# My catalytic converter messed up?

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-catalytic-converter-messed-up/35551>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** chevrolet, camaro\
**Created:** [August 24, 2009, 11:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-catalytic-converter-messed-up/35551 "2009-08-24T23:46:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ken3983](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@ken3983](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ken3983)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 11:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-catalytic-converter-messed-up/35551/1 "2009-08-24T23:46:33Z")

</div>

I was coming home today and I had decided to hook up my scanner to check on stuff. I noticed my cat temp. was around 700\*. At first, I did’nt think anything about it till I got home and noticed there was smoke coming from the cat’s flange. Did this thing get too hot?! The car is a 3.1 V6 Camaro. The cat is factory and has been on for 18 YEARS! I have had the car for 15 years. I have no power at all for the last few months or so. I thought it might be smoke from inside the motor. But I can’t see smoke making it’s way from the engine all the way down the Y-pipes and into the cat just to come outta the flange. The car off and not running so I don’t think the smoke was coming from the motor. Whattya think? New cat time?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 12:25am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-catalytic-converter-messed-up/35551/2 "2009-08-25T00:25:41Z")

</div>

It could be a partially restricted cat. The vehicle has the OBDI engine mangement system. So it doesn’t monitor the cat efficiency to turn a check engine light on.

Before replacing the cat, have an exhaust back-pressure test performed. This will confirm if the cat is partially restricted.

Tester

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![budd2049](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@budd2049](https://community.cartalk.com/u/budd2049)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 12:25am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-catalytic-converter-messed-up/35551/3 "2009-08-25T00:25:44Z")

</div>

I’m assuming this is 700?F and not 700?C (almost 1300?F)??

That’s actually about a normal temperature for a hot catalytic converter. Does it still have the heat shields in place? Perhaps something near the converter is getting a little bit cooked.