how long should a CAT Last

s333fee · Post by **s333fee** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 10:38 pm

Hi all,

I know this is a strange question but our CAT has given up after only a short while, well a couple of years. I has done about 10K miles and failed a test. Should I be worried, got it from elise parts. Car used basically every day.

BiggestNizzy · Post by **BiggestNizzy** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 11:25 pm

about 15 years if you treat it nice give it plenty of food and water, they also like to be stroked

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 6:37 am

Mine died, but it was 10 years old. It broke up internally.

tut · Post by **tut** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 7:50 am

I think Lotus stated around four years.

tut

robin · Post by **robin** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 8:02 am

How sure are you that it is the cat that has failed?

If you fitted a sports cat then it may need to have the hell revved out of it to pass the MOT - get the cat good and hot before you start.

It may also be a lambda sensor fault or and air leak into the exhaust causing emissions failure.

Cheers,
Robin

s333fee · Post by **s333fee** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 8:11 am

hi,

yes its well fed and watered regularily, sleeps most of the day and runs about daft at night.

nope not sports cat, just a 'normal' one, from elise parts. Had to get it fitted 3 years ago to pass mot as the car only had a straight through pipe. Sounds, like i need a new one,

Seems fairly sure its failed, was giving it 3K plus rpm, for about 10 mins so well warmed up he felt, especially since it has passed no problems the last 2 years. only fitted Aug 2005.

thanks for the feedback, sounds like another item for the list

r10crw · Post by **r10crw** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 8:54 am

Does it idle ok? As robin says could be the lambda, its easy to check so might be worthwhile looking at before changine the cat. Id give you a shot of mine for the test but your a wee bit away.

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 9:17 am

Lambda (4 wire) off e-bay £15

Cat = £££!

s333fee · Post by **s333fee** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 11:57 am

yep

seems to idle fine, and through the rev range. didn't know there was a problem until i went for test, and they found it would not pass at 2500 rpm, just passes at idle, ticks over no problem, might take out sensors and give them a clean if thats poosible, maybe time to rtfm,

any other thoughts please let me know.

Post by **Shug** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 5:24 pm

Deffo sounds more Lambda... hold at 2500rpm is where it would be running closed loop to keep it in the right bracket... Wouldn't necessarily effect idle.

YvoTuk · Post by **YvoTuk** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 8:21 pm

or... do you have standard cams on your car?

I've had this once at a customer, head and cams were replaced, engine was running way too rich from that moment on (probably bad timing job and maybe a killed oxygen sensor).
The cat was completely sooted (black, fat stuff inside the cat) and was simply unable to do anything.

Lost the customer as he didn't want to accept that a sooted cat doesn't work and his mechanic kept telling him the head work was done perfectly fine

) but when I stuck the cat on my own car and trashed the hell out of it, it was fine again as all the black stuff simply burnt out.

If you find it to be black and greasy on the inside, don't throw it away, get the problem sorted, give it some serious thrashing (one hour hooning on the motorway will do

) and it'll work again