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Wkudak
Dodge Dakota
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11/28/2006
20:51:15

Subject: Cat Converter Life
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How long does the stock converter usually last? My 2000 Dak has 122,000 miles and stock converter. Just curious.

Thanks



GB2000
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11/29/2006
03:19:11

RE: Cat Converter Life
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It varies...they should last at least 8 years/80,000 miles. If they don't, they're covered under some federal law and dealerships are required to fix them under warranty.

Mine went at around 74,000 miles. It was still working, but rattled like a sonofabitch.



Dan M
Dodge Dakota
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11/29/2006
06:30:43

RE: Cat Converter Life
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it'll last until something goes worng with your truck.

The cat has no moving parts so it has nothing to break. If you have issues with your cat then you have issues with your engine. You have bigger problems to look at and need to correct those.

typically the cause for a cat going bad is the engine is running too rich, probably an oxygen sensor issue.

as GB2000 said, they are covered under the federal emissions warranty.

- Dan M



Ryan
Dodge Dakota
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12/01/2006
09:27:42

RE: Cat Converter Life
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My CAT rattled like a SOB too and they would not replace it under the 8/80K warrenty. It says right in the book that came with the truck that the warrenty does not cover rattles. They will only replace it should it fail an emmissions test, and it still passed. I was pissed.



GB2000
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12/01/2006
11:53:57

RE: Cat Converter Life
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If you would have beat it with a hammer a few times, it may not have passed:)

...but that's sh!tty. The rattling obviously means, it's about to fail. When we took my old one off, the "honeycomb" wasn't attached to the cat at all, anymore. It just moved back and forth inside the cat...or when the engine was running, vibrated like hell.



jayb
Dodge Dakota
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12/01/2006
23:27:01

RE: Cat Converter Life
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thats how it rattles.



93Dak
Dodge Dakota
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12/04/2006
14:33:10

RE: Cat Converter Life
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On my '93, I got 200,000 miles out of it and replaced it when I re-did the exhaust system.

On my '94, I had a belly pan gasket leak and it was gone at 130,000 miles.



fseventy
Dodge Dakota
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12/13/2006
00:46:08

RE: Cat Converter Life
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I was having an intermittent problem that the engine would cut out, but never throw any codes. Sometime this would happen on the highway at speed, it woul d load up with gas, and backfire. One time it backfired and sounded like a bomb went off! The exhaust note got louder and more like a tin can. It almost immideately threw a code for the upstream o2 sensor. I finally got around to replacing the cat and both o2 sensors. The cat was completely hollow inside! The upstream o2 sensor had a dent in it! All of the honeycomb from the cat ended up in my 6 month old flowmaster muffler! I must have shook it for about an hour and still did not get everything out of it. The cat and o2 sensors were origional 188K mile items.



Dan M
Dodge Dakota
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12/13/2006
10:11:28

RE: Cat Converter Life
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if you read the warranty...

http://www.epa.gov/otaq/consumer/warr95fs.txt

How Do I Know Whether I Am Entitled to Coverage Under the Emissions
Warranties?

If you or a qualified automotive technician can show that an emission control or emission related component, or a specified major,
emission-control component, is defective, the repair or replacement of the part is probably covered under the Design and Defect warranty. If
your vehicle failed a federally approved emissions test and has not exceeded the time and mileage limitations for the Performance warranty, any repairs or adjustments necessary for your vehicle to pass should be covered by the manufacturer if the failure was not caused by improper maintenance or abuse. When you believe you have identified a defective part, or your vehicle fails an emission test, you should follow the procedures for making a warranty claim as identified by the manufacturer in your owner's manual or warranty booklet. When taking your vehicle in to have repairs performed under the Performance Warranty, be sure to have with you a copy of the I/M test report as proof of your emissions test failure.

now, check this out...
http://www.thepartsbin.com/catalytic_converters.html

A sure sign that your catalytic convertor is bad is when you can hear rattling noises emitting from the catalyst which has broken apart from the converter casing or converter shell.


http://www.meineke.com/services/catalytic.asp

What this means, you can make a case saying that it's generally accepted in the industry that a rattling cat is a bad cat. according to the FEDERAL WARRANTY (which trumps dodge warranty) that it should be replaced if it's bad.

did the dealer say the cat was bad but wouldn't replace it? A rattling cat is a bad cat (your truck is not performing optimally).

also notice that if the o2 failed causing yoru cat to fail and you to fail your emission test, then the dealer has to pay for the replacemetn of the o2.

just my $0.02 and i love to argue especially with dealers. That'd be my stand point and i'm sticking to it :)


- Dan M



Ryan
Dodge Dakota
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12/14/2006
08:45:51

RE: Cat Converter Life
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I tried but they wouldn't budge. I bought the truck from them 2 weeks earlier, no rattles. Less than 1 week after I brought it home it starts rattleing. Truck had 129,000KM on it(our warrenty goes to 130,000KM)and passed an emissions test 2 weeks before I bought it. Oh well, I already picked up a new CAT for $250. I hate the dealer near me.



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