Will it cause problems with my car if I cut off the catalytic converter and put a straight pipe in its place?
It will add performance but hurt fuel economy and your ability to pass emissions.The CAT is a great invention, but it adds an obstruction to the exhaust. If you remove obstructions you will realize some performance benefit (could be major or minor depending on the car, probably only major if large powerful engine to start).The problem is your car (if it’s less than 20 years old) uses inputs from the oxygen sensors to modify the air fuel mix. There is an oxygen sensor before the CAT and one after the CAT to measure how good of a job it is doing. If you remove the CAT you will get an error code (check engine light). On most cars this means your engine will probably not run as good (certainly not as efficiently) because without those inputs from the oxygen sensor it won’t dynamically modify the air fuel mix and the spark timing, it will just run off of presets as if the car is still warming up (open loop vs closed loop).The error code will also prevent you from passing emissions (which most states require) and the lack of a CAT will be noticed by most emissions testing facilities that use cameras nowadays to make sure it has not been removed.Most people ask this kind of question to bypass emissions (rather than to improve performance). If your goal is to bypass emissions, it won’t work. CATs are expensive because they are made of platinum and palladium and a few other expensive materials. It is illegal to sell a used catalytic converter but some people do it anyway.If you’re asking for performance modification reasons, your best bet is to buy a less restrictive performance exhaust system that has a CAT and spots for the oxygen sensors.
Why won't my car start after fixing a broken serpentine belt?
Ok so first question is the starter rotating the motor like it should and it just wont start or are you turning the key without getting any results. If its not turning over id first off hit the starter solenoid with a soft hammer a few good raps may dislodge a stuck solenoid. Now if the motor is spinning but not firing up my first place id look is the distributor wiring unless it runs coil packs then i would guess that you knocked the wires off the crank sensor or maybe even broke the crank sensor. I am at a disability here not knowing what the vehicle make is., if it died while driving because belt fell off and you ran on battery till it ran out of power. ( a jump start is the ticket in that case ) Honestly im going with the crank sensor or crankshaft position sensor.being the root of your problem because if the belt broke it could easily take out the sensor as belt flew around the front of the motor. But check all your connections and research the crank sensor ..its usually a cheap and easy part to replace if its in a area where belt passes by it that makes sense as to your problem. Ok let me know a bit more info if possible. Dont give up the answer will come
1998 Mustang GT to 2003 GT motor & Transmission swap?
I have a 1998 mustang gt with an automatic transmission (4r70w), well a couple weeks about my transmission starting slipping really bad and i couldn't even get into 1st gear. well a guy locally had a 2003 mustang GT motor and transmission (4r70W) for about the same price it would be to get the 98' trans rebuilt. so i went for what i thought was the better deal and bought the 03' motor and transmission. i kept my 98' harness and used my 98' computer. I got the motor swapped in the car and it fired up just beautiful but the problem is with the transmission. on the left side of the transmission about midline there is a transmission speed sensor with a 2 wire plug on the end of it. but the connector from my 98' harness don't match and then on the tail shaft where my mechanical driven gear was on my 98' i plugged the plastic gear in the transmission and there was no gear to help drive it to make it turn. now i understand the big differences between the 2 years and electronics and the speed sensors and signals, but im stuck!! i thought i had a solution which was to buy an 03' computer,dash harness, engine harness, and instrument cluster. and just swap it all out with my 98' and have some major things like the PAT system and the fuel line return issue's corrected with a custom tune. but as the digger i looked for info i realized the fuse panel under the hood on the car are different as well!! like with the # of circuits in the panel on the 98' compared to the 03'. im very lost for words and trying to find a solution and any help would be appreciated and as well to put the icing on the cake, its my daily driver as well.
Car clock/radio resets when starting engine - what's going on?
2000 car clock/radio resets when I start my car. It's as though the battery has died and it resets to 12:00. It has happened twice today. The car also doesn't start on the first try, but promptly turns over on the second attempt. Is it my battery going? Something else? Please advise. Thanks!
What does it mean if your starter is making a grinding noise?
Honda Accord /Civic :Why Starter Making Grinding Noise1.Flywheel should be suspect firstly.You need go ahead and climb back under your 2006 Honda Civic or 2007 Honda Accord and remove the access panel under the bell housing of the transmission. This will give you access to the flywheel. Using a flashlight you can inspect the teeth on the flywheel for any abnormal wear, then use a ½ inch ratchet and correct size socket for the crankshaft pulley bolt, and turn the engine clockwise. This will allow you to slowly inspect the hidden areas of the flywheel that could be damaged. Be sure to mark the flywheel with white out or a marker so you can verify when you start and end as you rotate. If at any time you feel uncomfortable doing this, please enlist the assistance of a certified mobile mechanic. After check ,if the flywheel is damaged ,it will need to be replaced.2.If you are unable to see any issues with the flywheel itself, then the problem may lay in the electrical components of the vehicle.Some of the most common electrical problems are corroded electrical connections, an undercharged or bad battery, or a malfunctioning component:bad neutral safety switch (automatic transmission),bad clutch safety switch (manual transmission),bad starter relay,bad starter solenoid,corroded electrical connections in the starting circuit,worn-out part in the starter motor or some other system component.For example,the ignition switch has failed to supply proper voltage to the starting circuit causing the starter solenoid to partially engage which can create a grinding noise .In this case,you could check the battery/relay/solenoid /ignition switch.If it’s a small problem,you could buy some aftermarket replacements then fix it.If you aren’t sure and don’t know how to do ,maybe a new starter at hexautoparts for your honda accord civic or a certified mechanic can get you back on the road quickly and safely.Anyway,if you hear a harsh or grinding noise as you try to crank up the engine, you may have a loose starter motor (mounting bolts), or a flywheel or pinion gear with broken or worn-out teeth. If the gears on the flywheel and pinion aren't able to mesh properly, all you hear is the sound of metal teeth clashing loudly.Hope that helps.
What are the symptoms of a bad starter relay?
Depending on the age of the car, it usually manifests as absolutely nothing happening when you turn the ignition to start. No click. No series of clicks, just silence. Your accessories will operate, which is how you know it isn’t a bad battery, but you won’t get anything else when you go to start the car.If you have a car with a remote starter solenoid, you can see if its bad by putting the car in “on” and using a screwdriver to manually cross the poles of the solenoid. If the car starts, you’ve identified that the problem is either the solenoid or the ignition switch. Please, only try this if you have a remote solenoid that is clear of any moving part of the engine. Most American cars have the solenoid attached to the starter and located under the car, which means this approach could get you hurt or killed.Now, if you’re talking about the actual relay in the fuse box, check the resistance on the coil terminals to see if you get an open circuit. If you do, then the relay is bad and it will need to be replaced. You’ll need a voltmeter for this task. I’ve noticed many newer vehicles have a small wiring diagram for the relay printed on the side of the relay itself, which is pretty handy.