My 2003 SE shut down while driving. It has 200,000miles. A week ago the check engine light came on and the person at Autozone said the cat is underperforming. Today the car started making a rattle in the motor when i let off the gas and then it just shut down. The motor just shut down. Then it would run awhile and then shut down again. I reset the check engine light to make it go off and it didnt come back on. I only drove it about a block since I did that. It still makes a noise in the engine. A nice guy stopped to help and thinks I possibly overheated the oil due to exhaust not escaping from a clogged cat and that the noise is a ruined a bearing or rod. Can anyone help tell me what the problem is and what to do? Thanks so much!

 

how long have you had this car with the engine light on? The rattling may be a broken cat converter but the car has 3. Find out exactly which one is it and get rid of it before its too late. Have you checked the engine oil level?

 

Thanks for the reply It came on a week ago. Oil level is fine. Do you think replacing the cat may make it run normal again? Have exhaust smoke now too.

 

Overheating, spun bearing, clogged (destroyed) cat and probably no oil ...very possible. That's how my first VQ35 died.

 

oil level was normal but it may have overheated the oil. the engine coolant temperature didnt overheat.

 

I am very much afraid that the sequence of events culminating with exhaust smoke may be the end for your engine - meaning it may be more economical to replace it with a JDM take-out or good one from a wrecker than repairing the one you have. That is worst case. Regardless, don't start it again. Sometimes when the catalytic converter fails, tiny pieces get sucked back into the engine and do the damage.

I am thinking of going to headers just to avoid the risk of a failed cat.

Good luck,
Glenn

 

Thanks for the replies. Mechanic says I need a new engine. Guess he just knows this from the smoke. He said it may have a hole in piston. Not sure what to do now.

 

My mechanically inclined friend said maybe engine is not blown and maybe its a pcv valve or replacing cats may fix the problem. What do you all think?

 

Get compression and leakdown tests done. Share the results with us. Then you will know for sure.

Good luck,
Glenn