The catalyst sticker under my hood reads: "This vehicle conforms to U.S. EPA regulations applicable to gasoline-fueled 2004 model year new Tier 2 Bin 3 motor vehicles and to California regulations applicable to 2004 model year new LEV-ll SULEV passenger cars." I had my cat stolen last month and Im not too sure my insurance company and the associated shops are too savvy on the correct replacement, and hybrids in general. I want to make sure it's done right the first time. The "Tier 2" and "California regulations" parts are the ones in question. Does this mean an OEM / CARB part is actually required, or will a standard EPA approved cat suffice? (I'm not in a CARB state.. catalytic converters are required on cars and emissions testing is mandatory but the parts must only meet EPA standards)
If you don't identify state or region you live in we can't provide the info you need. A cheap $130 cat off ebay works fine in majority of states, but not all. Takes about an hour to install...
Im in the midwest. We don't have any CARB requirements but it's illegal to straight pipe you car here (remove the cat) from my understanding. I know that my state has no special requirements re: catalytic converter types but Im wondering about the car itself due to the phrasing on the catalyst sticker.
Even if your state’s law doesn’t make it a crime to install an aftermarket catalytic converter, doing so wouldn’t fully restore the car to its pre-loss condition or value. A car that can’t be registered or sold in California or other states that require the original emission control equipment, for which there are no CARB-approved aftermarket substitutes, is less valuable as a used car. I understand that the Toyota catalytic converters are often backordered, so you might accept an aftermarket one to get a prompt repair, but perhaps there’s some room for negotiation with the insurance company. For a seventeen-year-old car, however, the cost of the Toyota part (17410-21500, list price $2,147.32), plus installation labor, might be enough to make it a total loss.
Thanks. I already went through my insurance, they had the people at the shop they referred me to put on a universal cat. As soon as I found out I took issue with it. A day later I got a check engine light with a P0420 code and my mpg were horrible. Took it back and demanded a direct fit part. At this point Im not even sure the Walker direct fit cat they're giving me is correct due to the phrasing on the catalyst sticker They offered me an OEM part but it's insanely expensive and I have a feeling at some point they will hold it against me. Also even though I got a cat shield installed, if its somehow stolen again, that won't be good. Im ok with a direct fit but I would've preferred a Magnaflow
Go to the source. Ask at a testing station if they care what CAT is installed. If they don't give you a good answer, contact the State agency responsible for the testing......usually the State EPA. Unless you live real near to a CARB state, I wouldn't worry about resale.
Do you think it's possible that because the cost of Rhodium, Palladium and Platinum are so high that the Gen2 OEM Toyota cat you buy today is so heavily in demand that they're going to be built slightly differently and maybe even less efficiently to make use of more modern build methods to reduce costs and thus even an OEM replacement cat won't be as ultra clean as the original?
I called several manufacturers and they both told me as long as Im not in a CARB state that an EPA approved cat will suffice
I don’t know if there have been any changes in materials or production methods, but I’d be very surprised if Toyota would sell a catalytic converter, as a service part in the U.S., that when properly installed would cause a vehicle not to meet the emissions standards to which it was originally certified.
