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Stolen cats! Options?

Discussion in 'Generation 1 Prius Discussion' started by beef jiggles, Jun 14, 2022.

  1. beef jiggles

    beef jiggles Member

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    Been digging on this for hours. 2001, cat stolen, exhaust manifold and muffler flanges are in-tact. o2 sensor was cut so need that too, but the big decision is below;

    Option 1; Obviously the only legal option, and the best option in terms of functionality... buy a whole new mid pipe (cat HCAC, etc) from Toyota. $1640 after shipping. More than I paid for the car. Can get it in a week. Anyone know of a cheaper source?

    Option 2; Buy aftermarket cat only (with front flange and o2 bung) then "straight pipe" it from there. Not legal in CO, BUT it will probably still pass emissions... IF and only IF I can fix the inevitible HCAC check engine light. I can get this done for under $500. Anyone had luck with this and passing emissions?

    Thanks in advance,
     
    #1 beef jiggles, Jun 14, 2022
  2. beef jiggles

    beef jiggles Member

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    #2 beef jiggles, Jun 14, 2022
    bisco likes this.
  3. sandy11246

    sandy11246 Member

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    ----USA----
    Buy after market cat with O2 attach point. Install cat and descent O2 sensor. Install exhaust pipe from cat to muffler. Purchase cruise control vacuum diaphragm from Honda Goldwing motorcycle (approx $8.00 on ebay). Attach diaphragm to vacuum sensor that the original HC/CO vacuum line was attached. Sensor is just to the passenger side of the throttle body. Short vacuum from sensor to diaphragm. Works great. I have a 2003 Prius operating with this fix. Operating since Oct ‘21. No issues or codes/CEL. Good luck.
     
    #3 sandy11246, Jun 16, 2022
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  4. beef jiggles

    beef jiggles Member

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    Ok, progress. Cats are in, golding actuator installed, rear o2 is replaced, those codes are gone... however I have a whole new batch of codes that may or may not have been there before. Car seems to be registering 25-28 MPG after 20 miles of city driving. Not great.


    Codes are as follows;

    P0130 Heated Oxygen Sensor Circuit Malfunction (Bank 1 Sensor 1) (Except Calif.)
    P0133 Oxygen Sensor Circuit Slow Response (Bank 1 Sensor 1)
    P0171 System too Lean (Fuel Trim)
    P0125 (intermittent) Insufficient Coolant Temp. for Closed Loop Fuel Control


    Leaning towards front 02 sensor replacement. Thoughts?
     
    #4 beef jiggles, Jun 21, 2022
  5. beef jiggles

    beef jiggles Member

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    Wow this forum is slow.

    upstream o2 sensor fixed it. 30 minute install, luckily the harness connection mount was already loose, did not have ro remove inverter like manual says.

    54 mpg on test drive 50 miles
     
    #5 beef jiggles, Jun 27, 2022
  6. JimBobWay

    JimBobWay Junior Member

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    That is really good news. Now, could everyone reading this, just complete one more step? Please write to your Legislators in Washington D.C., and ask them to make stopping the theft a priority. Stopping convertor theft benefits air quality, and helps people who can not afford the cost of replacing them. Here is a simple idea... Require NEW catalytic convertors to be sold with a tag registered in a nationally accessible database. When a shop removes an used convertor, they must attach the tag (that shipped with a new convertor) to the old convertor, to sell it to a recycle businesses. Sounds like too much trouble? Not really, almost all big game harvested in the USA, uses that system to prove the hunter had a license to kill the animal in their possession. Anyone caught selling (or buying) convertors with no tags, goes to prison. We regulate the sale of pseudoephedrine, to reduce crime, so why not do it with used convertors?
     
    #6 JimBobWay, Jun 27, 2022
  7. beef jiggles

    beef jiggles Member

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    I don’t give two craps about cat theft. Wouldn’t have got this car for $800 bucks without it.

    If my Tundra or GX470 got the cats stolen I would make money on insurance.

    In other news, this Prius is a pile of crap. Inverter pump went out today. Every couple days something breaks. My 3rd gen was a much better vehicle even with higher miles.
     
    #7 beef jiggles, Jun 28, 2022
  8. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    It's a 21-year-old car, why are you so surprised? Especially if if previous owners did not keep on top of maintenance.
     
    #8 dolj, Jun 29, 2022
  9. beef jiggles

    beef jiggles Member

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    I have owned over 100 Toyotas since I started driving... 25 years ago? Mostly buy them to fix and sell. Some I keep around but only one or two have stayed under my ownership for more than a year or so. I regularly get them with 200, 300, even 400k miles on them. Great cars... and a lot of them had KNOWN issues on purchase, but this Prius has had new issues weekly, daily, right off the bat and that is rare in my experience for even a neglected Toyota.

    To answer your question; I am surprised because it is a Toyota and things breaking every other day is not normal based on the 25+ years of experience I have owning, fixing and selling them. That is what Fords do.

    Pump is in, bleeding it took about an hour. The coolant that came out was milky and orange, probably never been changed in 156k miles.
     
    #9 beef jiggles, Jul 2, 2022
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