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Not really enough info here to answer this question correctly.
Let's say that the engines power seems to be down, it may be that the cat has collapsed internally.
There is the strong odor of rotten eggs, a cat failure can cause that.
There is a loud shaking or vibration noise coming from the exhaust system, that could be a bad cat.
The check engine light was on and you checked every sensor and they looked OK, that could be a bad cat.
While running the car a night, you looked under the car at the cat and it was glowing red, that could be a bad cat.
Oh ! So the check engine light is on,,
Well that explains everything, !
Yes, when the check engine light is on it means that the cat is definitely bad.
How in the heck did I come to that hypothesis?
I must be whacked!
MIL,Scan tool, Flow chart, component checks.
Maybe I should buy stock in auto zone.
I could post a link here and give out erroneous info.
Secret broker, make a killing$$.
Oops,,,, I agreed to site rules.
I told you so, Max, said agent 99.
Oh ! So the check engine light is on,,
Well that explains everything, !
Yes, when the check engine light is on it means that the cat is definitely bad.
How in the heck did I come to that hypothesis?
I must be whacked!
MIL,Scan tool, Flow chart, component checks.
Maybe I should buy stock in auto zone.
I could post a link here and give out erroneous info.
Secret broker, make a killing$$.
Oops,,,, I agreed to site rules.
I told you so, Max, said agent 99.
Disregarding the crazy talk, the CEL doesn't always mean you have a bad cat. It can be for a variety of things. OP needs to run a scan to find out what the code was and go from there before wasting money buying a new cat, perhaps unnecessarily.
Brian - A check engine light can be a number of things but in my experiance it's typically an O2 sensor before or after the converter but you will not know until you get it scanned. Find an auto parts store and have then scan the code for you.
Once they tell you what the problem is, get the part number they will want to sell you and order the part online. I like Rock Auto for good prices but you might find cheaper if you look around. Converters can be expensives but the universal replacemants are just as effective and can typically be had for under $200.
Sorry, my message was not meant to be " crazy".
My message was meant to be a WAKE UP call.
Let's talk a little history.
Years ago before the Check Engine Light, cars had warning lights, these lights were sometimes called Idiot Lights.
It was said that if the Idiot Light went on, then the operator of the vehicle needed to STOP now, further operation of the vehicle could result in catastrophic breakdown.
Today we have the MIL ( Message Indicator Lamp) and a cars engine, transmission, electrical system are controlled by one or several computers.
These computers receive information from various sensors, then they make decisions and then the send out commands to different components.
These computers have a self diagnostic feature, in other words, when a computer determines that a fault exists in a sensor, or an operating component it sends a command to to the MIL circuit and that causes a light to be illuminated on the vehicle dashboard.
Let's go back to Idiot Lights and catastrophic breakdown.
When the idiot light came on and the driver continued to operate the vehicle, many times this resulted in serious engine damage that could be very expensive to fix.
Today's computers use something called a Limp Mode, this limp mode allows the vehicle to be a short distance to a location where the service technician can scan the the vehicle with a diagnostic tool and determine exactly where the problem is.
Notice how I said a " short distance " . In today's cars we have smart computers, they have the ability to modify the operating commands that are sent to components.
Of course there is a drawback to this, the computer will continue to modify the commands until it has run out of options and then it may send out a command that will shutoff the engine.
Options are like this: 1+2=3, 2+1=3, 2+2-1=3, ( The computer is a logic system)
Many people assume that when the Check Engine Light is illuminated, the Catalytic converter is faulty.
Only by using a scan tool can the real source of the problem be determined.
Anything else is just a guess.
Ultimately the best way to take of any vehicle is to make sure to idle for 3-5min during cold starts..
Change oil regularly
Check water and other fluid regularly.
And try not to floor it from a dead start, but built speed gradually..
If you follow them simple procedures your car will live a long and healthy life.
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