110,000 miles on my Vibe GT and I've got a bad Cat. and some weird noises?

[gapvibegt]

That's right.. my 2003 has 110,000 miles on it so far and I've started having a couple of sporadic problems. The first is my check engine light has come on and told me I have a bad Catalytic Converter. Does anyone know how many converters a Vibe GT has? Is it strictly and emmissions device or does a faulty working one cause performance and general engine problems if not resolved?I am also getting a creaking noise from my front drivers side wheel well. Sounds like somethings loose in the suspension geometry but hard to tell? It only happens when launch from a standstill or jerking the car forward by (for example) popping the clutch. Shop can't find the source, but say the struts and shocks are fine.. Any ideas?Other than that the car is still running great!

[northvibe]

im pretty sure, cars only have 1 cat converter. if it isnt working properly i think ur mileage would decrease and maybe performance. (i know in MN cat converter isnt required... )creaking noise, could be like a warped rotor, cv joint. depends, explaining a noise over a forum is hard

[4X4CHICHI]

I know if my cat converter went bad I would upgrade to that high performance one made by Borla, very expensive though

[BOZACK]

You should replace the cat if you have any emissions tests in your state. A bad cat could make you fail.

[ColonelPanic]

Quote, originally posted by gapvibegt »Is it strictly and emmissions device or does a faulty working one cause performance and general engine problems if not resolved?I would definitely get the cat replaced, it would be in your best interest - believe me. The cat died on my base, and I ended up not having any power at all, and mileage dropped to the point where I couldn't break 20 MPG on the highway there at the end, as low as 16 at one point. It's not fun to get the gas mileage of a V8 but less torque than a lawn mower. That may or may not happen with yours, who knows...If not for the environmental issues, and the given failure of any state inspections if applicable, there will be a hit somewhere - whether it be performance, mileage, etc. that you will feel. Do get it resolved.

[ToolGuy]

Hey, do not get too mad if these are the only issues at 110,000! A new cat is expected around than! Replace it before it totally fails otherwise you may be looking at new O2 sensors. In fact I would do new O2 sensors when the cat is done. For the noise, I would check transmission mounts and stabilizer bar end links... Could also be a bad CV joint on the drivers side.

[mcgusto82]

on my 2001 CL, i had hit something high enough to bend a peice of metel where the lower wishbone connected. this created the same exact noise you are describing.push on the hood when not moving. if you hear anything, have someone else do it while you look under the car. some silicone spray made it go away.

[drmc1983]

i can't believe you got to 110.000 when i have already gotten mine replaced after only 25,000. i had to replace it because the cabin stunk of really bad eggs and the whole exhaust was starting to sound like i had a custom exhaust. a thousand dollars in repairs later i got it replaced and i'm all good now, luckily all under warranty. thank god for that.

[binary]

Toolguy is right - when you get your cat replaced, 02 sensor(s) should follow. I can only see one on my base Vibe - it's in a good spot too, on the manifold on the back of the motor. Shouldn't be too hard to get at.Some cars have one, two, or even four cats. Cars with two banks of cylinders (v6, v8, v10) typically have a primary and secondary on each bank. 4cyl cars may have a lone cat, or primary/secondary setup.Catalytic convertors typically live 50-100k miles. o2 sensors typical life span is 60k miles. When your milage starts to drop - an 02 sensor R&R (remove and replace) can really pay for itself.Last I checked our Vibes had only one main cat. The reason I was explained for having a primary and secondary is that that a smaller, typically higher flowing cat can be put closer to the engine and heat up faster to take care of emissions during the engine's warm-up phase. The secondary will then heat up as normal and take care of the rest later.Also the cats can become plugged over time and that can cause backpressure, loss of power, and all sorts of odd things. It doesn't happen often, nor is it a typical thing. If your engine runs rich constantly - your cat will self destruct because it's trying to burn all that extra fuel.As for the squeak, I would bet your sway bar bushings or sway arm bushings are dry. I'm not 100% sure what the exact fix for a vibe is - but R&R them would most likely quiet it down. You could try some lubrication in those areas, something that would penetrate - but that is safe for the rubber/poly. Nothing is coming to mind yet...