Cat Scrath Fever - (duplicate posting on RennTech)
02-20-2009, 12:47 PM
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Cat Scrath Fever - (duplicate posting on RennTech)
Question: Can driving with a "bad cat" cause harm the engine? Or is it just an emissions issue?
About 3 months ago, after a DE at VIR, one of my catalytic converters started rattling. On the drive home from the DE, the Check Engine light went on. Fortunately, still under CPO warranty - but they would only replace the rattling one - left the other cat to fail... which it sounds like it's doing now. When the engine's nice and hot, you can hear a rattle - opening the engine lid, you can't really hear it, it's obviously coming fom underneath. Furthermore, knocking the tailpipe with the heel of my hand can change the sound, or stop it for a sec - identical circumstances to the first cat that went.
Anyhow, I'm heading to another DE next weekend - and I'd guess the other cat will go out on me, light up the check engine light, and I'll need to drive home 200 miles with it. However, since the CE light isn't on, I doubt the dealer's going to do a warranty replacement for a simple rattle.
Any thoughts, suggestions, and assessment of potential harm from driving hard with a bad cat?
About 3 months ago, after a DE at VIR, one of my catalytic converters started rattling. On the drive home from the DE, the Check Engine light went on. Fortunately, still under CPO warranty - but they would only replace the rattling one - left the other cat to fail... which it sounds like it's doing now. When the engine's nice and hot, you can hear a rattle - opening the engine lid, you can't really hear it, it's obviously coming fom underneath. Furthermore, knocking the tailpipe with the heel of my hand can change the sound, or stop it for a sec - identical circumstances to the first cat that went.
Anyhow, I'm heading to another DE next weekend - and I'd guess the other cat will go out on me, light up the check engine light, and I'll need to drive home 200 miles with it. However, since the CE light isn't on, I doubt the dealer's going to do a warranty replacement for a simple rattle.
Any thoughts, suggestions, and assessment of potential harm from driving hard with a bad cat?
