1998 Saturn SL2 Possible catalytic converter issue

Tiny
JUSTTHATDRUNKDUDE
  • MEMBER
  • 1998 SATURN SL2
  • 4 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 115,000 MILES
The car is a '98 Saturn SL2. I've been driving with a busted catalytic converter for a few months now. Other than needs to really mash the gas to accelerate at a decent pace, it hasn't been giving me much trouble until recently. Lately, it will randomly lose RPMs while I'm accelerating, and the car kinda jerks back and forth. It'll do this when I'm going anywhere between 25mph and up, and when the RPMs are above 3K - 4K. Is this from driving with the busted catalytic converter for so long, or do I have a whole new problem on my hands?
Friday, February 7th, 2014 AT 2:13 PM

5 Replies

Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,869 POSTS
Sounds like the cat is possibly clogging up the exhaust When its acting up have a back pressure test done.
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Friday, February 7th, 2014 AT 2:46 PM
Tiny
JUSTTHATDRUNKDUDE
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  • 3 POSTS
Thanks for the quick reply. Just bought a new cat tonight, would putting it in fix this, or am I going to blow that one too if there's something else wrong?
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Friday, February 7th, 2014 AT 3:15 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,869 POSTS
I dont know if the cat is clogging up without you doing a back pressure test. As far as the new cat going bad are you burning a lot of oil or way too much unburned fuel thru the tail pipe?
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Friday, February 7th, 2014 AT 3:47 PM
Tiny
JUSTTHATDRUNKDUDE
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
Oil seems fine, as far as the unburned fuel through the tailpipe, I honestly have no idea what to look for or check for. I'm fairly car illiterate, I can check my fluids, change the air filter, and I know how to jump it if it needs it, I'm clueless other than that though. Only reason I knew the cat was bad was because of a friend that heard it one day and told me what it was. Didn't have the money to get it looked at when it went bad and only had the money today to get a new one, having a friend of a friend put it in.
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Friday, February 7th, 2014 AT 7:12 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
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Black smoke out the tail pipe is fuel blue heavy smoke is oil.
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Friday, February 7th, 2014 AT 7:26 PM

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