Recommendations for Catalytic Converter

[Trav]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
Quote:
+1 Many newer cars use the rear O2 to fine tune fuel trims. US manufacturers are not giving the rear O2 much authority (1% or less) but Toyota is 2% and some Euro cars from what I have read up to 3% (not verified info).
Is there a link to verify this information?

Start off with this and take it from there.

https://www.motor.com/magazine-summary/dealing-with-sensitive-types-toyota-af-sensors/

I suggest buying this book, it is used in many trade schools as their main textbook. I buy every new edition of it and others and read them a few times, if you want to stay current on this stuff google isn't always the best resource.

https://www.amazon.com/Automotive-Technology-Approach-Jack-Erjavec/dp/1133612318/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

 

[Vikas]

That is good comprehensive article! Motor technical articles are always good reads. I also enjoy their tips on how to extract shop's fair share from their customer's pocket

At my previous job, a good book store was only a walk away and I used to walk there after lunch. Erjavec book was my favorite read while there! Unfortunately, it was and is still expensive book to splurge on as a hobby.

BUT rationally, I have spent way too much on zillion of code readers and other tools and there is no logical reason why I should not be able to invest measly $100 on that book.

Once again, thanks for the links.

 

[Vikas]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
I also enjoy their tips on how to extract shop's fair share from their customer's pocket


Just to prove that I was NOT really kidding about that part, here is the extract from another article from that very issue :-(

Quote:

A shop with three working technicians has a daily work capacity of $4500. On a given day, 14 vehicles are scheduled, each one of them in need of $500 worth of work. Because the amount of potential work represented by the 14 vehicles exceeds the work capacity of the shop, $2500 worth of work will go undone. The gap equates to $179 for each vehicle, but Watt points out that not every vehicle is missing the $179. Rather, he suggests that while nine vehicles will have produced nearly $500 worth of service each, the other five produced only $50 apiece.


Now you know why industry gets the reputation it really deserves. If your independent shop owner reads this, you know what you are in for.

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
Originally Posted By: Vikas
I also enjoy their tips on how to extract shop's fair share from their customer's pocket


Just to prove that I was NOT really kidding about that part, here is the extract from another article from that very issue :-(

Quote:

A shop with three working technicians has a daily work capacity of $4500. On a given day, 14 vehicles are scheduled, each one of them in need of $500 worth of work. Because the amount of potential work represented by the 14 vehicles exceeds the work capacity of the shop, $2500 worth of work will go undone. The gap equates to $179 for each vehicle, but Watt points out that not every vehicle is missing the $179. Rather, he suggests that while nine vehicles will have produced nearly $500 worth of service each, the other five produced only $50 apiece.


Now you know why industry gets the reputation it really deserves. If your independent shop owner reads this, you know what you are in for.


Wouldn't that be true of any service industry? If demand exceeds capacity, then quality suffers?

 

[t1snwrbrdr12]

Originally Posted By: Kruse
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: t1snwrbrdr12
96 jeeps were recalled for not having the ecm programmed to monitor cat efficiency. You can get it warrantied, but they are going to reflash the ecm at the same time to make it begin monitoring cat efficiency. I was a jeep tech when the recall came out. If you go this route you'll get a free cat plus install and it'll be a quality part.

If you want to go aftermarket I've had good luck with bosal premium packed converters.


I'd go this route if it is viable...

I've found that on real dyno tests, the one size weld in converters work just marginally better than an OE one at the end of life. A real OE one will work MUCH better.


I've actually got two '96 Jeep Cherokees, both with the 4.0 engine.
About a year ago, I walked into the Jeep dealership with my VIN numbers. One Jeep with the automatic transmission did NOT have an open recall. The other Jeep, with the manual transmission, had an open recall for the converter. The shop foreman told me that they would do a visual inspection on my Jeep to determine if a new catalytic converter would be needed. AT THEIR DISCRETION, they would decide if my Jeep would qualify for a new converter. They would also do an ECM reflash, which I was told was to protect the new converter.
Since my Cherokee was (and still is) getting excellent gas mileage, I never had them put their paws on it.


At their discretion because a tech won't get paid to replace a good cat. If it's ratting it's in obvious need of replacement. If no rattle is present, then the newly programmed ecm needs to pick up on the efficiency failure of the cat within a specified time after the reflash. The reflash isn't to "protect" the converter, rather to make the ecm actually start monitoring the cat performance. It wasn't being monitored before. You could watch up vs down stream o2s and see the cat doing nothing, but no efficiency fault would have ever been set. Mine rattled for years and wasn't working...then just by luck the recall came out so I got myself a new cat. Luckily I hadn't fixed it or else I'd need to document it with repair orders and receipts which would have been impossible since I'm a mechanic and do my own work.

 

[Trav]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
That is good comprehensive article! Motor technical articles are always good reads. I also enjoy their tips on how to extract shop's fair share from their customer's pocket

At my previous job, a good book store was only a walk away and I used to walk there after lunch. Erjavec book was my favorite read while there! Unfortunately, it was and is still expensive book to splurge on as a hobby.

BUT rationally, I have spent way too much on zillion of code readers and other tools and there is no logical reason why I should not be able to invest measly $100 on that book.

Once again, thanks for the links.


You are big into this stuff so why not. things are changing fast some things for the better some for the worst but knowing more about it make working on it or maintaining it much easier and save money by being able to do more.

 

[Nick1994]

When I get some more time I'll take it into the dealer for the recall and see what they say. My mechanic is currently pulling the transfercase...

If it ends up needing a cat and they won't cover it due to the dents should I go with the Magnaflow or Walker or?