Hollowed Out Catalytic Converter?

JULIE RIDGE

MEMBER
2003 TOYOTA CAMRY
2.4L
4 CYL
AUTOMATIC
200,000 MILES

My check engine light went on, so I went to AutoZone and they used one of those code readers, the code came up as a bad Catalytic Converter. I researched what needed to be done, and from everything I read it was a very expensive fix. At the time I could not afford to fix it, and I could not drive the car, it would not accelerate. So, I parked it in my garage, and it's been there for just about a year.

I read a few places you could remove the Catalytic Converter and soak it overnight cleaning it out. So, we removed the Catalytic Converter. When I looked inside it, I was expecting to see something like a honeycomb inside, however I didn't see anything, it was completely empty. This was the front Catalytic Converter, is it possible it could be the rear Catalytic Converter that could be clogged? And why would the front Catalytic Converter be hollow? Any info would be appreciated.

1 Reply

STEVE W.

MECHANIC
12,998 POSTS

From your description it sounds like someone illegally gutted the front converter. IE; they took something and broke out the ceramic that should be in it and just ran it. Or it's possible that it collapsed on its own, but that isn't likely. Unfortunately for you the repair is going to be expensive as you will need to replace the front converter at a minimum. Being you are not sure of the failure method I would suggest at minimum removing the muffler and seeing if anything falls out of it when you tip it up. It's possible that the honeycomb broke up and was trapped in the muffler. That would at least tell you if it was a failure or if the material isn't there it was intentional.
If you live in CA or NY, the laws are a lot stricter than in most of the country. In those states the replacement parts must either be OEM or C.A.R.B. Certified. That drives the price up over the "universal" designs. As you already know how it comes off and on, it basically comes down to deciding if the vehicle is worth the money to replace the parts or if you should sell it for parts or out of state.