Dealer says cat is bad and wants 1500 to fix it.....right (1 Viewer)

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Francis K

Francis K

Joined
May 11, 2005
Threads
122
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997
Location
SE Michigan
So one of my friends took her 2005 GX to the stealership because her dash was lit up like a christmas tree. They told her one of her cats is bad and they're going to charge 1500 to fix it. Being the good friend that i am I told her to tell the dealer to suck MY dick and I will do some research for her.

I'm assuming this is a common problem, the O2 sensor is going off and causing all kinds of havoc with the computer system. Is it really the cat which is bad or is it most like something else?

Thanks!
 
A ten-year-old cat could easily be bad and OEM cats are very expensive.

Bottom line is I can believe the story. But as Ronnie Reagan said "Trust but verify".
 
Ah yes P0420 and P0430 Catalyst Deficiency are codes that haunt our 120 Chassis vehicles. I had a 2003 4runner that had this issue and changes all four O2 Sensors only causing it to trigger the codes even faster. Another method is to use a gap spacing for the O2 sensors which worked but quickly failed afterwards. Unfortunately unlike say a Ford Exploder these vehicles come very well tuned from factory and are hard to fool. The only way to totally solve this correctly is to OEM swap the catalytic converts out for new ones. Toyota did a recall on 2007 to exchange to Cats out for a model that resolved this issue. I used a O2 Simulator on mine to make it go away which a lot of people run on their desert trucks with after market headers. Good Luck
 
They ARE expensive with OEM. They have a flange system that bolts up to the exhaust manifold and drops to the cat, then outputs to the exhaust. If that is the price installed it isn't that bad. If that is just the price of the part, it seems a bit spendy.
 
TFJ4runner said:
Ah yes P0420 and P0430 Catalyst Deficiency are codes that haunt our 120 Chassis vehicles. I had a 2003 4runner that had this issue and changes all four O2 Sensors only causing it to trigger the codes even faster. Another method is to use a gap spacing for the O2 sensors which worked but quickly failed afterwards. Unfortunately unlike say a Ford Exploder these vehicles come very well tuned from factory and are hard to fool. The only way to totally solve this correctly is to OEM swap the catalytic converts out for new ones. Toyota did a recall on 2007 to exchange to Cats out for a model that resolved this issue. I used a O2 Simulator on mine to make it go away which a lot of people run on their desert trucks with after market headers. Good Luck
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More info on this O2 simulator please. My brothers FJ needs a cat and his inspection sticker expires in Dec so I need to figure something out.
 
Thanks for the replies. I was thinking of first just changing the O2 sensor hoping that solves it, but you're saying I just be wasting an O2 sensor? You guys think I should have the dealer do the work instead of buying an OEM cat and having an independent shop do it? One thing the dealer also told me is that with a new cat the other cat will overcompensate and also eventually fail, what a mess!
 
123ROBERTELEE said:
More info on this O2 simulator please. My brothers FJ needs a cat and his inspection sticker expires in Dec so I need to figure something out.
Click to expand...
URD Sells a plug and play kit that will fix this issue. It should be fine for emissions seeing that the 120's are OBD2.
 
yeah thats not a bs story or the dealer trying to rip her off. infact thats a fair price for a cat, and a killer deal for a cat with instal. -fwiw my 97 4runners cat is like $1300 from the dealer. so $1500 for a newer bigger cat would be a decent price.
 
I did a "mechanical o2 sensor simulator" that got rid of the codes. Google "mechanical o2 sensor simulator" to find the best for you method. You can either buy or make something to work for you.
 
Bypassing it with that simulator sounds good and cheap but will the non functioning cat lead to any other issues with the truck? As in is it just asking for trouble down the road if we don't replace the cat?
 
Since I have so much in my truck, a $3000 bill for cats wouldn't even faze me anymore lol.
 
Francis K said:
Bypassing it with that simulator sounds good and cheap but will the non functioning cat lead to any other issues with the truck? As in is it just asking for trouble down the road if we don't replace the cat?
Click to expand...
See that's what I am wondering bc a clogged up cat will creat unwanted back pressure and in time that will wear out the mechanical parts of your motor... Rings, pistons, valves ect... That's why I just ordered some Doug thorley cats and the simulator for my brothers FJ
 
That sucks, my friend is having a rough go of it lately financially I hate having to tell her shes going to have to cough up 1500 and probably another 1500 sooner or later. So is the general consensus to just have the dealer do the work? Would an independent mechanic be at a disadvantage dealing with the Lexus crap or is it simply drop a new cat in and it should fix itself?
 
Francis K said:
That sucks, my friend is having a rough go of it lately financially I hate having to tell her shes going to have to cough up 1500 and probably another 1500 sooner or later. So is the general consensus to just have the dealer do the work? Would an independent mechanic be at a disadvantage dealing with the Lexus crap or is it simply drop a new cat in and it should fix itself?
Click to expand...
Personally I'd go with either a Lexus or Toyota dealer. Both can do the work (same motor as in the tundra and sequoia and a few other Toyotas), and just go with who ever offers the best deal. I know where I live I have about 6 or 7 Toyota dealers and only one Lexus dealer. Of those options only one Toyota dealer and the Lexus dealer would be a option. Toyota would probably be cheaper, but the Lexus dealer provides a new loaner car free of charge while the service is being done where as Toyota does not... It's a $25hr difference but Lexus gives me a sweet car or suv to drive until its done.
 
I had a cat stolen off of my Toyota pickup when I lived in Houston and a local muffler shop got one for me and welded it in.
 
Have you replaced the O2 sensors?
 
No I haven't replaced the O2 sensors, i originally assumed that was the problem but the dealer says it's the cat. I know a good exhaust shop that frankensteined my s***ty rip off EMS exhaust into something decent. Maybe I'll give them a shot with it...
 
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