Hello everyone! This is my first time posting here. I have a 1987 Maxima and just the other day it started running improperly. I was on the interstate and while I pressed the accelerator, the odometer hand would barely go above 45mph. Today a mechanic came by and we test drove it. At lower speeds it runs fine. However, after explaining to him what happened, he said that it could be my catalytic converter. He also checked the exhaust and noticed that it became very hot only after a few minutes. He also noticed that the car still had the original catalytic converter on it. What do you guys think? Does this sound right or could it be something else?

Thanks.

 

Well, the cat would only cause a problem like that if it's clogged, but usually it would cuase the engine to rev only to a certain limit until the exhaust gas cuts off the motor. I would go for a second opinion just to be on the safe side before assuming that. Then again the car is over 16 years old, so its probably due for a new cat anyway.

S

 

I have always found that a large dowel or pipe and a hammer works wonders on plugged cats hehehehehe.

 

Funny, I did that once too.


I had the exact same symptoms as you do. The car ran fine at idle and slow speeds, but once I gave it a certain amount of gas, it'sd bog down.

After a few minutes of running like this, the manifold would glow red-hot.

It turns out that the catalyst in the catalytic converter has broken into pieces. Some were smal;l enough to blow out the exhaust, but some were too big. Because of the honeycomb pattern on these oversized peices, they'd move around in the cat body and eventually block the exhaust by turning sideways. I just took a dumbbell bar and a hammer and broke the peices up so small that they all fell out then put the cat back on. Of course this was temporary untill I got a new cat.

Not that there are emissions inspections here in Quebec ...

 

Thanks everyone for your replies. I really could use all the advice that I can get.

 

SOund very familiar :-}

 

Hi, I was given a 1986 maxima wagon free.
It will crank and will always start, but issue is that I have to keep pumping the gas and make sure I keep rpm's around 1000-1500rpm, if not it will die out...

Any thoughts

 

that sounds like a bad alternator a Shucks,Kreger or Checker store will check it for free...i have herd from other places that VG motors (our motors) the alternators seem to last about 30,000 miles
i have replaced mine twice and it cost $115 for an alt at the time with a life time warranty...get that warranty

 

Yeah warrenties are great.

I'm removing my cat.... my car won't pass. It has some blowby. Less restrictions for me and better mpg.