# Rear Catalytic Converter? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** repair\ **Created:** [December 18, 2015, 3:37am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rear-catalytic-converter/91996 "2015-12-18T03:37:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CarNoobie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ba8739/32.png) [@CarNoobie](https://community.cartalk.com/u/CarNoobie)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 3:37am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rear-catalytic-converter/91996/1 "2015-12-18T03:37:21Z")
I have a 2004 Nissan Maxima 3.5 SE and need to buy a rear Catalytic Converter and my mechanic said i need to purchase 2. I found 1 on this website [http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/sku/Nissan/Maxima/Evan\_Fischer/Catalytic\_Converter/2004/REPN960327.html?apwcid=gglpla&gclid=CIHCz8D448kCFVcbgQodm1cBQw](http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/sku/Nissan/Maxima/Evan_Fischer/Catalytic_Converter/2004/REPN960327.html?apwcid=gglpla&gclid=CIHCz8D448kCFVcbgQodm1cBQw) and I am wondering do I have to buy 2 of them or is that a 2 in 1 converter? ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 5:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rear-catalytic-converter/91996/2 "2015-12-18T05:01:34Z")
The front catalytic converters are monitored by the computer, if they are failing fault codes may be set as mentioned in your other post. If your mechanic said you need two catalytic converters to fix this they would be the front. You should review your estimate or call your mechanic. ---
**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:** [December 18, 2015, 5:30am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rear-catalytic-converter/91996/3 "2015-12-18T05:30:54Z")
Find a new mechanic. The one you have now is either a complete idiot, or is trying to rip you off. That’s the direct fit catalytic converter assembly for your V6 engine. There are no other catalytic converters. After the catalytic converter assembly is the exhaust pipe to the muffler, and the muffler pipes out the rear of the vehicle. Tester ---
**Author:** ![CarNoobie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ba8739/32.png) [@CarNoobie](https://community.cartalk.com/u/CarNoobie)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 9:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rear-catalytic-converter/91996/4 "2015-12-18T21:34:18Z")
Thanks, he just confirmed that I just needed to buy that one. Thanks so much for the help ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 9:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rear-catalytic-converter/91996/5 "2015-12-18T21:42:51Z")
What is wrong with the rear catalytic converter? ---
**Author:** ![CarNoobie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ba8739/32.png) [@CarNoobie](https://community.cartalk.com/u/CarNoobie)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 10:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rear-catalytic-converter/91996/6 "2015-12-18T22:40:50Z")
I don’t necessarily know whats wrong with it but I know when I am driving it stutters and it causes me to fail emissions testing. I need to get my knowledge up on cars because I can get taking advantage of since I don’t know if the mechanic is telling the truth or not. ---
**Author:** ![melott](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/melott/32/10827_2.png) [@melott](https://community.cartalk.com/u/melott)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 11:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rear-catalytic-converter/91996/7 "2015-12-18T23:03:29Z")
There are other problems that can exist that throw a catalytic converter code. On some cars it could be a bad oxygen sensor. You may need a new mechanic. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 11:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rear-catalytic-converter/91996/8 "2015-12-18T23:16:29Z")
The car is 16 years old and there’s a possibility that any problems could be caused by a combination of things. I’m hesitant to bash the mechanic simply because almost none of the story is about maintenance, diagnostic procedures, and so on is known. The stuttering (plugs,coils, mechanical or fuel issue, EGR fault, ???) could very well have nothing to do with the converter but could lead to a bad converter diagnosis based on any diagnostic codes which may be set. Did the mechanic just do a basic code pull and provide a number or did he go further than that? ---
**Author:** ![CarNoobie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ba8739/32.png) [@CarNoobie](https://community.cartalk.com/u/CarNoobie)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2015, 12:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rear-catalytic-converter/91996/9 "2015-12-19T00:31:08Z")
Well I gave him the code I received from emissions and he went on from there. I don’t remember the code I got though. I kind of let him do his on thing and tell me what he needed from me because he is someone my mom has worked with before ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2015, 12:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rear-catalytic-converter/91996/10 "2015-12-19T00:41:57Z")
This requires hands on diagnosis, there is not a code that will prove the rear catalytic converter has failed. The only way I can imagine that the rear cat. is causing a problem is if it the cause of an exhaust restriction. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2015, 1:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rear-catalytic-converter/91996/11 "2015-12-19T01:17:42Z")
I’m in agreement with Nevada\_545. A mechanic should not perform a repair of any sort based on a code provided to him by the car owner, another shop, a parts house code puller, an emissions inspector, or anyone else. ---
**Author:** ![CarNoobie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ba8739/32.png) [@CarNoobie](https://community.cartalk.com/u/CarNoobie)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2015, 2:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rear-catalytic-converter/91996/12 "2015-12-19T02:55:24Z")
Ok, I’m gon take my car to a different mechanic this weekend and see what he has to say. I hope he says the same lol… ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2015, 5:46am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rear-catalytic-converter/91996/13 "2015-12-19T05:46:52Z")
> I need to get my knowledge up on cars because I can get taking advantage of Suggest to purchase yourself a repair manual for your vehicle. Chilton’s or Haynes diy repair manuals aren’t overly expensive, what, around $25, something like that. I’m not saying you should do your own car repairs necessarily, but if you understand the information in the manual, you’ll be able to communicate with our shop’s mechanic a lot better when you need to. Either of these manuals should provide a good description of your car’s exhaust system configuration and how the cats fit in, both functionally and physically.