Is there an easy way to tell if your catalytic converter needs to be replaced? I haven't been having problems, but I have about 100,00 miles on it and know that the cat can greatly affect performance.

 

If your truck is 1996 or newer then it is OBD 2 and if the cat is dad the check engine light will come on with a code for cat efficiency low.

Will

 

there are a couple of other failures that may not trigger a cel. if the honeycomb material comes apart, it will begin to rattle and might be annoying. it can also break up and get into the muffler, but that might/might not hurt anything, unless it causes it to stop up. you can hit it with a rubber hammer or block of wood to see if it rattles. also, the cat can completely clog up for various reasons and restrict the exhaust, up to the point where the engine won't rev up any more. another test is with a temperature gun. normal operation is the output pipe of the cat should be hotter than the input. another test if you suspect blockage is to temporarily remove the pre-cat 02 sensor to eliminate restriction - if it runs better, then it was clogged. a cat replacement can be a little expensive. if money is no object, just replace it with a hi-flow aftermarket, assuming your not in CA. if money matters, wait for a symptom of a problem.

 

mine plugged wouldnt go over 50 and i did this emptying action that makes the stock one breathe better

 

Check with the dealership to see if your truck is eligible for a free catalytic converter under the terms of the big recall for 1996-1999 Rams:

http://www.arb.ca.gov/newsrel/nr122105.htm

http://epa.gov/compliance/resources/...ler-fcsht.html

 

Thanks for the help guys.

 

when i did the exhuast on my truck i had a CEL come up almost imeadiatly, so i ran the codes and got the cat (which i had gutted) so i cut it open and welded a couple baffles in it, and it still not only flows great, theres no CEL