Cats gone horribly wrong?

DigDug · 02-14-2001, 08:52 AM

Well, I burned an ignition coil two days ago (seems like a pretty common occurence anymore, from searching past posts). As a result, the wires fried to the cylinders on the driver's side, and the ones on the passenger side were still firing. As you can probably imagine, this causes a violent shaking of the car when the engine is around idle speed - when it was sitting on the side of the road immediately after it happened, I was almost worried that the car was going to hop right off into the ditch next to where it was sitting!

Anyways, the first indication of what was wrong was that when I looked in the engine bay (it was night time), I noticed a strange orange glow coming from far below... I looked closer and the cats were literally glowing orange inside the heat shield! Well, I figured they were toast, and I took it to my mechanic yesterday morning. By 2PM, he had a new coil in and new wires to replace the burnt ones, and the car was running fine again. He did check the cats, and said they were okay. And a funny thing is, the car is literally pulling harder now, and doesn't make that rich-run smell at WOT, so who knows how long the coil/wires were going bad for...

But before I even got the car home, while on the road, when I revved it past around 3K, I hear this strange rattling noise coming from underneath the car (obviously in the exhaust, and more specifically, in the area of the cats). The rattling isn't the kind of deep rattle that something makes when it is hitting something (like if it were hitting the heat shield), but rather a sort of higher-pitch, "smaller" kind of rattle, but it resonates through the exhaust, and sounds kinda like lots of tiny pieces of metal are being blown down the B-pipe. I am not sure what it is. Anybody experience anything like this? Perhaps I blew the screen out of the front cat and it is rattling in the second? No check engine light, and the car is pulling just as strongly as ever...

* Registered users of the site do not see these ads.

02-14-2001, 09:58 AM

if you the cat was glowing orange you prob melted the inside of the cat and your blowing out the peices from inside. just a guess though. Did you look inside the muffler? i'd go back to the dealer.

TR · 02-14-2001, 01:52 PM

your O2 sensor(s) might be loose. jack it up, let it cool down and then see if there is any play in the sensors - should be attached to the 1st cat.

Avenger · 02-14-2001, 10:15 PM

I agree with Matt. You should bring your car back to the dealer. I have seen pieces of a cooked cat fly out of an exhaust before. You can try hitting your cat softly and see if you hear anything rattling inside. Don't hit too hard though.

DigDug · 02-15-2001, 07:28 AM

Good point, I should take it back. I just have to recover from the cost of the last visit to the dealership (I'm past the powertrain warranty now, so that ignition coil fry cost me some $$$).

I have been thinking about going to a single high-flow cat to replace the dual stock cats. Supposedly, Random has a kit for the 2.5RS, but I haven't gotten a reply back from them for a price yet... If that works out, I might just chuck these cats anyways...

I heard somewhere that the EJ25 motor, from the factory, runs so clean that it will pass emissions in most states with only the primary converter. Anybody know if that's true?

Jgrahn555 · 02-15-2001, 02:19 PM

DigDug: I would avoid hitting your cat. From what i hear, animal rights activists are cracking down on people hitting their cats "to check them" and people that punch out their cats "so they flow more."

If you insist on hitting your cat, i'd take it to a professional, or better yet, install a pre-punched, high flow cat. They breath easier and meow at a much lower tone.

Jason

P.K. Motorsports · 02-15-2001, 06:26 PM

Digdug - it is most assuredly true.

If Subaru isn't picking up the tab I would (I hope I don't go to hell for saying this) punch 'em out (they're toast anyway, so what the heck?), and deal with the CE light whilst saving up for an MRT. The Random high-flow cat pipe is probably gonna be $300 to you. The MRT is EQUAL LENGTH HEADERS, high-flow cat, midpipe, and muffler to your door for $545 from Kyle, assuming he can get MRT to cooperate. You decide which one makes sense.

Avenger · 02-15-2001, 11:36 PM

Wow 300 bux for a high flow cat? You guys are luck for having a strong currency...

Hmm.. I never thought that hitting the cat was a bad thing..

DigDug · 02-16-2001, 07:34 AM

Hehe, good point. I think I will refrain from hitting my cat. The last thing I need right now is for the animal rights activists to gather in protest at my residence!

Safir · 02-16-2001, 08:35 AM

MY cat makes a loud nise when i hit it, is this bad? only it doesn't sound like metal moving around... it's more like a grouwl and a yelp combined...

DeliciouSpeed · 02-16-2001, 09:14 AM

Sounds like Catalitic toast to me. I have killed a great many cats. I have even launched cat chunks out of my exhaust, not on purpose of course. Funny as hell though.

Get under there and tap through the whole exhast, the chunks may migrate on ya.

Ken

CosmoTheCat · 02-17-2001, 12:16 AM

Whenever the cat-replacement happens, have them take off the rest of the pipe and dump it out, or suck it out, in case there are chunkies stuck somewhere. Better yet, do a cat-back at the same time.

I think we're really good at spending other people's money.

02-14-2001, 08:52 AM	#1
DigDug Scooby Newbie Member#: 4077 Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Eastern US Vehicle: 1999 Impreza 2.5RS Aspen White	Cats gone horribly wrong? Well, I burned an ignition coil two days ago (seems like a pretty common occurence anymore, from searching past posts). As a result, the wires fried to the cylinders on the driver's side, and the ones on the passenger side were still firing. As you can probably imagine, this causes a violent shaking of the car when the engine is around idle speed - when it was sitting on the side of the road immediately after it happened, I was almost worried that the car was going to hop right off into the ditch next to where it was sitting! Anyways, the first indication of what was wrong was that when I looked in the engine bay (it was night time), I noticed a strange orange glow coming from far below... I looked closer and the cats were literally glowing orange inside the heat shield! Well, I figured they were toast, and I took it to my mechanic yesterday morning. By 2PM, he had a new coil in and new wires to replace the burnt ones, and the car was running fine again. He did check the cats, and said they were okay. And a funny thing is, the car is literally pulling harder now, and doesn't make that rich-run smell at WOT, so who knows how long the coil/wires were going bad for... But before I even got the car home, while on the road, when I revved it past around 3K, I hear this strange rattling noise coming from underneath the car (obviously in the exhaust, and more specifically, in the area of the cats). The rattling isn't the kind of deep rattle that something makes when it is hitting something (like if it were hitting the heat shield), but rather a sort of higher-pitch, "smaller" kind of rattle, but it resonates through the exhaust, and sounds kinda like lots of tiny pieces of metal are being blown down the B-pipe. I am not sure what it is. Anybody experience anything like this? Perhaps I blew the screen out of the front cat and it is rattling in the second? No check engine light, and the car is pulling just as strongly as ever... * Registered users of the site do not see these ads.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
gauge install gone horribly wrong	Dragicon	Electrical & Lighting	2	05-15-2007 11:56 PM
In the spirit of gangsta rap gone horribly wrong...	BhamRoadrunner	Off-Topic	8	02-09-2007 11:39 AM
Automation gone horribly wrong	WagonMonster	Off-Topic	9	09-19-2006 12:50 PM
Front swaybar install gone horribly wrong, need to get to work tomorrow, help!	Zoinks	Brakes, Steering & Suspension	10	04-06-2005 04:40 AM
Drifting gone horribly wrong?	revumbra	Southern California Impreza Club Forum -- SCIC	19	06-19-2004 01:03 AM

02-14-2001, 09:58 AM	#2
M a t t Guest Member#:	if you the cat was glowing orange you prob melted the inside of the cat and your blowing out the peices from inside. just a guess though. Did you look inside the muffler? i'd go back to the dealer.

02-14-2001, 01:52 PM	#3
TR Scooby Newbie Member#: 28 Join Date: Jun 1999 Location: now w/100% less turbo Vehicle: 1997 M3 Sedan Blue	your O2 sensor(s) might be loose. jack it up, let it cool down and then see if there is any play in the sensors - should be attached to the 1st cat.

02-14-2001, 10:15 PM	#4
Avenger Scooby Specialist Member#: 1234 Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Vancouver, Canada Vehicle: 2000	I agree with Matt. You should bring your car back to the dealer. I have seen pieces of a cooked cat fly out of an exhaust before. You can try hitting your cat softly and see if you hear anything rattling inside. Don't hit too hard though.

02-15-2001, 07:28 AM	#5
DigDug Scooby Newbie Member#: 4077 Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Eastern US Vehicle: 1999 Impreza 2.5RS Aspen White	Good point, I should take it back. I just have to recover from the cost of the last visit to the dealership (I'm past the powertrain warranty now, so that ignition coil fry cost me some $$$). I have been thinking about going to a single high-flow cat to replace the dual stock cats. Supposedly, Random has a kit for the 2.5RS, but I haven't gotten a reply back from them for a price yet... If that works out, I might just chuck these cats anyways... I heard somewhere that the EJ25 motor, from the factory, runs so clean that it will pass emissions in most states with only the primary converter. Anybody know if that's true?

02-15-2001, 02:19 PM	#6
Jgrahn555 Scooby Newbie Member#: 3224 Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Seattle, FL Vehicle: 06	DigDug: I would avoid hitting your cat. From what i hear, animal rights activists are cracking down on people hitting their cats "to check them" and people that punch out their cats "so they flow more." If you insist on hitting your cat, i'd take it to a professional, or better yet, install a pre-punched, high flow cat. They breath easier and meow at a much lower tone. Jason

02-15-2001, 06:26 PM	#7
P.K. Motorsports Scooby Specialist Member#: 1110 Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: USA Vehicle: 1999 RS Silver	Digdug - it is most assuredly true. If Subaru isn't picking up the tab I would (I hope I don't go to hell for saying this) punch 'em out (they're toast anyway, so what the heck?), and deal with the CE light whilst saving up for an MRT. The Random high-flow cat pipe is probably gonna be $300 to you. The MRT is EQUAL LENGTH HEADERS, high-flow cat, midpipe, and muffler to your door for $545 from Kyle, assuming he can get MRT to cooperate. You decide which one makes sense.

02-15-2001, 11:36 PM	#8
Avenger Scooby Specialist Member#: 1234 Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Vancouver, Canada Vehicle: 2000	Wow 300 bux for a high flow cat? You guys are luck for having a strong currency... Hmm.. I never thought that hitting the cat was a bad thing..

02-16-2001, 07:34 AM	#9
DigDug Scooby Newbie Member#: 4077 Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Eastern US Vehicle: 1999 Impreza 2.5RS Aspen White	Hehe, good point. I think I will refrain from hitting my cat. The last thing I need right now is for the animal rights activists to gather in protest at my residence!

02-16-2001, 08:35 AM	#10
Safir Scooby Guru Member#: 3873 Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Tampa, FL Vehicle: . Paradise is like Disney with hookers	MY cat makes a loud nise when i hit it, is this bad? only it doesn't sound like metal moving around... it's more like a grouwl and a yelp combined...

02-16-2001, 09:14 AM	#11
DeliciouSpeed Scooby Specialist Member#: 3389 Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: ContraCosta, Ca Vehicle: 07 STImpreza Satin	Sounds like Catalitic toast to me. I have killed a great many cats. I have even launched cat chunks out of my exhaust, not on purpose of course. Funny as hell though. Get under there and tap through the whole exhast, the chunks may migrate on ya. Ken

02-17-2001, 12:16 AM	#12
CosmoTheCat Scooby Newbie Member#: 3409 Join Date: Jan 2001 Chapter/Region: NWIC Location: Woolley Vehicle: 1998 Ram 2500 Green.	Whenever the cat-replacement happens, have them take off the rest of the pipe and dump it out, or suck it out, in case there are chunkies stuck somewhere. Better yet, do a cat-back at the same time. I think we're really good at spending other people's money.