Do you know your stuff? I had a bad....?

Question

a bad catalytic converter, or at least my mechanic said so when my '93 Wrangler (my baby) would not pass inspection. At the same time I was having problems loosing power in 4th and 5th gear, it felt like either there was a problem with the flow, or gas was not flowing. (like a sputter right in the middle of driving 50 mph)....so he replaced the Catalytic Converter and the problem went away, so I assumed that was what it the issue.

BUT the loss of power/sputter is back after 2 weeks. (I have to quickly change from 4th to 5th to 4th to 5th because after 3 seconds it looses all power...it happens 20% of the times I drive in top gear)

Did the Bad Catalytic Converter go bad?

Thanks in advance for your help...and let me clarify, the million dollar is did the BRAND NEW Catalytic Converter go bad? Does that happen?

Answer 1

a brand new converter CAN go bad but it seems unlikely. it sounds like a fuel delivery problem. it would help to know if this happens when the tank is nearly empty...mostly full....or all the time.....or just once in awhile. take a chance and flush your fuel system paying attention to fuel injectors where they are likely to clog

Answer 2

If your converter was original, and just dies of old age (plugging up slowly), then no. Something else may be wrong. But if it plugged up rapidly, the cause for this must be found.

Running rich can do this if excessive. Silicone contamination can ruin oxygen sensor allowing them to make incorrect decision, such as dumping too much fuel.

Even so, two weeks is awfully short. You can pull out the oxygen sensor that is ahead of the catalytic ocnverter. It is usually threaded the same as a spark plug. A pressure test equipment will fit in that hole, but you need a gage capable of low readings. When running you shouldn't see the pressure go above 1.5 PSI at 2K RPM. If so, something is likely restricting the flow, such as a clogged cat.

Answer 3

yes they can go bad you might have gotten a bummer one but i think yu have either a plug problem crapping out like that id look at that and id also look at your carb could have gotten loaded up from th cat. Pull a couple plugs if they are clean how long has it been since you have changed your plug wires??? they dont last for ever. Also chek the voltage you are producing from the altenator should be 13.5 then your distributer cap and points if you got em if all is good take a look at your carb if you have fuel. injection then have your mechanic check it too.. Your mecahnic can put it on the diagonistoc and tell how it is breathing and he can see what the plugs are doung also.
Also you may have oxygen sensor problem also is your check engine light coming on you never said id go first to the oxy sensors make sure they are good then look at your fuel filter that get really neglected if you haven changed it in a while change it. good liuck

Answer 4

i own a a repair shop,and new converters don't go bad that often ,this sounds more like a fuel issue with it,than anything else it can be as simple as a bad gas filter ,to a bad fuel pump,or a relay for the pump,i wouldn't think you have a bad converter at this point you might want to have the fuel pressure checked on it,to see if this is it,it takes a lot of pressure to run this vehicle and run it right so id check that first ,and also have it scanned to see if its leaving any trouble codes on the computer when it does this,that might help a lot,it may turn out to be something real simple on it good luck with it i hope this helps.

Answer 5

I'm sure anything can happen but I have never heard of a new cat converter going bad. If it did then they should replace it for free. If the tec said yours was shot & it wasn't the place should make good on making things right. Any way that's how things are run in Colorado.
I would listen to dodge man sounds like he knows what he's talking about.

Answer 6

your cat is fine...you replaced it so you said right?
chances are if you are having the same problem afew weeks later, it was not the cat.
you have a o2 sensor and what it does is cotrols the air/fuel mixture.
when the o2 sensor goes bad it confuses the control box [ecu] and tries to adjust the air/fuel mixture and cannot!
so the car will run fine then like crap then fine....so on and so on.
take the vehicle to an auto parts store [shucks...auto zone...] and ask them if they can put it on a diagnostics for you and it should reveal the codes to determine what is and what is not working!
good luck

Answer 7

I doubt it. The first one probably did get clogged up. The inside of Cat. Con. looks like honeycombs. They get clogged with unburnt fuel, carbon. Which brings up what may be causing the problem you are still having. Have you checked the Oxygen sensors, fuel filter, air filter. There is rally nothing inside of a cat. to go bad. Its just ceramic honeycombs.

Answer 8

some of the times you can get a bad catalytic converter. they made it wrong or people are to rough with it and brakes the in side of the catalytic converter.

Answer 9

maybe a piece of the old converter got stuck in the pipe and blocking the flow.

Answer 10

first of all, cataltic conveters are murdered. they do not go bad. if you have a cat converter go bad, its because something upstream (the engine), has a problem and dumped raw fuel into the converter. the converter's job is to treat exhaust GASES... not to burn unburnt fuel.if you demand it to burn unburnt fuel,(by not fixing the engine's problem) it either will get contaminated internally, or get sooooo hot that it will literally glow red hot, and melt internally. either way, it is bad, and cannot be saved. i suggest fixing your engines problem, or you will continue to put converters on this car. i would think that would get expensive after awhile.