Any guesses welcomed

So, long story...this is the auction car in Atl I found out too late had a stolen cat. I brought a spare 12v battery and used it to drive the car about a half mile to a local garage to store it until I could get the parts to let me drive it home. I flew back to ATL this week with those parts.

The garage installed them for me. Nice people. I noticed he used a jump box to start it up, and assumed the old battery I had brought was dead now. Got the cat in using a short piece of flex pipe as a temporary fix to let me drive it home. Didn't install the oxygen sensor or vacuum hack figuring I could live with the CEL light for the drive. Plugged the sensor port on the cat.

Took off and drove a couple of hundred miles and all seemed fine. HV battery level stayed maxxed, I was getting well over 50mpg on the highway. Stayed the night, and drove another hundred or so the next morning when I stopped for gas. Before I could get back on the interstate, I got the Orange triangle, with the car/exclamation lit up.

I pulled off the next exit. Googled a bit to see what that icon indicates. Figured it was the 12v, popped the trunk, and there's the tech's jump box still attached to the car's original dead battery. I figure it's been running off the jump box all this time, and that's now depleted. Hook the jumper cables I brought to my spare battery, it starts up, the triangle is off, and I take off again. Another 100 miles or so, all's well, and I figure I fixed the problem.

Next stop, same start up and before I can get on the freeway, orange triangle. So, I unplug the battery to clear the codes, and try to see if I can make it the 15m to the next town, but only make it about 3 before the car just won't go anymore.

I figure I've depleted what was left of my spare battery. Good Samaritans give me a ride to Walmart, I get another battery (just one of the small lawn mower batteries I use). Hook it up with my cables, start the car, and see the the HV battery is down to it's last bar, but after a few miles it tops back up.

Again, I think I've solved the problem, but no. That process repeats all way home. If I stop or idle in traffic very long, I get the triangle. If I clear the codes and jump on the highway, it'll cruise all day this fine.

New info: after remembering that I could regain the screen using the INFO button, I've noticed that sometimes when the triangle triggers, it won't even all the gas engine to operate, and other times it will. That's what happened when the car wouldn't move, and I didn't realize it because I was trying to slow anyway.

I also saw the HV battery level stay at the midpoint for about 50m before topping up again. And I saw it be topped up driving along, but when I pull off the highway for a stop, when I start it back up, the HV level is midway. It seemingly lost charge while sitting there turned off for a few minutes.

But, I keep going, stopping as little as possible. Again, with codes cleared, it drove fine until I would stop - except for the CEL for the ox sensor, etc.

Finally make it to my son's house in Austin. Woke up the next morning to show him all of those symptoms, etc., and now, it kicks the orange triangle immediately. Starts up, starts the gas engine, even though it doesn't show on the LCD, my son says the fan belt is turning, but then it throws the triangle, and only uses the electric to move the vehicle. Basically, what it had done intermittently driving there does not now clear when i dump the codes.

More info, at one point I started hearing what I believe is injector clatter, pretty bad when starting from a stop. Bad acceleration. It may have always done that - all the noise from no cat at first, and the flex pipe on there now isn't very quiet either. Plus, I have bad hearing.

So, my guess is that I have some bad injectors, maybe I had one at first and now a second one is toast, which is enough, when combined with the other cat-hack related codes, for the computer to shut it down. The plan is to complete the cat-hack fixes to get rid of those codes, and maybe the CEL light. Of course, also need to read the codes, but I'm back in Houston now, trying to figure out how to get to Denver to pick up the other one I bought. Plan to come back through Austin, leave that one for my son, and bring ATL back here. So, my son is going to complete the cat and then see if a buddy will come read the codes.

But, if anyone else has any possible problems from those symptoms, I'd love to hear them. Maybe, having the ox sensor plugged and the vacuum hose unstopped (I didn't even plug it) can cause all of these problems over that distance (1000m). I'm sure I'll figure it out was I get back to Austin with some tools.

 

Yeah, guys, I know I need codes. That's why I asked for "guesses." Couldn't get those before I left and won't be back for a couple of weeks.

The triangle is orange and the car symbol is red.

 

Thx. Auction cars often don't display codes because their batteries have gone dead, as was the case with this car. Also, many are towed in directly from an accident such that any codes caused by the accident never have a chance to set.

in fact, the garage that stored it for me did check codes when I drove it there and nothing - even with no exhaust.

And the triangle didn't come on until hundreds of miles later, when I was on the road.

I did forget to bring my code reader, but too late for hindsight. Just looking for guesses that might be something my son can check until I make it back to Austin in a couple of weeks.

 

Yeah, long story, just wanted to related everything as it happened. Synopsis:

1. probably 12v battery issues at first; hopefully not now, but that could explain.
2. The CEL surely includes the ox sensor and vacuum hose codes. My question: did leaving the vacuum line going to the cat unplugged possibly (i.e. guesses are fine) cause some of the other issues?
3. The orange triangle didn't come on until a day and hundreds of miles later, so I don't think it's associated with the replacement cat, unless those unconnected lines can have a delayed effect (above).
4. Does it seem like a good guess that I'm having injectors fail? Especially the final symptom, the way it starts, shows Ready, then stalls the gas engine and throws the triangle? Is that something that would happen if, say, a second injector failed? Maybe it was overcoming one weak injector after I limped up to highway speed and cruised for hours, but when the second when out, combined with the CELs, it quit?

Finally, it's OK if no one wants to play the guessing game. As soon as I get back to Austin, I'll figure it out. Maybe my son will before then. I doubt this is a major issue. This forum just needs a little life so I thought I'd throw some conversation out. After I figure it out, I'll post what it was.

I think the Denver car is just fine. I drove it several miles to the storage yard there. That thief just unbolted the entire exhaust back to the rear axle. I assume he cut the ox sensor and vacuum line, but I haven't crawled up there. I'm just going to take the entire exhaust off one of my other cars - it's just four bolts and some rubber hangers - and carry it up there. I'll let you know how that turns out too.

 

SMH. Geezus, guy, you show up here three weeks ago, and you're already the resident self-righteous jerk? There's guys who've been jerks here for years who kinda serve that purpose already.

SYK, I've owned these cars continuously since 2002, 11 of them so far. I got Techstream. I got the cable. I've had those for years. Do you not get it - the car is 250m away? I'll fix it when I get there, just like I've fixed all the others. I don't need anyone's help here.

If you don't want to offer an opinion, fine. If nobody wants to guess, fine. I could care less. If you just want to troll, I still could care less. I'd only suggest that you be more....something. Creative, witty, insightful, disgusting, insulting, something, anything, other than this mouth-breathing, mono-thought persona you're showing off.

 

Hmm, haven't heard that before, and I've only ever seen orange triangles. I didn't check the oil, except that I looked for leaks underneath while we had it up in the air. I'd think it would seize up completely if I'd driven it all that way without oil, or if it was trying to seize up now - that's what making it stall - I'd think I'd hear scraping noises. I'll tell my son to check it.

 

Hope that's it. The threads here on replacing stolen cats suggest that it'll drive fine with those CELs, but no one probably tested that over a long distance. Maybe those two fixes let it drive again. Thx.

 

I see you went with "disgusting," just as I expected when I added that to my recommendations. Some people are so predictable.

 

Omg, just realized. Sorry for the confusion. I'm not gay, although there's nothing wrong with that. If it helps, there are guys who like this kind of flirting - check out Grindr or Alt. Good luck!