Main IndexAuto Repair Home Search Posts SEARCH
POSTS
Who's Online WHO'S
ONLINE
Log in LOG
IN









Search Auto Parts

2005 Mazda Tribute Catalytic Converter Issues advice needed


  Email This Post



Mainely Max
New User

Feb 25, 2014, 8:24 AM

Post #1 of 11 (3918 views)
2005 Mazda Tribute Catalytic Converter Issues advice needed Sign In

Hi Everyone,

I am looking for advice regarding a recent situation I have with my 2005 Mazda Tribute (3.0L 6Cyl, 100,140 miles). About a month ago my tribute began to ride rough and had several misfire codes so I immediately stopped driving it and sent it in to have the coils checked. Long story short I ended up replacing all the coils for about $1000. Unfortunately about a month later I got another error code this time it read P0430 (Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold (Bank 2)). When the light turned on nothing remarkable was happening or had happened, just normal driving. After calling the dealership the mechanic told me that I could bring it in and have them check it out but I would probably have to replace the catalytic converter. He told me this repair would probably cost about $1600 - $1700 and there was no telling if any of the other 2 converters would need to be replaced soon. Unfortunately I don't have tons of money I can throw at my vehicle especially if another costly repair is just around the corner. The mechanic suggested I drive the car until it started to lose significant power and then look for a new vehicle.

At the moment I haven't been able to detect any loss of power and the only other indication that something is wrong other than the check engine light is an unusual engine sound when I decelerate almost like the engine is a little more raspy (sorry don't know how to explain it any better but I can try if anyone is interested). The sound is undetectable when I accelerate or at idle. I disconnected the battery to reset the check engine light and was able to get the light to turn off for a few days but then it came back on. Fortunately I don't have to worry about passing any smog emission test as I am living out of state as a student and my home state seems happy enough to continue to send me a new registration every 2 years.

I love my car but if I am looking at a $1700 repair right after I dumped $1000 into it and there might be even more costly repairs coming soon I can't justify spending any more money on the car. I am mainly looking for advice. I have read that in some cases you can have a bad O2 sensor or some other problem with the exhaust system that might be cheaper/easier to fix. Is it worth it to paying a mechanic to look at my vehicle just in case it isn't a catalytic converter? Should I just assume I have a bad converter and drive the car until it dies? I my knowledge of auto mechanics is terrible so I thought I would seek out the opinions of those that probably know a lot more than I do about the subject

Thanks for any help you can provide

-Max

P.S. not sure if it matters but I live in a cold climate and it is currently very cold outside

(oh and I apologize if I have posted this in the wrong thread)

(This post was edited by Mainely Max on Feb 25, 2014, 8:27 AM)


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Feb 25, 2014, 8:28 AM

Post #2 of 11 (3906 views)
Re: 2005 Mazda Tribute Catalytic Converter Issues advice needed Sign In

You probably do have a bad catalyst, especially given the misfire history. That is what ruins converters. I would go to an exhaust specialty shop. They can often get you an aftermarket converter at considerably less money. The shop has to specialize in exhaust though, not a general repair shop.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Mainely Max
New User

Feb 25, 2014, 8:50 AM

Post #3 of 11 (3897 views)
Re: 2005 Mazda Tribute Catalytic Converter Issues advice needed Sign In

I live in Maine near Bangor and I don't know of any specialty exhaust shops around me. Would a place like meineke be reasonable or would I have better luck finding an auto shop (general) that claims they can do custom exhaust systems.

Thanks for your help by the way


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Feb 25, 2014, 9:15 AM

Post #4 of 11 (3894 views)
Re: 2005 Mazda Tribute Catalytic Converter Issues advice needed Sign In

If they do custom exhaust work, then they must be in the exhaust business. Get an estimate from them. You can always say no if you don't like what they say.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Mainely Max
New User

Feb 25, 2014, 9:26 AM

Post #5 of 11 (3887 views)
Re: 2005 Mazda Tribute Catalytic Converter Issues advice needed Sign In

That sounds like great advice. Do you have any idea what how much it would cost to have the front catalytic converter installed? I found a aftermarket replacement part on amazon/ebay for $249:

link deleted ............ not allowed


Like I said I have little to no mechanic knowledge but this part seems to be the replacement for the BANK 2 converter at least I hope it is. I do know that the mazda tribute is basically a rebranded ford escape so the fact that this part fits both makes sense.

(This post was edited by Hammer Time on Feb 25, 2014, 9:29 AM)


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Feb 25, 2014, 9:30 AM

Post #6 of 11 (3885 views)
Re: 2005 Mazda Tribute Catalytic Converter Issues advice needed Sign In

No, stay away from trying to find your own parts. It will be cheaper to just talk to the exhaust shop.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Feb 25, 2014, 1:01 PM

Post #7 of 11 (3878 views)
Re: 2005 Mazda Tribute Catalytic Converter Issues advice needed Sign In

Meineke is/was just an exhaust specialty chain perhaps only New England? Most branded "Muffler" shops do a wide assortment of repairs also for quite a while now at least in MA a bit of a ride from BangerWink (Bangor)


T



Sidom
Veteran / Moderator
Sidom profile image

Feb 25, 2014, 9:13 PM

Post #8 of 11 (3868 views)
Re: 2005 Mazda Tribute Catalytic Converter Issues advice needed Sign In

Based on what you've posted I would tend to agree with what everyone has already said about the previous misfire killing the cat....and these damn things are pretty expensive....

One thing you can try that might help out is to use some Seafoam in your gas tank...Just use 1/2 a can for a 1/2 a tank of gas or a whole can for a whole tank.....

These last few years I've been some smog work "much to my obection" & I've seen this stuff have about a 50% success rate on 420s & 430s...I think it really depends on how far gone the cat is.......If it's just a the beginning of the failure, this will clean it out enough to keep the light off....If it's too plugged then, well....you already know you are going to need a new cat.....provided the O2s are working correctly, there are no exhaust leaks, the engine is in fuel control and there are no updated flashes for the PCM...


(This post was edited by Sidom on Feb 25, 2014, 9:14 PM)


Mainely Max
New User

Feb 26, 2014, 10:10 AM

Post #9 of 11 (3847 views)
Re: 2005 Mazda Tribute Catalytic Converter Issues advice needed Sign In

Would the raspy engine sounds at low speed and during deceleration be a sign of a catalytic converter going bad?

I am also curious if driving the car while the catalytic converter is bad/starting to go bad would cause damage to any other engine components. I am planning on going to a couple of local repair shops to get a quote on an new aftermarket converter but in the mean time I am nervous that I may be causing more damage to the car.

Do other people suggest I try the seafoam before I get my converter replaced? What is the best way to go about doing this? (should I add it then go on the highway for a half hour? etc...) I am a little worried to add things to the fuel system that might cause damage to the rest of the car. However if it won't cause any damage im willing to try it especially if the converter is just going to get replaced if it doesn’t work.

I've heard of people trying lacquer thinner as well but im not sure how I feel about that.

Thanks for the help you guys have offered thus far im starting to feel that my car may recover without costing me thousands of dollars.



(This post was edited by Mainely Max on Feb 26, 2014, 10:17 AM)


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Feb 26, 2014, 10:53 AM

Post #10 of 11 (3841 views)
Re: 2005 Mazda Tribute Catalytic Converter Issues advice needed Sign In

If you want to try Sidom's idea I see no harm.
Noise from a converter? Not really, might be a heat shield or motor mount allowing too much drivetrain motion and a noise. If noise is from something loose on exhaust sometime you can just tap away at exhaust parts with a rubber hammer engine cold even and duplicate the noise and where. Spot welds on heat shield is real common. If still all there you can fix some or parts fall off I don't know of those sold separately especially ones over converter(s) and areas of pipe along the way to tailpipe.


Will waiting for this make things worse you ask? If just a clogging converter it's possible. Ignoring most troubles just makes things worse up to disasters that could be avoided,


T



Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Discretesignals profile image

Feb 26, 2014, 7:04 PM

Post #11 of 11 (3829 views)
Re: 2005 Mazda Tribute Catalytic Converter Issues advice needed Sign In

If the substrate inside the converter(s) is melted from extreme temperatures due to ignition related misfires, seafoam or any other chemicals put into the fuel aren't going to fix it.





Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.

(This post was edited by Discretesignals on Feb 26, 2014, 7:06 PM)






  Email This Post
 
 


Feed Button




Search for (options) Privacy Sitemap