Catalytic converter problem

[Big Tone]

I had my transmission services this past weekend (flush and pan drop) and one of the guys at Jiffy Lube told me the seal on my catalytic converter wasn't fully closed or applied. He said it looked like the work had been done recently and that the converter looked new. My question is, how could I get this fixed? Is it expensive? I looked through the owner's manual, but didn't see that it had been done at the dealer, so I don't know where the previous owner had the work done.

My main concern is taking the car somewhere and have someone tell me I need something done that I really don't need. Does anyone know if a trustworthy nationwide chain, or a shop in the Chicagoland area I could go and not get ripped off?

[DominickJ30]

You take your car to jiffy lube

[Big Tone]

Hey, I asked people in the Chicago area (hint, hint!) to refer me to a reputable place before and no one said anything. Could you assist me with both issues? Refer me to a reputable place/ mechanic that does maintenance work and will help me with the converter?

[NismoChi]

First, are you sure you have a problem with your cat? Just because a guy that work at Jiffy Lube said so? (No offense) Cat don't goes bad by itself, it usually killed by a car running too rich and got the cat clogged and melted in the inside. For you hace a VG30DE w/only ~40k miles,i think it is very unlikely that the previous owner did replace the cat at the first place. I guess when he said the "catalytic converter wasn't fully closed or applied" mean there is a leak either before or after the cat, if that is really the case, the exhaust will be loud, especially around the leaking area, which is right under the font seats, one on each side, get down and listen. If you don't want to do it, take it to any exhaust shop that you trust and have them check if there is a exhaust leak, and replace the exhust gaskets for the cat, a doughnut shape gasket, two on each side.

[Big Tone]

To answer your question, no, I'm not sure there's a problem simply becuse the guy at J Lube said there was. My car is somewhat loud, exactly where you said it was, and I smell fumes from time to time. According to him, it doesn't appear that it was installed properly. Listening to you, though, I wonder if there is another problem. He said the seal wasn't closed completely (or something to that effect) and mentioned the somewhat loud noise was a result of it. Maybe he thought it was new because the car has so few miles on it, I don't know. I'll try to find a muffler shop in my area to see what it will cost to repair it since no one here has referred me. Thanks for the info NismoChi!

[driverdriver]

I have a feeling that the other members who are in the Chicago area rely on the Infiniti dealers for work.

[Big Tone]

From my reading in other posts it doesn't appear that way to me. Not a bif deal, though. It'll get done regardless.

[DominickJ30]

Yea come to my garage.

The only dealer I would trust in the Chicago area is fields.

Anyhow to answer your question, my driver side exhaust rusted apart on the header to cat connection.

I would take it to a muffler shop and have them fix it for like 50 bones.

If you want to replace the full exhaust you can expect to pay anywhere from 500-1500 depending on quality of the work.

[Big Tone]

I think Fields is where my car was originally bought! I'll check them out to see how much they charge for regular maintenance since J Lube isn't acceptable! Glenview is a bit of a hike for me, though. I live in the South Suburbs. But, if they're that good it'll be worth the trip. I'll also check out a couple local muffler shops to see how much they'll charge for the repair, too. I doubt I'll need the full exhaust replaced. Thanks for the tips.

At some point I want to learn how to do these things on my own. It's always been a desire of mine to get certification training in auto repair/ maintenance along with learning to play the piano and going to culinary school.

A couple more things:

1) I've noticed that I have somewhat more exhaust smoke than other cars. Is that because of this issue?

2) I read that changing O2 sensors helps gas milage. How many are there, and are they easy to change?

3) Is there anything special that needs to be done when changing spark plugs, or do I just swap them out? Are there any additional lubricants that need to be used? Does the car need to be warm or cold?

Thanks in advance!

[driverdriver]

All J's produce a lot of white smoke especially when the temperature gets cold. As long as there is no colour to it or coolant odor, all it is is basically water vapour. This is normal and nothing to worry about.

Check out

http://www.fuzzycats.com

Its got a J30 Do-It-Yourself sections which very helpful. Also do a search for a J30 +FSM (Field Service Manual). There are links in old posts to sites where you can download them. The FSM basically tells you how to do things on the J.

[DominickJ30]

1) I've noticed that I have somewhat more exhaust smoke than other cars. Is that because of this issue?

2) I read that changing O2 sensors helps gas milage. How many are there, and are they easy to change?

3) Is there anything special that needs to be done when changing spark plugs, or do I just swap them out? Are there any additional lubricants that need to be used? Does the car need to be warm or cold?

Thanks in advance!

1. Normal, the J likes to run rich.

2. True, if they are in bad shape, they are kind of a pain in the *** to change from the looks of it. There are 2.

3. No, just torque them to proper spec and make sure you get OEM NGK plugs.

I see you share some of my interests, cars and culinary arts.

[Big Tone]

3. No, just torque them to proper spec and make sure you get OEM NGK plugs.

I see you share some of my interests, cars and culinary arts.

How can I tell they're torqued to the proper spec? I've changed plugs on other cars before, but wasn't ever really sure if they were installed properly. I'm about to place my order for the OEM plugs with nissanparts.org.

The interesting thing about food and cooking is when I was single I used to really enjoy cooking and creating romantic dinners. I've been married just over 3 years and haven't cooked more than 10 times!

[VimyJJ]

Random thoughts re this thread:

Nissan motors are engineered to run rich which provides some benefits. The engine will run cooler and less heat is a good thing all around. The cooling system doesn't have to be as big and oil doesn't get as hot which means less is necessary. This also explains why Nissan engines are so reliable and long lived. However, this fuel use bias is one reason why you frequently hear about Nissan owners complaining that they never get the advertised mileage.

As for a good mechanic, I suggest looking for a good import car garage or, even better, a shop that is familiar with 300Zs.

As for range, I normally get 340-360+ miles from a tankful of premium. Lately, as I mentioned on the other thread, I've been getting 25 mpg. She just turned 167,000 miles old tonight and is running beautifully.

[DominickJ30]

How can I tell they're torqued to the proper spec?

Torque wrench.

[Big Tone]

Random thoughts re this thread:

Nissan motors are engineered to run rich which provides some benefits. The engine will run cooler and less heat is a good thing all around. The cooling system doesn't have to be as big and oil doesn't get as hot which means less is necessary. This also explains why Nissan engines are so reliable and long lived. However, this fuel use bias is one reason why you frequently hear about Nissan owners complaining that they never get the advertised mileage.

As for a good mechanic, I suggest looking for a good import car garage or, even better, a shop that is familiar with 300Zs.

As for range, I normally get 340-360+ miles from a tankful of premium. Lately, as I mentioned on the other thread, I've been getting 25 mpg. She just turned 167,000 miles old tonight and is running beautifully.

340 to 360 per tank?! Wow. I thought I was doing good when I was hitting 300 per tank. I need to take another look at the gas mileage thread and take some notes!