Hi All! I have a 2000 Toyota Camry XLE that I have been taking care of very well since I bought it 5 years ago. New alternator, tune-up in the past 6 months. My FixD OBE reader has been throwing P0330 and P0171 codes for a couple of months but it said 'minimal effect' so I didn't worry about them as my car is running just fine with no issues. Yesterday it sputtered when going up the tiniest of inclines but then was fine on the straightaways - I hit 65 on a stretch and no sound or feeling of struggle. I was concerned so I called a mechanic friend who suggested I take it to a local garage, one I have used with a previous car when I lived in the area. I did and they said that I needed a new catalyic converter. That's not possible financially for me as it is a California Emissions vehicle (didn't know that). I did some research and the symptoms of a failed catalyic converter don't match my cars symptoms. No smell, no rattling noise.

I told my friend the diagnoses (apparently their diagnostic system pulled a P0430 code - why wouldn't my reader show it?) and he said that if I continued to drive it it could hurt my car, even though the only issue is the power on a hill. I told him that after they looked at it it was working just fine and he said they probably jolted some porcelain in the converter and that it would drive better but eventually get sucked back in. He said it could last 6 months or a few days. I drive a lot for work and have to go over a big pass on the Oregon Coast so I am stuck without work until I can get it fixed.

He has a friend that has a shop that can clean it out for me and weld the part back together. He said it would probably take a couple of hours. I realize that this is not the most ethical but that's really my only option as I don't have the money to fix it nor to buy another vehicle. I have put about $2,000 in my car this past year (including new brakes) and a half with the repairs and new tires so want to keep her running.

Any thoughts? I am waiting for the guy to call me to schedule a time to bring it in. His shop is about 25 miles with no inclines. Would you feel safe driving it there or should I use one of my AAA tows? Like I said, it seems to run well other than losing a bit of power on inclines before they did the diagnostic.

Thank you!

Worried Mermaid on the Oregon Coast

 

This is a legal matter that for liability reasons I cannot weigh in on.
If driving the car to the shop is questionable, then you should have it towed. It is hard for me to gauge from here but if you are asking, then it is pertinent concern and should err on the side of caution.

 

Is the car registered in California? One doesn't need expensive CARB approved parts for a car not registered in California.

Unless the check engine light starts to blink when driving you should be OK going to the repair shop.

Have the shop run their own OBD scan.

P0430 is usual a bad CAT.

 

Thank you! I think it might be best to have a local 'backyard mechanic' replace my Cat Converter. O'Reilly's wants $194 (about $170) with my Veteran's Discount but that's a lot of money for me as I am semi-retired. I am thinking of ordering on Amazon because I can get one for much less.

Do you think this is a good way to go? I drive around my state for work and really need to get it up working properly again - I'm losing money every day.

What are the pros/cons of a Universal Cat Converter from Amazon and one from O'Reilly's?

Thank you!

 

If the engine is burning oil and/or still has the P0171 code then it will foul a new converter as well...it may take a little while though.
I would start with fixing the P0171 first. A P0171 is usually caused by a vacuum leak.