Killed another Catalyic Converter.

[spud814]

I just killed two Cat. Converters in 6 months. I checked my Cat after driving to see if it glows red but it doesn't at all, so my only guess left is broken exhaust hanger bushing. I drive a 318is, there is a exhaust hanger that is connected to the tranny. There is also two bushings there on this hanger, those two bushing won't tighten, so the screws must of snapped, i will get those changed, but my question is, Could a loose exhaust hanger really destroy a Cat. Converter?

*edit - why i think it's broken is because the cat sounds like theres a loose piece of metal inside boucning around, makes a clink clink clink noise when you gas it, basically it sounds like the damn things going to fall apart.

[UNHCLL]

how do you know the cat is bad?
also, there is shielding all around the actual cat. You wont see it glow.

[Ryan Stewart]

not unless the exhaust is banging around down there, youd notice that.

Is the cat really dead? Smell like rotten eggs? If so I would look into fuel delivery and efficiency next.

Too bad you are in CA or you could just live without it.

[spud814]

Well it doens't smell, but it makes a clink clink noise, the last one i change was the same thing, basically it's like something is loose inside, like a piece of metal is inside the cat bouncing around.

[Switch]

yeh i had the same prob with my 83' 528e... when i took the first cat off, the honeycomb charcoal stuff just fell out, peices of it were actually getting stuck in my exhaust pipe, i know the second one did it, but i ignoreed it, it eventually went away,,, my thinking is all the stuff inside just eventually flew out the back.. i no help lol sry..

[KenC]

If you bang the cat around too much (hitting it on the ground), the honeycomb-like catalyst structure inside can actually break and fall apart. This essentially renders your cat useless.

[spud814]

LOL, except my cat isn't banged around, looks perfectly secured, i just dont get it, i think the knowledge here is limited, since this is such a rare problem, i'll just bring it to the shop have them hook it up to the computer and see what it says about my engine, if its running rich or lean, or blah blah blah, this is just an annoying problem thats all.

[LowR3V'in]

Definately!

I've ran my car mega rich and that totally killed the cat by
super heating and it was literally blasting out the muffler red hot.