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Replacing Catalytic Converter as Preventative Safety Measure

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by MDMU, Jan 29, 2019.

  1. MDMU

    MDMU New Member

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    Gen 2 Prius Cat's are being stolen prolifically in many places, most recently London. See the thread linked at the bottom for more details if you're not up to speed.

    I wanted the members' opinions on the following thought: seeing how brazen these criminals are, other than keeping the car constantly in a locked garage literally 24/7 or never getting out of your car, there doesn't seem much one can do about it. Therefore, would it be a wise or reasonable move to replace the cat voluntarily for an aftermarket one that has much less precious metals and hence minimal scrap value, accompanied with some sort of paint/marking to say it has no scrap value? People have reported no loss in mpg and performance. The sellers claim it will still pass UK Mot (although I haven't been able to verify).
    Potential positives: here in UK an aftermarket cat is now going for about £100 (excluding fitting and gasket). If you could sell your original cat yourself and get a decent amount, it might cover the cost. On top of that, it would potentially give you peace of mind. On the other hand, if it gets stolen, it will probably be off the road for at least a few days and the repair cost will be higher as they would have cut off the sensor as well. For some, it could even write off their car, not to mention the inconvenience, stress and anxiety.

    Any thoughts on the above?

    Important questions would be:
    1) How much can the stock cat be sold for and how?
    2) How much does the average independent garage charge for installation?
    3) Is the aftermarket cat likely to last the life of the car (which will already be at least 10 years old)?
    4) Where you are, will an aftermarket cat cause you issues with passing statutory tests?

    Many other questions come to mind but they're probably subjective or pot luck like, is it worth the hassle, will it still get stolen again, etc?

    Thoughts appreciated

    There are alternatives like installing protection on one's existing stock cat but that could costs between £150 and £400 and is of equal or greater. Details and pictures on thread below.


    Relevant thread:
    https://priuschat.com/threads/stolen-catalytic-converter-in-london-uk.198896/unread


    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #1 MDMU, Jan 29, 2019
  2. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    How about having a protective device installed. Your making a big assumption that once the thieves are under your car they will not steal the one that’s there. Even 5 bucks is better than no bucks.
     
    #2 Skibob, Jan 29, 2019
  3. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    In the one scenario, you are bearing an upfront cost.

    In the other scenario there is some small probability that someone will target a 10 year old Prius instead of the many other choices out there.

    Personally I would not be concerned as I have comprehensive insurance coverage.
     
    #3 Patrick Wong, Jan 29, 2019
  4. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    #4 Mendel Leisk, Jan 29, 2019
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    maybe get a vigilante group together, take turns watching cars
     
    #5 bisco, Jan 29, 2019
    Peter R Johnson, Skibob and SFO like this.
  6. mathewjg

    mathewjg Member

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    I wonder if it would be possible to fit a 3rd Generation Prius cat? I assume they are cheaper than 2nd Gen and for some unknown reason they are not attractive for stealing

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #6 mathewjg, Feb 2, 2019
  7. Prius RT

    Prius RT Junior Member

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    Oil consumption. Have to put 1 quart between oil changes. 250k miles on my Prius.
    Persistent p0420. Very recently tangible loss in performance, jerky acceleration if I press gas pedal quickly (misfiring?)

    I am replacing my CAT with walker CAT. Is it a good idea to replace downstream O2 sensor as well ?
    What about upstream O2 sensor?
    Appreciate any inputs
     
    #7 Prius RT, Jul 27, 2023
  8. Prius RT

    Prius RT Junior Member

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    Had bad MAF sensor. Cleaned it and put it back on. Everything is looking good.
    Since I had CE light originally for p0420 I had not bothered to check the code. So I got my CAT replaced with Walker CAT (which anyway I had to) and the guy said it has code for bad MAF sensor which is why CE light is still on

    The above symptoms like sluggish acceleration, bad fuel economy, etc all pointed to bad MAF sensor. Cleaned it and no more sluggish acceleration, etc. Also put new air filter

    Going to monitor my fuel economy. Hoping the cleaning was enough and I dont have to replace it
     
    #8 Prius RT, Aug 1, 2023
  9. Prius RT

    Prius RT Junior Member

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    Wow after cleaning MAF sensor, new air filter, new walker CAT I am getting close to 49 mpg in the 20 miles I drove today. It was down to 40mpg with dirty MAF sensor , dirty air filter and a cat converter frequently giving p0420.
     
    #9 Prius RT, Aug 2, 2023
  10. Prius RT

    Prius RT Junior Member

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    Drove 25 miles. CE light back on
    P0171
    P0113
    P0103
    All point to MAF sensor. I guess cleaning MAF reset the code but only for 25 miles. Now codes are back although first time around did not get p0171 (lean mix).

    Driving is fine. No sluggish, jerky acceleration etc which I was having when MAF sensor was dirty.

    Is replacing MAF sensor the next thing to try here ?
     
    #10 Prius RT, Aug 2, 2023
  11. Prius RT

    Prius RT Junior Member

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    Just had not reset codes by unplugging the battery after cleaning the MAF sensor. So CE light on. And after cleaning MAF because I had not done an explicit reset, it took a while for ECU to learn. The 1st 20 miles it seems to have run lean mix(was giving 50 mpg!) giving p0171.the other 2 codes p0103, 0113 were history codes not current(O'Reilly scanner can't distinguish between history and current code I guess) . But after that 20 miles it is giving expected 43mpg. Driving is fine. No sluggish, jerky acceleration like when MAF sensor was dirty

    However today I just reset by unplugging the battery. No more CE light. I don't expect it to throw any codes..p0171 or p0103 or p113.

    My MAF sensor was very dirty. So cleaning with MAF cleaner was all that was needed I believe. Will wait and see.
     
    #11 Prius RT, Aug 3, 2023
    bisco likes this.
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