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My Gen 3 Prius has a Gen 2 catalytic converter

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by Aenima, Jul 19, 2022.

  1. Aenima

    Aenima Junior Member

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    Just got a 2011 Prius. I got underneath it for the first time today. The guy I bought the car from told me the cat was stolen within the past year but insurance paid for a new Toyota cat, so that was what I was expecting to see.

    Not only was it not a Toyota cat, it was a Gen 2 Magnaflow cat. Still a very good product and it passed smog just fine so I'm fine with that as long as it won't cause any potential problems down the road. I did not know this was even possible since there are cooling lines running to the Gen 3 cat? Obviously whatever shop put on this Magnaflow cat removed those cooling lines and blocked them out somehow?

    Only posting this to see if I have anything to worry about. New to all of this and this is something I have yet to see, and no luck searching for it.
     
    #1 Aenima, Jul 19, 2022
  2. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    How can you be sure it’s for a gen 2? What cooling lines would go to a hot exhaust?
     
    #2 JC91006, Jul 19, 2022
  3. 2010moneypit?

    2010moneypit? Active Member

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    If they bypassed the heat exchanger it should not pass the Visual part of the smog Inspection.

    In California anyways that is part of the inspection. A lot of technicians don’t look under the car. Also if it has a magna flow converter on it for a gen 2 Then it should fail as modified.

    to answer your uncertainty about if it is a GEN two cat or GEN three cat there should be a CO number on the Cadillac converter. You can look that number up it will tell you what years that converter goes on.

    If a dealer truly did the work then they can be held responsible.
     
    #3 2010moneypit?, Jul 19, 2022
  4. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    I believe an exception was made to use the Magna Flow as an approved replacement when Toyota didn't have any inventory
     
    #4 JC91006, Jul 19, 2022
    2010moneypit? likes this.
  5. Aenima

    Aenima Junior Member

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    I appreciate your replies. I am in Arizona so any aftermarket cat is fine here. I was just worried about the missing cooling lines, and I wrongly assumed they should be there. Looking at the Magnaflow website, the cats they sell as replacements for Gen 3 do not use anything but air cooling. And they look nearly identical to their Gen 2 cats because of this. I am sure whatever shop did the job knew how to remove those lines and plug them or whatever they do.

    Thanks again for the replies. :)
     
    #5 Aenima, Jul 20, 2022
  6. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

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    They are not coolant lines that "cool" anything. They are part of the exhaust pre-heater that provides faster warm up of the engine. Deleteig them means slower warm ups and decreased gas mileage, that's all. That should not be that great of an issue unless you are in a northern clime.
     
    #6 Georgina Rudkus, Jul 20, 2022
    Mendel Leisk, 2010moneypit? and JC91006 like this.
  7. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Basically the car will take longer to warm up without the stock exhaust (with it's exhaust heat-recovery system). During warm-up with the stock exhaust the car's (cold) coolant is run through a (warmer) radiator of some sort in the exhaust system, to accelerate coolant warm-up. Once the coolant temp risen, this diversion of coolant flow through the exhaust is stopped.
     
    #7 Mendel Leisk, Jul 21, 2022
    Georgina Rudkus likes this.
  8. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

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    You might see lower MPG on the shortest of trips due to lengthened warm-up, and the heat/defrost won't be as forthcoming in winter- but in Arizona I don't think this is going to hit you that hard. Sounds like a fair swap.
     
    #8 Leadfoot J. McCoalroller, Jul 21, 2022
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