I found this next to the driver side door of my 08 Prius today, and when I started her up she sounded like a rabid warthog after about 5 seconds. Like she was going to rattle apart. Can anyone give me insight as to what this might be before I get taken to the cleaners by a mechanic?
Did you check if your catalytic converter is still there? Also, make sure there's adequate oil showing on the dipstick. Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
That bolt holds your catalytic converter to the exhaust manifold. Someone may have stolen your catalytic converter. part reference: Code: https://www.amazon.com/AP-Exhaust-Products-4978-Spring/dp/B007W16K72 Fifth picture down, shows the location of the bolt. That bolts to the engine/exhaust manifold. https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=1261418&cc=1441533&pt=10741 https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/toyota,2008,prius,1.5l+l4+electric/gas,1441533,exhaust+&+emission,bolt+/+spring,10741 Good luck.
Indeed - I found the same when they stole my CAT from my driveway. The Prius CAT is highly desired by thieves, who can steal a cat in minutes, even done in shopping centers. When I had it replaced, I had this added (no affiliation) Amazon.com: Anti-Theft Catalytic Converter Protection Compatible with 2004-2009 Toyota Prius Gen 2 by Miller CAT, 304 Stainless Steel Cat Shield & Deadbolt - Includes Tamper-Proof Security Screws : Automotive
As already pointed out, that's one of the bolts that hold the front of your exhaust system to the exhaust manifold. Your cat is gone. Sorry. Odd that one of the bolts fell out. I've repaired quite a few stolen cats and hadn't seen that before. (But I did come across one that had the wrong bolt and it was welded in place. Grrrr!) Five seconds is roughly how long MG1 will spin the engine before the fuel injectors allow internal combustion (and noise) to commence.
Often, when they steal the cat, they just use a sawzall to cut the pipe on both ends. On mine, they unbolted the two bolts (left on the driveway) in front and cut the pipe behind.
I just want to know where all the people when this is happening like the owners y'all are in bed and this is happening down in your apartment complex parking lot exactly once I got rid of the apartment complexes and all that pretty much all the nonsense ceased It's actually quite interesting so if you get out of them cities just a little bit most of all the nonsense goes away really quick and some counties your electric bill is even cheaper if you're not crammed in the city it's actually quite funny.
They took mine while the car was parked on a suburban neighborhood in the middle of the afternoon. I was home, as were many of my neighbors who are retired. Nobody heard or saw a thing.
Private home, residential neighborhood, in my driveway at about 3am. There's a YouTube of a brit who was sleeping in his van as someone tried to steal it using a manual pipe cutter. And the report of one thief who didn't realize the driver was napping, got startled, and drove off with the (now dead) thief underneath. It's pretty bad, very easy to do and rarely prosecuted, depending on where you live. Several neighbors have been hit and sent video into the cops - no reaction.
This would be quicker with the right tools, but I haven't seen it done. A battery powered impact driver with a short extension and it's about 5 seconds for those bolts. Now that I've retired from the shop I probably won't get the chance again to replace any cats.
My dealer said that the newer (or perhaps upcoming) Prius's would have a similar shield factory installed standard, it's been such a problem for the Prius.
No. You'll have to install your own. This is how the cat and exhaust system looks like on the Gen 5 Prius.
You mean my dealer lied or didn't know what he was talking about? (the same one who told me the battery error was probably caused by the 12 volt battery.....
Wow those look like Corolla weld in cats. I wonder if they've changed the design from the generation two and three