1997 Q45T exhaust\cat issue

[chrisbr66]

I have been working on trying to diagnose a stalling issue with my 1997 Q45T, at first I was leaning to some sort of electrical issue but I think I ruled that out. It will stall out usually after 10 to 15 minutes of running. So I had my daughter rev the engine while I was behind and noticed a strong sulfur smell from the exhaust and it also seemed like the exhaust was not flowing well. Does this sound like a clogged cat? Would this happen when the car has been running for a bit and the cat heats up? If it is a cat isuue wondering what my options are. Would i be able to have a shop install the universal magnaflow cat(s) I assume there are 2 cats. Thanks in advance for any help or advice

[Ryantzer]

I'm not a fan of "fix in a bottle" remedies, but I have used CataClean successfully on two different vehicles with catalyst efficiency codes. It's not cheap, but it's far cheaper than replacing your cats.

[chrisbr66]

Thanks, I actually did use that and it definitely helped. I'm just concerned it this is a long term fix or will the issue reoccur.

[VStar650CL]

It will recur eventually. How long depends on the condition of the cat. In the long run, you'll reach a point where a treatment doesn't last long. Then it's time to replace the cats.

[98_Q45]

I have been working on trying to diagnose a stalling issue with my 1997 Q45T, at first I was leaning to some sort of electrical issue but I think I ruled that out. It will stall out usually after 10 to 15 minutes of running. So I had my daughter rev the engine while I was behind and noticed a strong sulfur smell from the exhaust and it also seemed like the exhaust was not flowing well. Does this sound like a clogged cat? Would this happen when the car has been running for a bit and the cat heats up? If it is a cat isuue wondering what my options are. Would i be able to have a shop install the universal magnaflow cat(s) I assume there are 2 cats. Thanks in advance for any help or advice

I would continue with the catalytic fix in the bottle (there’s also versions at Walmart and Rislone), coupled with regular synthetic high mileage oil changes, fuel additives and highway driving. That should help clean up the cat a bit. Just my experience using those products, even though it wasn’t even my cats clogged: but I still burn oil so I do a regular cleaning regardless.

You could do the mangas flow but: if you see my other post regarding exhaust issues: you might be better off replacing the half catalytic line that includes the oxygen sensor plugs. Exhaust stuff is simple yet complicated. I guess things can go really bad if any component is rusted or seized. Definitely be prepared for some cutting and welding at the shop. And you can probably find better prices at a mechanic shop versus a dedicated muffler shop. At the same time: it’s a dual exhaust so don’t go too cheap either.

I’m kinda annoyed that my original rust free exhaust has now been rigged up due to a galled oxygen sensor. But, what can I do? There’s places online that sell the half cat kit for like $300-$400. That would be better than the universal, which might not turn off the CEL.