Yeah that is showing a bad cat. Notice how the two signals look the same? The one from sensor two should be an almost flat line with just a small amount of ripple.
The most common reason for failure are misfires and excess fuel in the converter(s) actually melting and glazing the catalyst materials, next is contamination from oil or coolant being run through the engine that coat the interior with soot or sludge.
As for what parts you can use, that depends on where you are located. Some states are very harsh when it comes to converter replacement. NY for example requires you to use either a factory replacement unit or one that is CARB certified. The fines for using something else are high enough that you really don't want to push it. NY for example has a cascade style fine, say you take in a vehicle that has a V8 in it and has converters in the manifolds plus two more under the car, so you install headers and a full exhaust system. The fine for the first converter being removed is $2,500.00 but the fine for the next is $10,000.00 And for each violation after that the fine increases by 10K per violation. So you removed 4 converters on that vehicle. That could end up costing you a total of $62,500.00 in fines plus the possibility of jail time. Now sat they find that you have 2 of those vehicles and both have the same treatment, you will be paying fines for a long time.
CA is just as bad, and a few other states have similar laws. The "cheaters" are also illegal, and only work on a marginal converter, not on ones that are completely used up like yours.
Saturday, February 1st, 2025 AT 10:01 AM