can a cat make a car slow/loss power?

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Sat 12 Nov 2005 16:43
can a cat make a car slow/loss power? - r3d_dwarf
My astra 1.6 its a M plate has just started to make a blow sort of sound from the front of engine, it has also lost a lot of power, it takes a while to rev the car as it seems to struggle slight miss firing ect.
Been told it could be a possible cat converter being blocked, is this a possibility??
or something else??
Thanks
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Sat 12 Nov 2005 18:33
can a cat make a car slow/loss power? - Xileno {P}
A blocked cat could cause this problem but it could be other things as well.
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Sat 12 Nov 2005 19:46
can a cat make a car slow/loss power? - bell boy
as the lambda is very near the engine on these cars you really need to drop the cat down to see if if you have excessive back pressure,normally you can take the lambda out and check for excessive back pressure as you would feel it,cats sometimes also turn round in their housings and as such the gases wouldnt be able to get through,if you are not competant to do any of the above any decent garage should have a machine that can test for back pressure or you could always try the balloon test,and compare with similar model
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Sat 12 Nov 2005 20:04
can a cat make a car slow/loss power? - cumfray1
Sounds a similar fault to what I had a few months ago with my Cavalier. Air hissing from the front, refused to go faster than 40 on the flat, misfiring often. In the end whilst driving flat out at 40, the backbox blew itself apart. Car runs perfect now. Turns out the backbox was goosed, sending exhaust gases back from whence they came, in the end pressure was too much BANG
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Sat 12 Nov 2005 20:59
can a cat make a car slow/loss power? - r3d_dwarf
i recently replaced the back box as it completly callapsed inside but its still seem blocked with air gushing out in front of air box area seems more likely the cats at fault as its struggling to get any ooomph out of it.
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Sun 13 Nov 2005 00:05
can a cat make a car slow/loss power? - Adam {P}
Gary,

As everyone says, it could well be another problem but I can tell you that my Fiesta exhibited the exact same symptoms and it was indeed the cat.

No-one believed my loss of power claims until the cat got so hot, the car caught fire.

Only when it was parked in the drive with a scorched engine bay did they start to come around!

Good luck finding the fault and fixing it.

Adam
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