That is interesting. Is the O2 sensor exposed to fresh air also?

UPDATE:
Always stick with the basics when trouble shooting. Check fluid levels first. The transmission had 3 quarts OVER of dextron 3 <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" /> Guess the mechanic checked the level while engine was off........

After draining out the excess I gave it a test run on the highway and it went as far as 60 mph smoothly but not entirely as it should. Runs a lot better.

The exhaust is still partially blocked as I can tell. Pricey for the first cat still! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/angry.gif" alt="" />
The second cat can be bought brand new for around $60.00 though (for some reason they both cannot be used/sold in California)??????? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

I am going to try AXEMAN's info and will cut out the second Cat while I am at it and make it just pipe to the muffler and the end.

Does anyone know how large I can go?

I also like the idea of getting rid of both and using a spark plug extender (money saver)! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

As far as pricey, the other brand was selling for $501.00 just for the front cat and elbow.....WOW!

Most of Texas currently does not test for emmissions (larger cities here do) and all should be like around 2015 <who cares that far down the line> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

In short it was the Transmission and Exhaust!!!!!

Wondering if having too much tranny fluid ruined anything?

For those who do not know there is a small bolt/plug under the pan for draining and the fluid never was hot (like the oil can get) so u won't even burn your hands. I have a transmission cooler and no oil cooler that might be the reason.

I also was wondering what years (automatics) came with tranny coolers?

Does anyone have oil coolers in theirs and also what years?

Thanks again for all of the answers and help as always. Like someone said, INFO here is like gold <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

No, it's still installed, just further away from the exhaust stream.

I noticed that you are all discussing the catalytic converter.

Over the last few months my 99 Sportage has been losing power. Seems like it takes three times as long for it to get up to speed and it has no pep at all.

yesterday, I hit a pothole and something in the sound of it changed. It was much louder. I drove about another 20 miles or so before it just completely lost power and stalled out on the side of the highway. After that it would not start again.

I'm thinking it's the catalytic converter and that the bump knocked something loose that then clogged it.

I'm bringing it home this afternoon and I'm not certain what to do.

I'm thinking that I could just take both cats off completely and run some straight pipe for the muffler.

Will this work? What am I missing?

Guys please, just go to a muffler shop and have them weld up a generic aftermarket cat, it's not that expensive. On my 96 sportgage (which only had 1 cat) the price for replacing it with a generic, TOTAL with labor, was only $160. I know the one close to the exhaust manifold would be more expensive but still, I bet they could do it there too.

Please don't be too quick to run no cat. This is the one biggest way you can make your car pollute more. Running with no cat produces up to 5 times the carbon monoxide. Why would you want that? Just running your engine inside your garage for a few minutes (even with the door open) could become a dangerous situation with this much carbon monoxide, especially if you have children. There have been cases of children dying just from playing under or near a truck whose engine was running and producing too much carbon monoxide.

Like someone else said, modern cats do not restrict the exhaust enough to make you lose any power. In fact on the Sportage you WILL lose low-end torque if you remove all backpressure. Any gains in power you get from removing the cat are most likely in your imagination. Run with no muffler if you want but don't remove the cat completely. At least then you will only annoy people not endanger their health.

Let's be honest, removing the SLIGHT restriction of the cat might help if your engine is VERY tuned (we're talking turbo or supercharged, headers, cams, porting, boost, etc. etc) but on the stock Sportage, the idea that removing the cat will give you more power is a JOKE. Very few of us have enough REAL performance mods for it to make a difference, and I am not talking about silly fabric air filters that make little or no difference. Don't get me wrong I have nothing against fabric air filters, in that they last FOREVER and can be re-used over and over just by cleaning them, and may even remove as much or more dirt than normal filters, that's all great. But if you think a "high flow" air filter is going to improve your performance without also doing all the "real" engine mods then you are living in a world of imagination.

Just my 2 cents.

By the way, on a related note: Hundreds die every year in the U.S. from carbon monoxide poisoning while BOATING. Boats produce as much as 188 times the carbon monoxide that a car engine produces. People die just from swimming near the boat when the engine is running. Just in case you wanted an example of how dangerous this stuff can be. Hmm I wonder why boats produce so much carbon monoxide? Because they have no catalytic converters for one thing, and also because the EPA has only been regulating boat engine emissions for the last decade or so. This just shows how much these emissions control systems really help to reduce pollution and make engines safer. Don't believe the conspiracy theories, this stuff is here to keep us safe and make the world a less crappy place.

Flame away! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/butwiggle.gif" alt="" />

Can you show us where and how with PICS perhaps?

Thanks

Hydra747,
I keep finding Front Direct fit Cat's online for under $400.
Like the one on 4wheelparts.com for $334.99
I don't have the advantage of parts stores, everything in Alaska has to be ordered or you pay the store a middle-man fee???

I'll get a pic later, but in the meantime. First remove O2 sensor from bung on exhaust, Screw spark plug extender into bung, screw O2 sensor into plug extender.

Sorry I did not even see this.

The "walker" front cat is $411.00.
And it has the elbow piping with it. I looked around and the next cheapest was the "dynoflow" almost the same setup. The other generics were slightly less, but I figured that I was already there and might as well get something a bit better made.
I know that the rear cat can de bought very very cheap......but I won't be replacing this ever (it's going away).
Yes, Nukey had some good info regarding CO and safety but the first cat should be good enough. I will use Londart's manifold that I got for really cheap and then I will increase the pipe diameter just a tad to the muffler----From there I will keep all setup stock.

Really like to O2 extension deal but not sure what I'm doing so i will not attempt this at this time.


Any good mufflers out there to get??????

Another Update:

The shape of the rest of the pipe preceeding the muffler...



The second Cat was clogged so I totally cut it out!



Nice and clean...


I went with the same width of pipe and will prolly change it all later....


I went on the freeway and got it up to 70mph with no problems.....

Total cost of $25.00

---Sent the Walker front cat right back to O'riellys <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/patriot.gif" alt="" />