# Catalytic Converter

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/catalytic-converter/24444>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** toyota, camry\
**Created:** [January 5, 2009, 11:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/catalytic-converter/24444 "2009-01-05T23:00:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Scoppen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@Scoppen](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Scoppen)\
**Post date:** [January 5, 2009, 11:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/catalytic-converter/24444/1 "2009-01-05T23:00:39Z")

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A mechanic just told me I need a catalytic converter for my 2002 toyota camry and I don’t understand why? He said he ran a computer generated report and it told him my car needs a “new one.” The cost would be about $500.00. How can I confirm the need?

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**Author:** ![rockford](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac8455/32.png) [@rockford](https://community.cartalk.com/u/rockford)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 12:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/catalytic-converter/24444/2 "2009-01-06T00:01:54Z")

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Don’t forget, if you are in the US and your car has less than 80,000 miles, the cat is still covered by the federally-mandated emissions warranty. If it has failed an emissions inspection, take it to a dealer and Toyota must fix it for free.

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**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 2:29am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/catalytic-converter/24444/3 "2009-01-06T02:29:01Z")

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```
We would need to know what codes were generated (format= P0123) More than one converter has been replaced because of a bad sensor.
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**Author:** ![hellokit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6a8cbe/32.png) [@hellokit](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hellokit)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 4:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/catalytic-converter/24444/4 "2009-01-06T04:38:41Z")

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You could go to an able, honest, mechanic for diagnostics. The trouble codes, which may be the only “computer generated report” the tester is referring to, NEVER says to change a part. Rather, it says, “I’m getting word that there is a problem in a certain circuit”. It doesn’t know [i]why.[/I] Further checks, and tests, by a human, will reveal the why and the what.  
This may be the trouble code: [http://www.obd-codes.com/p0420](http://www.obd-codes.com/p0420) The article gives testing/checking instructions for the code.