1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Installed Torque and I think I need a new Catalytic Converter.

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by 2Fats, Jul 2, 2020.

  1. 2Fats

    2Fats Member

    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2019
    99
    59
    5
    Location:
    Missouri
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    I was worried about my battery, as the car is getting older and mileage is dropping a little bit.

    I'm not familiar with the app yet and was just throwing PID's on it to see what did what. I don't know what temperature the CAT is supposed to run at, but I don't think this is right at all. I did several runs, and it stays around this level.

    I went online, and the price of an aftermarket CAT and O2 sensor (may as well change it out at the same time.) aren't bad.
    I'll call a mechanic I've been using in Michigan and see if he can things for a little bit less perhaps, and after I drive the 800 miles up there, I'll get it replaced. 106494895_554926998723580_3714897723982318957_n.png

    Right now, I'm in the middle of redoing the headlights. I'll have a thread on the differences between the two types in a few days. :)
     
  2. ydpplqbd

    ydpplqbd Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2019
    542
    250
    0
    Location:
    NJ
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Why do you think that you need a new catalytic converter (AKA catalyst, or cat). Your catalyst temperature at 1180F looks like its a bit high. Is it always that high?

    Have you received any DTC codes?

    If so, what are they?
     
  3. 2Fats

    2Fats Member

    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2019
    99
    59
    5
    Location:
    Missouri
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    No codes, but the temperature is high consistently on the inlet, and lower on the outlet. Opposite from what I understand it should be.

    I don't know what the temperature is supposed to be on the measurement, or how it's measured really. I am steadily reading temperatures above 1200 degrees if I'm not at highway speed. I'm assuming the moving air is cooling things a little.
     
  4. ydpplqbd

    ydpplqbd Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2019
    542
    250
    0
    Location:
    NJ
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    I will compare cat temps on my Torque app and let you know what I am experiencing. That way you will have a better baseline.
     
    GTW and 2Fats like this.
  5. 2Fats

    2Fats Member

    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2019
    99
    59
    5
    Location:
    Missouri
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Thank you very much.
     
  6. 2Fats

    2Fats Member

    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2019
    99
    59
    5
    Location:
    Missouri
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Light update. I noticed that the temperature is actually higher at "highway speeds" (70 and above.) It goes up and stays around 1400 degrees on the inlet when cruising. With about a 300* "ish" difference at the outlet on average. So I was wrong the other day for some reason.



    50 MPH and below it's at 1200 degrees or so inlet. 106541893_1168383403560295_2995630723617412275_n.png
     
    ydpplqbd likes this.
  7. Elektroingenieur

    Elektroingenieur Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 8, 2017
    2,515
    3,253
    9
    Location:
    California
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Three Touring
    See my previous posting, which also applies to second-generation Prius cars.

    I wouldn’t replace any parts unless there are drivability problems, smoke or odors, or a current diagnostic trouble code (DTC). The engine control module is designed, as required by emissions regulations, to continually monitor the sensors, and to store a DTC and turn on the Check Engine light if it detects a malfunction.
     
    2Fats likes this.
  8. 2Fats

    2Fats Member

    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2019
    99
    59
    5
    Location:
    Missouri
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Awesome, should I be worried about the high temperature?
     
  9. ydpplqbd

    ydpplqbd Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2019
    542
    250
    0
    Location:
    NJ
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Fully warmed up (185F coolant temp), I found that the temp for catalyst temp1 was in the 950F to 1000F range on a 77F relatively cool July morning.
     

    Attached Files:

    #9 ydpplqbd, Jul 4, 2020
    Last edited: Jul 4, 2020
    2Fats likes this.
  10. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2016
    6,058
    5,783
    0
    Location:
    Columbia, SC
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    I wouldn't be replacing any parts, on any car, based on readings from Torque. No codes, so apparently the car doesn't think it's a problem. Before I threw a ton of money at something, spend a hundred bucks and get techstream and a laptop. At least then you'll know the info is accurate and you'll have a lot better equipment for troubleshooting any other issues down the road.
     
  11. 2Fats

    2Fats Member

    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2019
    99
    59
    5
    Location:
    Missouri
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Ok, where can I find Techstream? All the stuff I'm finding online looks really sketchy. (Must disable your antivirus.)

    And what is the best cable to buy? If it can run on my everyday laptop, that would be ideal. If I have to have a standalone, that's not spending a hundred bucks. Laptops aren't cheap. If I can pick it up for a few hundred bucks, it's not going to last long enough to make it worth buying.
     
  12. 2Fats

    2Fats Member

    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2019
    99
    59
    5
    Location:
    Missouri
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    And it looks like yours is also cooler on the exhaust side as well. Thank you very much for checking that, and for taking pictures. That takes a huge worry away. :)
     
  13. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2016
    6,058
    5,783
    0
    Location:
    Columbia, SC
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Touring

    You can find it everywhere. AV gets disabled because it interferes and kills the sample rate communication with the car. How well would you do if you could speak only one word per minute. If you're worried about it, buy an older laptop and have it dedicated to TS, with wireless disabled.

    Older laptops are available all over craigslist, letgo, ebay, etc. I have one version of TS on my daily use computer and another on a dedicated Win7 32 bit computer.

    You don't want to spend a little money on having TS but you're ok with installing a replacement cat and O2 sensor without even knowing if it needs to be replaced?

    Use google to learn what causes cat system to get excessively hot and what doesn't. Then think about the fact that techstream can look at, monitor and display live data and every single information point in existence on the car, whether the car is running or not.

    or don't.
     
    jerrymildred likes this.
  14. davecook89t

    davecook89t Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 10, 2016
    1,057
    789
    0
    Location:
    Washington State, Florida
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Four Touring
    Then buy a small SSD for about $50 and load Windows XP, if you have your old CD (or buy one for $20 from Ebay if you don't). Then swap that drive into your laptop when you want to run Techstream.
     
    JerryScript likes this.
  15. 2Fats

    2Fats Member

    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2019
    99
    59
    5
    Location:
    Missouri
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    I try not to be rude man. Did I say something to upset you?

    What I priced the CAT and O2 sensor at was just at 200 dollars. But I wasn't just jumping out and grabbing one, I said I didn't understand it, and asked in the first thread if this was normal.


    When I Google "How to tell a catalytic converter is bad" I get this as test #4.
    I know there are things available. I asked if you knew of a reliable source of the program you said I needed. I've had horrible luck buying stuff over the past 6 months or so, and currently have two "disputes" ongoing on Paypal, and have had to get a new Credit card this year.

    For the record on this forum, I was told I needed "Dr. Prius". I purchased it.
    I was told I needed "Torque", along with the plug for the OBDII port. I purchased them.
    Now I'm being told I need to buy a standalone laptop, and a program that I can't find information about. I'm likely going to get it, but I need to source a decent inexpensive laptop first I guess.
     
  16. 2Fats

    2Fats Member

    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2019
    99
    59
    5
    Location:
    Missouri
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    That's not a horrible idea. I wonder if I could run an external HD and boot from it. My laptop doesn't have "easy" access to the HD, I would have to remove the entire bottom.
     
  17. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2016
    6,058
    5,783
    0
    Location:
    Columbia, SC
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Not trying to be a jerk. Trying to help you not throw a bunch of money away on something that may be completely normal or may not be the root cause of your problem, but maybe I'm coming across wrong. So let's start over.

    From the original post: I don't know what temperature the CAT is supposed to run at, but I don't think this is right at all. I did several runs, and it stays around this level.

    So I use Google to search "what is the normal temperature for a catalytic converter?" and it gives me this:

    what is normal temperature for a catalytic converter - Google Search

    So according to this, your temperatures are in the normal range. Now, are they in the 'normal' range for a Gen 2 Prius? Other posters threw some numbers up for comparison. Are they being measured under identical circumstances? idk, so let's just say yours are on the high end.

    So now I use Google to search "what makes a catalytic converter too hot?" and it gives me this:

    what makes a catalytic converter too hot - Google Search

    You have a very high quality Toyota OEM cat system on your car that is very expensive. You think you may have a problem with it but have no DTC for it or for anything that could lead to it. A cat system, on its own, doesn't just decide to go bad one day. Something external to the cat causes a cat to act stupid or fail. If you do have an "unrecognized" problem with the car that is currently causing excess cat temps (with the oem cat), I would imagine a $200 replacement cat wouldn't handle it nearly as well, or maybe it would handle it great, since it's probably has 10% of the catalyst that an OEM contains..

    Now, if you want to buy a direct swap/direct bolt-in $250 cat system and install it ahead of time to ward off thieves, that makes sense to me. Keep the oem one in case you need to put it back in for inspection or sell it on ebay and come out $500 ahead on the deal.

    Also keep in mind, that the first cat is tucked up near the exhaust manifold out of the air stream. The second converter is at the same level under the car as the resonator and is directly in the airflow stream under the car. Neither of the cats has a direct reading temperature sensor located on it. There is merely an air/fuel ratio sensor in the exhaust manifold and an O2 sensor in the pipe about halfway between the 2 cats.

    Techstream will allow you to look at the sensor values and also has a live test you can perform to verify the sensors are reacting as they should. You can also look at and test fuel trims. And mass air flow, and spark/misfires. It has hundreds of tests that can be performed to verify proper system responses.