Took my 05 F150-188K miles- in to the shop with no power and a boat load of codes. Mech said the right side cats are shot, he is only getting 15psi on a back pressure test. Problem is there are not aftermarket cats for my California truck. Dealer part is $1700 and they want $700 labor. Are there any other options? Sounds crazy.

 

I think it might be cheaper to move... Cali is over rated anyways.

On a serious note I thought the magnaflos were 50 state legal. I could be wrong. They make some just for our trucks with a O2 bung already welded in.

 

IIRC 15 psi back pressure is way high, should be 2 or 3...

Codes? What are the codes?

How long has it been showing codes?

Clear the codes and causes before you buy a cat or you'll be buying another one.

Magnaflow shows a CA model for the '04. My guess is the '05 is different....but I don't know that for sure. They probably only go to '04 right now as the factory warranty on cats is 8/80.

Anyway to check the part number for '05 vs. '04?

Another way to go us a used cat, but you'll have to get one out of AZ or NV and have it installed so as to appear to be the original. CA sought to stop sales of stolen or non-working cats, and as a result has made it really difficult for cases like yours.

 

I went through a similar situation with my wifes car, a company named Car Sound builds the cats for magnaflow, they provided me witht he calif part number and ordered them online...... $800 for a complete system (last year, 3 cats & pipe).

 

No aftermarket cats for 05' and newer.

It threw a ton of codes, misfires, bank 2 catalyst error, system too rich, system too lean.

I suspect some injectors stuck open and burned the cats. Can't get used unless you know someone. Just insane that if no aftermarkets are available you have to spend that kind of money.

 

Are you in CA? Your profile says NV. If you are close to NV, maybe you could find someone to install a used cat from NV.

 

04 and early 05's had 4 cats. late 05 through 08 have 2 cats

which do you have?



how does the smog check go? do they sniff the tail-pipe or do they just do a OBD-II check? if just a OBD-II check...have you considered rodding out the inside of the cat and using a SCT programmer to turn them off? Illegal yes, but 1/4 the cost.



btw, $700 labor is outrageous. try $50-100 labor for welding. stupid theiving dealership

 

In Calif it is a dyno test with sniffer, measured at idle, 1500 rpm & 1800 rpm iirr....also OBD II check, & physical check of all components (icnluding gas cap seal.

also to run without cats, well if you are just running the city you can likely get away with it but if you run the freeway, AQMD has installed a few lazar units at freeway onramps to check for gross poluters (thanks in part to the illegal unsafe truckers from mexico)

 

Sheesh. And you guys in Ca voluntarily put up with this crap?
Couple of times I've been through CA I didnt notice any cleaner air

 

They are ****'s and there is no doing anything except for leaving which I can't do right now.

I am hoping to find a unit and make it work somehow. If I rod out the cats won't it throw a code?

 

Yes it will throw a code. That's why I suggest a SCT tuner to turn off the rear O2 sensors. They aren't needed for actually running the engine. Just used to check performance of the cat

 

Junkyards a no go?


Btw, which cat is plugged on your truck? The front or rear one? If the rear, you can remove it (or rod it out) and the PCM won't be able to tell. Nobody knows why the 04/05's had 4 of the damn things

 

Not sure if it's the 1st or 2nd cat. It's all one unit on the truck. I am trying to locate a used unit, hard in CA as it's against the ''law' to sell or install a used CAT. Stupid. I have a connection at a junkyard though. How it reinstalling a perfectly working CAT in a truck with a non-functioning CAT a bad thing?

 

Money?

Load of crap IMO

 

Well located a 'full' exhaust from a totaled truck. $600 for complete-headers to tips. I will keep you posted.