Hello everyone, I have a 2014 Chevy Cruz with a non-turbo 1.8 L in-line four-cylinder engine with 175,000+ miles mainly highway miles. The dealer mechanic says that I need a upstream catalytic converter to be replaced, that’s why I hear a loud ticking/clunking/rattling noise from the engine area.
What I want to know is how long can I drive with that catalytic converter messing up before I need to truly replace it? The vehicle runs fine otherwise with no check engine light on, other than the noise from the catalytic converter.
So come to find out by going to a different mechanic, the reason why I was hearing the noise was because the person that replaced my water pump didn’t properly install the part that the serpentine belt drives. Luckily my new mechanic, was able to fix it and now no more noise. The catalytic converter is still an issue, but the car runs fine. I only take my Cruze to the dealer because they charge less for oil changes. I verify that they do the work after every visit by checking the oil dipstick and I can see the cams(what look like the cams) on this engine (1.8L i4) from the opening for adding oil, I basically check to see if the oil is clean, also I always remove a quart to add the Lucas Oil stabilizer after every oil change.
The major red flag here is "dealer mechanic." Please, take it to an independent mechanic for inspection and diagnosis. The dealer mechanic may be right, but confirmation would make me far more comfortable.
I agree and would try to find an independent if/when you get a cat replacement because it will almost certainly cost less. I've had cheaper aftermarket replacement cats put on older vehicles by independent mechanics that worked just fine for years.
That's hard to say. Sometimes they will run fine with the rattling cat for awhile. Sometimes they wont. The broken off pieces will eventually clog up the cat and the car will fell like it's loosing power, then barely go at all and then maybe stall. I wouldn't advise waiting very long if you want to stay on the safe side.
You can independently verify the dealer mechanic's claims in 15 minutes if you have a jack, some jack stands and a rubber mallet lying around. Jack up the car, stick stands under it, then slide underneath and tap on the converters with the mallet. If they rattle, they're breaking down inside and will need replacing at some point if you live in an e-check area.
For two of my cars, I got the catalytic converter code and put it off for a little bit. Until I couldn’t climb hills. Or accelerate. That’s when it became a real problem, that needed to be dealt with.
If your independent mechanic says some stuff is loose in your catalytic converter or exhaust pipe, maybe he can take it off, shake the pieces out and put it back on. It still might be able do it's job. If you live in an area that doesn't do the smog check- sample the gases coming out of the tail pipe and check for carbon monoxide levels, if that's the case, you could drive it as long as you want without replacing the converter if your mechanic says it won't harm your engine or make your car illegal.
The only pieces that should be in a catalytic converter are the honeycomb catalyst passages. If that loose and you shake it out, the converter won't work anymore.