gtr886

Is there a way to tell if my Catalytic converter is clogged?

If i go to the dealer, do you think they can find out if it's clogged?

I have a 02 C32. How long do these Catalytic converter last with the c32?

HLG600

I just replaced my catalytic converters; they were clogged. Basically, it felt as if eight of my twelve cylinders deactivated, and car was absolutely gutless above 1500-2000 rpm. I believe there is an extended warranty on the catalytic converters, and any reputable dealer should be able to diagnose the problem.

ohlord

80k miles?if so you are out of warranty.8year/80000 miles which ever comes first.
you can test them yourself
with the engine cold get it on a lift or ramps and thump the cats with the flat of your palm(the reason you want it cold)hear the innards bouncing around?Bad cat
if out of warranty do not go to the dealer for diagnosis,if it is the cat you will be trapped and they will hit you for over 1500 bucks a side.
When up on the ramp or lift if you take a infrared temp gun and read pre cat pipe temps and post cat pipe temps if they are much higher on the post side then the pre side and close to each other in those values side to side the cats are okay.If the cats are doing the rattle in a can sound they are going or gone.
Per above if the engine feels like it is choking ,test the cats.
I hope you are under 80k miles, if not you can splice in oe cats if the pipes are still good from places like racepages.com or eastern cats for about 60-70 bucks per cat and the labor to have them welded in.
ohlord
How long they last is a matter of was the cat defective,did it fail because of to many short trips that did not allow the system to evap internal moisture,or poor engine conditions like failure to replace o2 sensors every 100000 miles or ignoring a check engine code that indicates misfires,or excessive oil burning,or faulty injector pulse width.
A good cat with no defects in a properly running and maintained engine and emissions system can last the life of the car.

gtr886

Thank you!

Are there any codes that will show with ob2 if my cat is clogged?

Newzchspy

What year cars(all C32 I assume???) is this a problem with?? Typically, how many miles???


Glenn

Eleventeen

Possibly a P0108 - MAP circuit high input (due to severe back pressure) and any of several misfire codes. I just dealt with this issue myself.

Newzchspy

I just today (Monday) received a letter from MB (Official letter) that certain vehicles including the 2000-2003 ML55s had cat problems. Perhaps this is the same problem that the C32s had???


Glenn

c32used

gtr886

my C32 is at 110K mile now.

ohlord

check engine light?
Or are you just worrying about when it might happen
you could if you are a real worrier about every 6 months go to a shop and have them test o2 sensor function pre and post cat but that would get pricey pretty quick and then you would be worrying about money.
No running issues,no check engine light,no worries you could have them last as long as George Carlin

D_Star

Hi everyone, I did a search and came up with this thread.

I brought this thread back because I think my car might be suffering from clogged catalytic converters. Just want to know if any of you, other than the OP, had experience with this. For the past few weeks I have been hearing a very unusual sound coming from the front half of the car when I let off throttle and punch it again. The sound is very much like the sound you make when you blow air into a clogged straw. The engine runs fine with no engine light. The sound doesn't exist when I accelerate from a stop. It doesn't make that sound when I rev the engine. It only comes when I let off the gas pedal, due to traffic, and hit it again to move. The sound only lasts for a second and then its gone. I brought the car to my technician today. He drove it and said the engine is fine, he jacked up the car and gave the catalytic converters a few shake, nothing is loose in there. He told me there is high possibility that the catalytic converters are melted. What do you guys think the problem is? Regarding the warranty on catalytic converters, my car is less than 8 years old and less than 80k miles, but it has the resonator deleted, will it qualify for the warranty?

Thank you very much for your inputs!

c32jet

I also am trying to figure out if my cats are clogged. Under acceleration it will pop a P0300 / P0302 / P0300. I have new plugs, new wires. I have swapped the coil pack from Cylinder 2 and 3 over to 5 and 6. Issue does not follow the coil packs. I did get a P0420 at one point, but not as consistent as the P0300/2/3. My o2 sensors on that side look pretty rough, so much so that I took some sand paper and sanded off the buildup. Wondering if the 02 sensors being gummed up would cause the misfire? I think I have long had a leaky intercooler as i see green mist at the air intakes to the throttle body. I have not had low coolant in some time.. meaning in my mind that its not leaking any more. I can definitely pop the CEL at WOT... and now is just regular burst of heavy acceleration will pop it. It starts missing after that and I have to pull over the restart the engine to get it running smoothly again. Trying to figure out what could be causing the misfire in the first place... I think the clogged cats are a result of the misfires... help... stumped.

2002 C32. 148K miles. Engine has long had a slight stumble at a stop light. Nothing terrible just bugs me. Seems to 'bobble' just a tick at idle. Throws CEL at acceleration now. Not normal driving.

c32jet

Turns out my issue WAS a clogged cat. I took it off yesterday and the upstream cat was a pile of dust and some chunks. Its disintegration clogged the downstream one with what looked like a thick paper towel covering its surface. Problem solved. She is back on point and zippy again. I was getting consistent P0300 / 301 / 302 / 303 misfires.