[gaijin666]

96 Camry V6 166,000 miles
----------------------------

U guys have helped me soooo much..! I'm actually pretty inexperienced but I simply followed the "sticky" photo series guides with my little tool set and was able to get around repairs that would have cost me $500 or more. :x

Uh..most recently my Chinese Fleabay OBD2 tells me, "Cat not ready" and yeah, I have driven it around more than 70 miles after my latest repair, so I think that's enough mileage to reset.

For 3 weeks upon startup I have been getting 5 seconds of grey smoke. That's prolly what killed my cat..? :crying:

U guys said "valve seals", so I have those ordered. I'll be getting a little spring compressor so I can do that repair, too.

What is a source for CHEAP California compliant catalytic converters..? I have no welding experience and I heard it's a big deal, so I'll have to be ordering the whole pipe, I guess, unless there is something I don't know, which is likely.. Ebay features some cats that are just $200 from New York, but allegedly those wot work for our crazy emissions test here (where throwing a frisbee on LA county beaches gets a ticket for $1,000, in fact...not like BayWatch).

What do you think..?

I FREAKING KNOW I don't want to rely on a shop for this stuff, as they'll charge me a trillion bucks...

 

[gaijin666]

Forgot:

The Pick-n-Pulls here feature NO PRICES for Catalytic converters AT ALL.

I asked a mechanic here about that "Hmm...I hear it's ILLEGAL to buy a used Cat in Calif...??"

"Naw...it's legal. But those cats have expensive metals in them so the junkyards have a Biz policy of simply not selling them...."

 

[wonger]

You got to drive at 45-50mph for like 7 minutes with AC off to get the catalytic monitor. I had to do this recently has i replaced my battery before I had to smog it and my monitors was cleared.

I don't know if the non California cats will pass the monitors but if you know someone outside of California. They can order you one and ship it to you.

Might wanna check CL for anyone parting out a Camry with what you need. Could snag One this way.

Junk yards won't sell used cats.


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[gaijin666]

Saw THIS on a site selling cheap cats:

"A faulty Oxygen Sensor is a primary reason for Failure of a Catalytic Converter. Car Manufacturers Recommend Replacement of O2 Sensors at 60,000 miles. If you are purchasing a New Catalytic Converter be sure the Oxygen Sensors are Checked and Operating Correctly!"

Is that true, folks..?

Maybe first I should simply replace the O2 sensor on the bottom of the car..?

 

[tedmich]

Q why is this product (clearly labeled FUEL) for sale in every CA Home Improvement/ Hardware store in their paint section?

A because everyone who has high HC for CA emissions adds it to their gas to pass.

Your O2 sensors need to function (new $20 cheapies worked for me) and you should have CAT system online (by the specific drive cycle needed for your car) and about 50% MeOH will allow you to pass if you have no codes / CEL.

 

[gaijin666]

MeOH is Denatured Alcohol..?

So...I make sure that..

1. I have no codes
2. My tank is 50% denatured alcohol
3. My O2 sensors all work

And then I'm likely to pass..?

I sure can't spend $1,000 to pay a shop to change the cat....

 

[bgmbgmbgm]

Walker 81977 from Rock Auto (don't forget to use a promo code). There is also a $50 rebate on it, too.

one more thing: DO NOT buy Magnaflow or Bosal cats! Their front pipe is smaller diameter and will not fit. It's in one of the stickies. Walker fits perfect.

 

[David Nichols]

Forgot:

The Pick-n-Pulls here feature NO PRICES for Catalytic converters AT ALL.

I asked a mechanic here about that "Hmm...I hear it's ILLEGAL to buy a used Cat in Calif...??"

"Naw...it's legal. But those cats have expensive metals in them so the junkyards have a Biz policy of simply not selling them...."

I'm sorry the used ones are illegal. If they could sale them as useable that's more valuable than the scrap. They're just doing what they have to due to the law.

Saw THIS on a site selling cheap cats:

"A faulty Oxygen Sensor is a primary reason for Failure of a Catalytic Converter. Car Manufacturers Recommend Replacement of O2 Sensors at 60,000 miles. If you are purchasing a New Catalytic Converter be sure the Oxygen Sensors are Checked and Operating Correctly!"

Is that true, folks..?

Maybe first I should simply replace the O2 sensor on the bottom of the car..?

Sometimes your "bad cat" is a bad oxygen sensor. An exhaust leak. Really how I can tell is by the data.

Here's a video about watching for upstream O2 sensor problems that's make for situations sometimes where their lies cause the PCM to think a cat is bad.

 

[David Nichols]

Upstream O2 sensor diagnostics

Here's an article that explains a lot about how O2 sensors work. There's a further link labeled catalytic converters, which once you understand the first article, you can move on to the second article about how to beat the P0420 and P0430 (Catalytic converter inefficiency bank 1 and 2).

http://carmpg.blogspot.com/2015/08/o2-sensor-upstream-diagnostics.html

 

[Hiro Protagonist]

MeOH is Denatured Alcohol..?

Denatured alcohol is 90% ethanol with 10% methanol to burn your eyes out and make you puke, as well as to avoid alcohol tax. Over here it's called methylated spirits or just "metho"

 

[BonesandFeathers]

161 St and Pioneer El Mofle.....in Norwalk.....make a rh turn onto a narrow street, tire and muffler place is on your right bout 100 feet in......8/-6 M-Sat
cat for my Volvo cost me $170

 

[BonesandFeathers]

i replace the O2 sensor(s) every smog season...ad the Bosch sensors are generally available on line for a decent price

 

[wonger]

I would get a denso O2 if you are going that route. Use denso website for part number and order one off amazon. I doubt it's the O2 as his O2 monitor passed. It wouldn't hurt to replace it as I have fixed catalytic codes by changing the O2 sensor but this fixed the code. Not the monitor readyness.


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[wonger]

Denso 234-4623


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[BonesandFeathers]

Q why is this product (clearly labeled FUEL) for sale in every CA Home Improvement/ Hardware store in their paint section?

A because everyone who has high HC for CA emissions adds it to their gas to pass.

Your O2 sensors need to function (new $20 cheapies worked for me) and you should have CAT system online (by the specific drive cycle needed for your car) and about 50% MeOH will allow you to pass if you have no codes / CEL.

This was used for alcohol lamps, in science and for various art projects

 

[tedmich]

MeOH is Denatured Alcohol..?

So...I make sure that..

1. I have no codes
2. My tank is 50% denatured alcohol
3. My O2 sensors all work

And then I'm likely to pass..?

I sure can't spend $1,000 to pay a shop to change the cat....

YES, and your cat system is online, only one (or two) system can be offline to test* in CA.

*for instance my EVAP system was not online because I never had over 1/2 full tank for the test (I'm not gonna buy 5 gallons of MeOH!) to complete the ridiculous "drive cycle" reset on my 99 1MZ but they passed me anyway.:woot:

 

[Hiro Protagonist]

This was used for alcohol lamps, in science and for various art projects

Camping stoves is probably one of the biggest uses for it (hence why it's branded as a fuel), it's in the paint section because it's also used as a solvent and cleaner prior to painting (essentially the same job as alcohol wipes)

 

[wonger]

YES, and your cat system is online, only one (or two) system can be offline to test* in CA.



*for instance my EVAP system was not online because I never had over 1/2 full tank for the test (I'm not gonna buy 5 gallons of MeOH!) to complete the ridiculous "drive cycle" reset on my 99 1MZ but they passed me anyway.:woot:

They recently changed it. Only evap can be not ready but everything else has to in order to pass


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[StirlingGen]

Where is that sticky? I'm about to buy a new cat and walker was my 3rd choice after magnaflow and bosal.

 

[gaijin666]

Yeah, bro, if that were a stick it'd be GREAT..! ^_^