Featured California APPROVES Aftermarket Catalytic Converters!

There are emissions that escape a smog check. The "HC" on the air filter cover has a hydrocarbon carbon filter trap that catches the tiny amount of fuel that may leave back out the intake upon turning off the engine. They are aware that some slap on the compliant stuff just before a smog check. I guess they are going to give what looks like that a hard time. I had an acquaintance get her cat stolen off an old Honda CUV. Someone sold her a $200 used replacement and called it a day. I wonder how her next smog check went/will go. Per CA law no used cats. Sigh....

Sometimes you get a nice one they try to help you pass. One made me promise to replace my gas cap because it wasn't passing, which is an overall fail. I promised and kept my promise ASAP....

moto g(7) power ?

 

No, it's in England, part of the U.K.

 

My quick search finds Birminghams in 15 U.S. states. Ohio and Pennsylvania are lucky enough to have two Birminghams apiece.

 

Or England.
Or Connecticut, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri New Jersey, Ohio, or Pennsylvania. But not California that I can find.

 

1 you'll find Birmingham in Alabama, England, and a few other places in the USA. this is where the Bessemer process was was realized, engineered, and brought into full scale production. the original blast furnaces are still standing, and some of the cast pulley / block and tackle that were used to harvest the redwoods can still be found along the California coast. they originated here (the Alabama Birmingham, not the England Birmingham), from what the locals (ca) told me when we visited. now our industry has changed from manufacturing, machining and refining to paper pushing, and some smaller medical colleges. the state gave up on twisting people's arms to get special magic stamps and forcing non useful inspections when the people realized how much better the auto industry was at reducing emissions, than the inspection stations were at extorting money. my ignorance has bounds, but I'm ignorant of the length and width. ;-)

2 which is precisely why people share things.

3 being incredibly unaware of several States laws is a pastime for some, a passion for others.

4 thankfully, none of this will apply to me or my family... even when we bring our cars (which are taxed in Birmingham) to the beautiful North West (why does my phone keep correcting "west" to "east"?) coast, again. the last time we were there enjoying the coast, we burned 15,000 miles worth of fuel during our stay, and no one complained at all. it was fantastic. we miss the headlands, the silence of the hidden redwoods, and the weather.

 

let me clarify over thing. the block and tackle used to harvest the redwoods was MASSIVE, and can still be found where it was last used, or museums.... it needed to be called what it is: massive

 

wow - 15,000 miles - be like 3,000kWh in an EV ... nearly $550 based on national DC-QC pricing.

 

We may have to eventually accept that there's a Birmingham in both.

moto g(7) power ?

 

this was a gas burner, 29 mpg average. would have loved to have a car with regen for that trip

 

What the difference between the last two? BOTH require welding for one is listed for $590, the other is listed for 1,000.

 

Hi all,

A customer sent this to me and I felt compelled to say something.

I'm a mechanic specializing in Toyota hybrids. Hybrids are what I know the most about. I teach hybrid repair at Contra Costa College, I'm the editor of TOYOTAtech magazine, I'm one of the authors of the ASE L3 test, and I've been repairing Toyota hybrids since the early 2000s. (Just trying to establish that I do have some experience in this field).

So, on the one hand, I'm not going to say it would be foolish to install an aftermarket converter in a Gen2 or Gen3 Prius. However, this is only because of the very long wait times for Gen3 converters. We're currently waiting for 18 converters to arrive for customers. It really sucks. I actually just got off the phone with one of our customers who's has been waiting a couple weeks so far (and he probably has another 6 weeks to go). It's not easy for him to live without a car and his rental coverage is maxed out. It's a hardship. So, when he was asking about straight-piping the car while he's waiting, I certainly couldn't blame him. I'm not going to do it, but honestly I'd be fine with it morally. It's just not worth the risk though.

Anyway, for this reason, I'm not saying it's foolish to install an aftermarket converter, but that's the only reason. Aftermarket converters simple aren't as well made as OE converters. When the converters were unavailable for the mid-2000s Accords, the referee was allowing a specific non-complying converter to be used. We had 2 customers with converter failures within 3 months. (We didn't install them at our shop. Our policy is it's either OE or go to another shop.) Anyway, the converter wasn't up to the task. But here's the issue, insurance already paid for the converter (about $2500 less that a Honda converter would have been, so they were happy). When the converter failed, welp, that wasn't their problem. The muffler shop? Not their problem either. 5 year warranty? Sure, if it's installed on the right car. The converter wasn't designed for or approved for the car. EO number doesn't match. The referee? They just authorized the use of a different converter. Not their fault. The car's owner was screwed by a thief and then just kept getting screwed.

I've actually had experience with installing an aftermarket converter on a Gen1, back before the law changed. It actually worked out a little better than I figured it would. It lasted 3 years. Now, when faced with 2 months of rental car fees, a converter that lasts 2 or 3 years might be a reasonable.

[I tried to post a link to the converter replacement but I don't meet the post requirements. Search for Gen1 converter on the arts automotive website if you're interested]

Anyway, that's my two cents. I'm sorry for everyone out there who has suffered. If there is an aftermarket converter that the CARB has approved for the Gen2 or Gen3, we won't be installing here, but I won't call you a dummy if you want to take it somewhere else.

 

Magnaflow now has CARB-approved products for these applications, as discussed earlier in this thread.

I wonder if an exception to that policy might benefit your customers, considering CARB’s current requirements for model-specific testing of emission performance and durability, and that Magnaflow’s products for Toyota hybrid cars seem to be offered to meet demand Toyota can’t, at list prices higher than Toyota’s, rather than as economy, universal-fit, or “performance” alternatives, which I’m quite willing to believe are often inferior to the original parts.

 

I would just drive out of California and never go back ;-)

 

The "I'm a mechanic ..." was in the note someone sent you or are you the mechanic?

A former 2003 Prius owner and later 2010 and 2017 Prius Prime, I'm always happy to see those with Prius grease on their hands show up here. Today, I have Tesla stained hands and tools. <GRINS>

Bob Wilson

 

How do you work on a Tesla since Tesla doesn't let you get your hands on their diagnostic computer or buy parts from them?

 

The Tesla technical manuals are available. With the part number(s), I ordered them through the Nashville TN service center. The parts arrived and I replaced the broken parts.

I also replaced the original wheels and tires with lighter, more efficient ones.

Bob Wilson

 

[QUOTE="I wonder if an exception to that policy might benefit your customers, considering CARB’s current requirements for model-specific testing of emission performance and durability, and that Magnaflow’s products for Toyota hybrid cars seem to be offered to meet demand Toyota can’t, at list prices higher than Toyota’s, rather than as economy, universal-fit, or “performance” alternatives, which I’m quite willing to believe are often inferior to the original parts.[/QUOTE]

With rental car prices starting at about $90 per day, and a wait time of about 2 months, waiting for a converter will cost about $5400 for someone who needs a car every day, so I agree, some of our customers would benefit from installing an aftermarket converter, even if it's not a good product.

Is the Magnaflow Prius converter a good product? Maybe, maybe not. There's no way that I can know without installing a bunch and waiting. I do know that many aftermarket converters that are CARB approved for an application don't hold up like original equipment and at this point I'm gun shy. Converters sold in California have a 5 year warranty. When a manufacturer goes out of business, we may still need to pay for a replacement to maintain a customer relationship. I guess a plus with Magnaflow is that they're unlikely to go out of business.

One thing that is very important with any weld-in converter is the sealing of the weld pre-cat. Air leaks in front of the converter will reduce its efficiency, so an air-tight weld is important. A good converter with an air leak can cause a P0420.

I went looking for the Magnaflow 5631406 weld-in converter this morning and I wasn't able to find it in stock at WorldPac or IMC, and the pricing is kind of crazy. IMC's listing was $2234.55 my cost (with a laughable $3337.75 suggested list). However, it was 0 qty, so pricing may be more realistic once they purchase some and know their cost. For comparison, list price on a genuine Toyota converter is $1829.82, and it can be installed in less than half the time.

Regardless, I'll likely leave installing aftermarket converters to other shops. There's a local muffler shop Pele's (the last remaining in our area) that will install aftermarket converters. They're nice guys. I'll just refer there for anyone interested in aftermarket to them.

If someone knows where the Magnaflow converters are in stock, please let me know and I'll pass the information on to our 18 waiting customers.

 

I'm a mechanic

 

WELCOME!!!

Always good to see another member who know the technology.

Bob Wilson

 

The supply-chain issues are really starting to dig in their claws. Pray this isn't a recession harbinger.