Topic: Lost Power

[95 Lowbuck]

I've got a 95 Rio Grande, 2.5L, 5 speed, 120k miles.
It seems I have lost a little power on the highway.
I have not made any changes to the jeep before the loss.
How can you tell when the catalytic converter goes bad?
And what would be a good replacement if it is.

[kidwithayj]

You can tell the cat is bad when it starts to rattle like a box full of rocks (usually when you start the motor or turn it off). Also, it will get really hot and may even glow red if it's plugged.

[lanulos89]

you can hear the cat rattle even when the car is running.  Well i rememebr with my moms minivan when her cat when bad when we went up a large hill we heard it rattle.   As for the loss of power thats a good question good luck im sure someone one here will hav the answer for you.

[Jeffy]

Keep in mind since it has over 120K miles and it being 11 years oil, the cat probably needs to be replaced anyway.  When cat's go bad they don't always break apart.  They can melt.  This is usually because of to really rich mixture where it's burning inside the cat still.  Also, check the rest of the pipe for dings and dents.  A closed off exhaust tip will really back things up.

You can get a OEM replacement for $$$ or a generic for $.  Sames goes for aftermarket.  I replaced mine with a Carsound direct replacement performance cat.  If the muffler is also original then you should be able to get the cat off without having to just cut it.  There is a clamp and it's press fitted joint.  If you do have a aftermarket muffler then most likely it was welded and you'll have to cut it off and probably get it welded on.

Before buying anything, I'd check the PCM for any stored error codes.  Not all codes turn the dash light on.