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If you’re experiencing poor performance, overheating, pinging, or having trouble getting up hills you might want to check to see if you have a restricted exhaust. An engine needs to breath which means that not only does it need to take in air but it also needs to get rid of the spent air, much like we do when we exhale. If it’s not able to do that properly you’ll experience all kinds of performance issues including lack of power. This video shows an easy non obtrusive way to check to see if you have an exhaust restriction using a vacuum gauge. A vacuum gauge can tell you a lot about how your engine is running including if you have a restricted exhaust. If you do find that you have a restriction you can confirm it by either dropping the exhaust at the manifold or removing an O2 sensor and taking it for a drive. If it runs better you likely have an exhaust restriction. Don’t assume it’s the catalytic converter though as I’ve seen mufflers and exhaust pipes cause restrictions as well. Here’s a video on how to check your Catalytic Converter should you suspect it’s bad.
Stay dirty
ETCG
Discussion about this video: http://www.ericthecarguy.com/kunena/18-The-EricTheCarGuy-Video-Forum/42701-diagnosing-exhaust-restrictions#43854
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Hi, my check engine light on today . It say catalytic converter defect . But I have change it one month ago . Anyway I erase the code and check engine light gone . So my question is will it come back again. If so how long it will take to come back. Thanks
Golf 5 ( 2008 )
1.4 patrol engine
I drove with bad kat about a week but no engine light on and after I drove another week without Kat no engine light on . When I change my both Kat and drove 500km not engine light. Then I put fuel injector cleaner and drove another 150 km . And after engine light on and it says on my obd2 Kat defec
Great video!!!
Eric the car guy ðŸ‘ÂÂ
Thank you
Have a great holiday and happy new year
From Nicholas ayivor from London England 🇬🇧
Thank you
I think you solved the problem with my CJ. I'll check it in the morning to be sure. I got an Error Code of "High Manifold Pressure". Makes sense now! Thanks Eric!
Thank you, Eric!
Hello Eric , what If I'm pulling out the sensor and pouring a little caustic soda would that release my converter? or will the vapour goes up to the cylinders and will damage my engine?
That's great video. I have a car equipped with Valvetronic system, hence the throttle plate is always fully open unless the car is in limp mode. How can I test for a clogged exhaust on these cars?
Does this also work if you have to small exhaust piping?
Thank you!
Thanks!
I always snapped the throttle and recorded the vacuum sweep. The wider the sweep the clearer the exhaust.
0:25"OR you made someone mad and they shoved a grapefruit in your exhaust"
Have you ever had a job that was sabotaged like that?say rocks in the muffler or maybe sand in the oil?
Good stuff buddy
When you take your car to mechanic shop..then youtube algorithm pops it up in your feed for you..see the mechanic shove rags in pipe..
Great video!! But im not falling for the banana in the tailpipe 😉 I will definitely use this method to test the car
Can tell why my 68 mustang with 289 making a little poping noise coming from driverside?
Thank you for the info, I appreciate your channel.
great video
O lawd that banana poke was jus soo funni! Ok so here I am trying to figure out why I don't have any manifold vacuum. I found a PDF article that detailed the various symptoms found while using a vacuum gauge. A restricted/plugged exhaust just stood right out!
Just weeks before I encountered a stall and then a crank but no start, I had a new catalytic converter installed. Hooking up the vacuum gauge and fuel gauge after confirming spark, etc, I found a really good high fuel pressure but with a leak down and thus indicating a bad regulator. The vacuum gauge kind of ticked off of zero but nothing more. So at this point I isolate the PCV and the A/C-heating vac hoses and do a direct vac test. Still no vacuum!
Now I'm going nuts, scratching my balls and pulling my hair out!, I go online and find that great and simple PDF that after led me to watch your video.
Tomorrow, I will check the exhaust……. If I find a bloody banana or anything else in the tail pipe, I will surely do a war dance!
Could you use temperature before and after the converter ?
Back in the late ‘80’s when I was in high school someone put a banana in the tailpipe of a male teacher’s Isuzu because he was dating some of the high school girls. He couldn’t get his car to start, had to get a tow. Everyone teased the teacher calling out in the hallways ‘I ain’t fallin’ for no banana in the tailpipe!!!’
Often when a check engine light comes on and its a bad 02 sensor. If you let that go uncheck too long it, the engine will dump too much gas and it will break up your cat converter internals and clog the exhaust. It will not run good at all. Low power. It might not make it up the street. You could notice a gas/fume smell inside the car. Outside the exhaust smells foul like rotten egg. Sounds like crap at the pipe.
If I have a scanner from which I can get the MAP readout, it should show (inversely) the same thing (but increased reading if exhaust restricted). Correct?
Hi Erik this is Franz I 05 Altima 2.5l I just changed the engine lil and starter to blowing oil from the oil cap for first time wandering what can it be thanks for all videos
Hi, can you show me picture where can I find vacuum to test CAT with vacuum garage? My car is 2000 Toyota Camry 2.2L 5SFE I saw black carbon/Ashton downstream Oxygen Sensor, does it mean that downstream CAT no good? Let me know soon, thanks
ðŸ˜ÂÂðŸ˜ÂÂ😠Ive seen no reply for subscribers questions he is not free like scotty kimler ðŸ¤â€Â
Its better to buy back pressure exhust tester there is marks which is good which is bad easier that if you dont know how to read this normal gauge
FYI Eric, on my sons 2001 Mazda 626,just did my test. I used a Vacuum brake bleeder from Harbor Freight and out it on an evap tube, it read ~20 inches but it was chattering back and forth at a rate like a bobble head on steroids. I was by myself so I reached over to the throttle body and turned the plate manually to give me about 2K, the vacuum dropped to under 15!!!! Wow took me a few minutes to watch your video and 1 minute to do this test and drink a beer while doing it. So no I'm so happy, I'll have another beer. BTY my problem is a rough idle that gets better once I get to higher revs, its my sons car so I don't know if its losing power as I don't drive it. I had done a few other things that improved the idle greatly but this is certainly the last problem…If you're wondering of you really help the average Joe out there, you do my friend, you do.
Thanks Eric! When I wanted to learn how to troubleshoot a clogged Cat "I came to the Best and Skipped the Rest"………….Perfectly Simple!
you are the best. My 2002 pontiac grand prix has the same problem after repairing a misfire P0303 so as i push the accelerator the rpms run very high and i struggle to go the speed limit.
If you don't know the vacuum reading before the restriction I don't understand how you could use this test,but thanks for video