I have also seen a cat that was bad get red hot and light undercoating/insulation on fire. Just be careful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w-bodys_are_the_best Posted August 2, 2008 Report Share Posted August 2, 2008 I've been told by a friend that in an old 4 door cutlass he had, the cat plugged and ended up bunring the valves up, I'm not sure if that can actually happen (didn't know him at the time) but that's what I was told by him. My 94 Cutlass's cat was glowing red hot while on the way to ozzfest in 04, and a trucker helped me knock the shit out of it with a hammer and big metal rod, it turned out my coil pack died (it was missing too) and it turned red from all the raw fuel dumping into it. The trucker said one of his cars had the cat plug, turn red hot and the carpet actually started smoldering Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old442man Posted August 2, 2008 Report Share Posted August 2, 2008 You could try getting pre-made unions and pipe from a parts store and some clamps. Then you could cut it in your driveway and put it together with clamps as long as you get pipe that is belled so you can fit one inside the other. Or you could measure it out and have a muffler shop make the pieces and clamp it together, having a shop make the pieces will probably be your cheapest option. I hear where you're coming from though, my brother does some exhaust work and he'll do a Chevy truck for like $300 and a place 20 miles away charged a guy he knew $850. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ns87 Posted August 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2008 Just wanted to bump. Conclusion? Rotten egg smell, can't rev over 2500, and a chug chug sound means the catalytic converter is bad! The shop is replacing it under warranty but they "aren't sure if its the problem" What a bunch of dopes! What a good car I have though. I drove another 300 miles like that, and it ran rough, but it made it home. My car always makes it home. I should have it back tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted August 11, 2008 Report Share Posted August 11, 2008 i forgot to say before, you should really replace your 02 sensor at the same time to ensure the life of your new cat! that is, if it hasnt been replaced recently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ns87 Posted August 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2008 Just a month ago! Genuine GM, no bosche. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old442man Posted August 11, 2008 Report Share Posted August 11, 2008 Just wanted to bump. Conclusion? Rotten egg smell, can't rev over 2500, and a chug chug sound means the catalytic converter is bad! The shop is replacing it under warranty but they "aren't sure if its the problem" What a bunch of dopes! What a good car I have though. I drove another 300 miles like that, and it ran rough, but it made it home. My car always makes it home. I should have it back tomorrow. I have never had to walk or have my car towed even though it is on a very modest maintenance plan. When the ball joint popped out it was only a block away from our shop, and when the anti-theft wouldn't let me start it it was at my house. The Oldsmobiles may not start once in awhile but it's always at home it seems like! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockfangd Posted August 11, 2008 Report Share Posted August 11, 2008 i 100% agree. while my car wont start at home it never breaks anywhere but home. I love my oldsmosqueel lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1990lumina Posted August 11, 2008 Report Share Posted August 11, 2008 They are way better than Pontiwrecks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuminaPower92 Posted August 11, 2008 Report Share Posted August 11, 2008 FWIW I get mine from Jegs, $95 bucks for a magnaflow high flow cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ns87 Posted August 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2008 This is the strangest problem I've ever had with the car. Imagine the car is on a lift and you're looking straight up at the subframe: My downpipe is creased practically in half right where it meets the swaybar. Is it supposed to be like that? I know it bends a little bit, but this is a crease that lines up with the swaybar. I'm guessing its supposed to be like that and I'm an idiot. Or I've rotated the engine too far forward and I'm also an idiot. Any input? My problem started when I was driving down the road, not after a tuneup or anything. In the meanwhile, the warrenty shop isn't replacing the caatalytic converter until its checked out by another shop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted August 13, 2008 Report Share Posted August 13, 2008 yeah, that t'aint normal to have a giant crease like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuminaPower92 Posted August 15, 2008 Report Share Posted August 15, 2008 Put some flows on that car and you'll be set! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per0781 Posted August 15, 2008 Report Share Posted August 15, 2008 delete the cat all together Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ns87 Posted August 15, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2008 I'm gonna go pick up the car in a bit. They said they made a patch pipe where the kink was. The catalytic converter is "good" I still haven't figured out if this is from bad dog bone mounts or from overtilting the engine last month as I was fiddling with the knock sensor. Lower mount is new. It doesn't make much sense since this problem started while I was driving, not while I was tilting the engine. Like every other time I bring my car to a shop (not often), I'm sure it won't be fixed right the first time and I'll be back I'm guessing I might have bad plugs or wires too. We'll see when I pick it up delete the cat all together lol I thought about it. I'm an environmentalist at heart. Gotta save those trees and whales Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per0781 Posted August 15, 2008 Report Share Posted August 15, 2008 and i work at a company who makes hydrogen fuel cells. have yet to tell anyone i'm running no cats on the camaro. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ns87 Posted August 15, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2008 and i work at a company who makes hydrogen fuel cells. have yet to tell anyone i'm running no cats on the camaro. lol! Never got to pick it up b/c they called and said it is indeed my catalytic conveter. That's the problem with stuff under warranty, the shops take forever and check everything else out first before the problem. I'm by no means a mechanic, but I've realized that NOBODY knows how to work on my car. Thank god I only bring it in for alignments and exhaust stuff. What a pain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ns87 Posted August 15, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2008 **new problem** Catalytic converter is replaced. The new one glows bright red within 20 seconds of the car being on. They said the car is dumping fuel. I suggested maybe plugs and wires. They seem to think an injector is stuck open. Or perhaps the coolant temperature sensor is bad, making the computer send wrong amounts of fuel. That would make some sense, since my car never goes into lock up on the highway. I've read that a bad CTS can cause the ecm to never send that signal. Maybe the ECM? But that was replaced 4 years ago. The fuel injectors were replaced 4 years ago with BRAND NEW ones. Plugs wires have 15k miles on them. Coil packs/ICM are 2 years old. Any other ideas? This is moving out of "covered by warranty", and is costing me money from here on out. Idk what to do. What a waste... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutty Posted August 15, 2008 Report Share Posted August 15, 2008 Possible bad fuel pressure regulator, or i was going to say injector also. When a cat gets that hot that quick, the cat is getting filled with fuel real quick. Try a fuel pressure check to see if its leaking down any. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olds W31 Posted August 15, 2008 Report Share Posted August 15, 2008 They said the car is dumping fuel. They should scan and see that on the 02 sensor...it will show rich. I suggested maybe plugs and wires. Doubt it, it would run rough. They seem to think an injector is stuck open. Possible Or perhaps the coolant temperature sensor is bad, making the computer send wrong amounts of fuel. Doubtful. Rich mode is not THAT rich. That would make some sense, since my car never goes into lock up on the highway. I've read that a bad CTS can cause the ecm to never send that signal. Maybe the ECM? again, doubtful fuel pressure regulator, injector, BAD miss, vac leak...those are what you are looking for Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted August 16, 2008 Report Share Posted August 16, 2008 I would say the CTS is still a possibility!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ismellrealbad Posted August 16, 2008 Report Share Posted August 16, 2008 i agree. are you getting any black smoke at all? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ns87 Posted August 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2008 Ok I slowly drove the car home. It is definately an injector. There is a constant tick from only one injector and the car is dumping fuel. My brand new cat is glowing bright red. I'm gonna let it cool off, then I'm going to see which plug is convered in fuel. This problem seems much easier to correct now that my exhaust isn't clogged! Cost out of pocket so far: $100 Once I get a bearing on which injector is leaking, I will start looking at everyone else's suggestions. Thank ya'll Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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