I just bought a 2000 Toyota Tacoma with 370k miles. It still runs great but the check engine light came on and the repair shop says we need a new catalytic converter. They are trying to sell us a $900 Toyota factory converter (that’s more than I paid for the truck) and claim that the aftermarket models will quickly fail because they are not OBDII compliant. Sounds like bunk to me, but I’ve never had a cat failure before.
Emissions parts are covered by an 8 year (I think) federally mandated warranty. I don’t know if there’s a mileage limit, though. If not, then take the truck to a Toyota dealer and have them fix it for free.
And I can’t see why an aftermarket cat would have anything to do with the OBD system - it’s the O2 sensors that determine whether the cat’s working right, not the cat itself. Many people have put aftermarket cats on their cars, and I don’t recall anyone saying it messed up the computer. Given the mileage, if it’s not covered anymore by warranty, go with an aftermarket cat, there’s no reason I can see to use a genuine Toyota part. Even better, go to a wrecker and see if you can’t get a cat off an wrecked Tacoma. It’d cost much less.
Sounds like bunk to me
Me too.
Make sure you are not covered under the original warranty. Check with Toyota.
agree with the aftermarket cat, as long as you get one with the appropriate hole(s) for the o2 sensor.
i dont think a junk yard will sell you one, you could try though. at least a direct toyota replacement would be nice
agree with the aftermarket cat, as long as you get one with the appropriate hole(s) for the o2 sensor.
i dont think a junk yard will sell you one, you could try though. at least a direct toyota replacement would be nice
why do these doubles show up from time to time?
Is an emissions test part of this picture?
if you go the junk yard route, make sure the cat is not loose, or falling apart. how the truck got there (accident whatever) may have shaken up an ruined the cat honeycomb inside it.
if you get the pipe from a junk yard stabd it on end and shake it (dont bang it!) if any pieces of a fine honeycomb like ceramic ocme out its no good. get anotherone.
it shouldn’t be sawzalled off, it should be torched off. (less damaging to the cat) you may have to see about getting the whole manifold off, and doing the whole pipe, from mainfold to donut though. i would just piece the cat in though.
Don’t bother with a Toyota-brand cat, but don’t cheap out, either. There are “performance” bullet-style converters on eBay and elsewhere which don’t have nearly the amount of catalyst surface area and therefore effectiveness of a standard converter.
There are generic converters made in different shapes and sizes, just be sure you get one similar in shape and size to the original.
IIRC, the federally mandated warranty is only for 100K miles.
It is against federal law to use (or sell) a used catalytic converter to anyone other than a recycler. If your salvage yard gets caught selling one to you, the owner could face federal prison or a big fine. If you like the guy, don’t ask him to violate the law. If he’s your ex-wife’s latest conquest, go for it.