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Catalytic Converter

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by John Speth, Dec 4, 2013.

  1. John Speth

    John Speth New Member

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    Have a 2006 with 112,000 miles and need to get the catalytic converter replaced. How common is it to have the converter replaced? I had a 120,000 mile maintenance done on it in advance of giving it to a family member. One maintenance item was injector cleaning with a gas additive. The shop said that it was necessary to have to have at least a 1/2 tank of gas. It had a 3/4 tank full. The check engine light came on shortly after (20 miles) that maintenance was done. Could it have been the gas additive that damaged the converter?
     
    #1 John Speth, Dec 4, 2013
  2. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    Why?
    Says who?

    Not very. IIRC you 'technically' have to replace it with a new one, although they sell "re-certified" (used) ones on eBay.
    Under NO circumstances would I let the dealer do this repair!! It sounds like they've "helped" you enough for one day.

    Which maintenance item?
    The 'boat payment' one?
    Wow.
    You mean they really added something???
    I'm not as familiar with the maintenance schedule for the G2, but I'm not aware that the injectors "need" regular cleaning particularly if the car is getting good mileage. This sounds more like a dealer scam, and it's possible that they contributed to the presumptive cat failure.....but I'm not going to rush to judgement just yet since usually the throttle body/fuel injector cleaning scam is either a complete scam (meaning: they add nothing) or a placebo scam (meaning: they add Wal-Mart F/I cleaner.)
    Occasionally you will get a shop that has something close to scruples, and they will put what amounts to a bottle of Techron in your tank and charge you a hundred bucks for labor.
    And...every very now and then.....
    You'll have a shop that actually really tries to really perform a TB/FI cleaning with a machine that looks like it belongs in a proctologist's office. I call that the 'spray and pray" method of injector cleaning.
    You can easily kill a cat with those, although I'd be tempted to check the O2 sensor first.
    Your call.

    Uh-huh. ;)
    First rule of troubleshooting: Always look where you've been.
    If indeed it's damaged...that's possible to likely, but if I were the dealer I'd stipulate that it could have been the 123 bottles of SeaFoam that you put into your tank...especially if you're not the original owner.
    They didn't get those big fancy showrooms by being completely stupid. :eek:

    Let's suppose that you went to a doctor for a head cold, and they said that you needed a endoscopy, and they damaged your left foot.
    Would you let that same doctor fix the foot?

    First.
    Verify the catalytic converter is what is really illuminating the "change owner" light.
    Then.
    If it is the cat, you might have to get it replaced. It's not that hard judging from the number of Toyotas that I see buzzing around town with coffee can "wanna-be" cat-back systems on their cars.
    It's environmentally prudent to keep the emissions systems operational, and if you live in one of the oppressed states that make you go to the VET for your registration, you're going to have to anyway.

    Good Luck!
     
    #2 ETC(SS), Dec 4, 2013
  3. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    Catalytic Converter replacement will depend on state laws, what state are you in?
     
    #3 JimboPalmer, Dec 4, 2013
  4. John Speth

    John Speth New Member

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    The problem was first diagnosed by a local auto repair shop. This was after they did the 120,000 mile service on it which included the fuel induction service where they put fuel additive in the gas tank. The check engine light came on after about 20 miles. I took it back the the local shop and they told me that the light was caused by the catalytic converter not doing its job. They told me that the converter should be replaced, but its failure to work did not effect the car's performance. In Calif. the Prius does not have to be smog checked so that's not a problem. However, they also said that the "check engine" light signals other problems and that if one should surface, the light would not be able to identify it since it was already on to show the converter problem. I went to the Toyota dealer to get a second opinion and they told me that the converter's condition was borderline. This is essentially what my local mechanic told me. They also warned me that not replacing the converter could coverup other problems because of the "check engine" light's inability to identify them, should they occur. Anyway, I've decided to replace the converter at a cost of $1988.63 plus installation (about $300).
     
    #4 John Speth, Dec 4, 2013
  5. Paradox

    Paradox Prius Enthusiast / Moderator
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    Moved to the proper forum from the technical forum.
     
    #5 Paradox, Dec 4, 2013
  6. nh7o

    nh7o Off grid since 1980

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    Please call back and get the list of codes that were read by the Toyota dealer, and post them here. More opinions are needed before you pop that kind of money.
     
    #6 nh7o, Dec 4, 2013
  7. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    That's essentially correct.
    You could solve this whole problem with a 1" square piece of black electrical tape, and while I commend your commitment to keeping your car in top running form environmentally, I wish that I had the $2500 that you're planning to spend on fixing this problem.
    You've not mentioned any specific codes, but we'll stipulate that your cat is borderline, and that's it.

    Why would you spend $1900 for a $500 part and THEN pay four hundred for installation?

    I get the fact that people do not or can not work on their cars, but I'm thinking that 2500 bucks is more than twice the market rate for a cat change in an eight year old car.
    Get it done for a thou and donate fifteen hundred to your favorite green charity. ;)


    Good Luck!
     
    #7 ETC(SS), Dec 4, 2013
  8. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    I sure wish I knew what state you were in



     
    #8 JimboPalmer, Dec 4, 2013
  9. Quasar

    Quasar Junior Member

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    it appears my Gen 2 Prius Catalytic converter might be on the way out. can you please help explain how the tape can help? I'd like to test if bypassing the converter fixes my current ICE problems

     
    #9 Quasar, Jun 19, 2022
  10. tracy ing

    tracy ing Active Member

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    I just replaced my entire 2008 exhaust for 425 from header to tailpipe, 2,500 ?????
     
    #10 tracy ing, Jun 19, 2022
  11. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

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    The tape doesn't FIX anything- someone would use it to cover the check engine light.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #11 mr_guy_mann, Jun 19, 2022
    tracy ing likes this.
  12. Quasar

    Quasar Junior Member

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    :LOL: I completely misunderstood that
     
    #12 Quasar, Jun 20, 2022
  13. Quasar

    Quasar Junior Member

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    Just wondering - the rotten egg smell in my exhaust seems to have gone away as I explained in my other thread.

    How do I know if I need further maintenance on my Catalytic converter (detergent cleaning, etc.?)
     
    #13 Quasar, Jul 11, 2022
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