2007 prius Catalytic Converter problem

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by jsanch2007, Aug 22, 2011.

  1. jsanch2007

    jsanch2007 New Member

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    Check engine light came on and the say its the catalytic converter. Now I've been shopping around and the cheapest one i found was $1400 that was legal in CA but why is it that those that are not are only $300. Whats the difference? does car performance degrade any if these are used?

     
    #1 jsanch2007, Aug 22, 2011
  2. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    One difference is that the $1,400 legal catalytic converter should last longer than the illegal catalytic converter sold in states where the state governments don't think they have an air pollution problem.

    Engine drivetrain performance will remain the same regardless, because the measure of a catalytic converter is not whether or not it helps drivetrain performance, but rather whether or not you are polluting excessively or not.
     
    #2 Patrick Wong, Aug 22, 2011
  3. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

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    You may find it cheaper digging around, but here's one for $1200.
    DiscountToyotaParts

    OEM cats tend to be a 3-way catalyst while aftermarkets are usually two-way, more pollutants.
     
    #3 El Dobro, Aug 22, 2011
  4. seilerts

    seilerts Battery Curmudgeon

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    #4 seilerts, Aug 22, 2011
  5. ystasino

    ystasino Active Member

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    Just as an aside question, do you have any idea what caused this? Could it have been a particular type of additive to gasoline?
     
    #5 ystasino, Aug 23, 2011
  6. David Beale

    David Beale Senior Member

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    It's -possible- somebody tried to get away with selling fuel with tetra-ethyl lead in it as unleaded. That contaminates the cat. Most other additives won't. Any additives that are hydrocarbon based (xylene, toluene, ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, etc) won't harm the cat. just possibley upset the sensors with readings the computer doesn't understand.

    As posted above, this should be a warranty item! The cost should not be a factor. Toyota -has- to replace it with the correct part!! If they won't, talk to CARB!
     
    #6 David Beale, Aug 23, 2011
  7. jsanch2007

    jsanch2007 New Member

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    Yes that would be the case but my car has 210,000 miles on it.:(
     
    #7 jsanch2007, Aug 26, 2011
  8. jsanch2007

    jsanch2007 New Member

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    To follow up on this I have been dealing with HV battery power loss while driving up hill as well.
     
    #8 jsanch2007, Aug 26, 2011
  9. jsanch2007

    jsanch2007 New Member

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    Also I had posted on this thread- http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-prius-main-forum/95641-power-loss-low-battery-during-climb.html and I continue to deal with the same problem. I took the car to Luscious Garage and after a few test they couldn't determine what was causing my problem. They were left guessing it was my catalytic converter that was causing my HV battery to drain faster than normal.
    Here are the results of all the test done
    Compression test results:
    #1 = 124 psi
    #2 = 125 psi
    #3 = 120 psi
    #4 = 116 psi.
    The normal spec is 128 psi, minimum is 99 psi, with less than 14 psi deviation between cylinders. These results are not great, but normal considering the age of the engine.

    HV Battery load test which came out normal [​IMG]

    and Codes that DCT has stored

    [​IMG]
     
    #9 jsanch2007, Aug 26, 2011
  10. SpikeVFR

    SpikeVFR New Member

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    have you looked into getting it covered under warranty? I just got mine replaced on my 2004, and it took some work, but it was covered under the warranty at 120,000 miles. Initially dealer may tell you no, and it wouldn't be if it wasn't in CA (or other affiliated state) and a hybrid.
     
    #10 SpikeVFR, Aug 31, 2011
  11. SpikeVFR

    SpikeVFR New Member

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    I would contact some junk yards and look at getting one off a crashed low mileage one?

     
    #11 SpikeVFR, Sep 1, 2011
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