Can a catalytic converter cause your car to stall out, run sluggish up hills, misfire, and surge, cut in and out almost like you turn key off... Hello again everyone, I am back listing another question on my quest to solving my cars problem. I have a 1996 Olds Achieva 3100 V6. I was wondering if the catalytic converter can cause said problems above. Also I checked the temp before it and after it, before it the temp is around 460 degrees and after it is about 350 degrees. Should there be that big of a difference in temp. I have changed the PVC sensor, ECT Sensor the Ignition Module, Coils and the Spark Plugs and Wires are fine....Please help... Thanks... Beth

No I don't live in Cali, I live in Pa. Which I am not sure what the laws are here but I think it is worth a try before spending more money on parts that's not gonna work..But do you know why it gets worse when the temp outside gets hotter..I mean it run fine Jan, Feb, and now that its in the 50's and 60's it has started to act up but only in the middle of that day when it is the hottest...it runs fine first thing in morning..

Thanks

Beth No I don't live in Cali, I live in Pa. Which I am not sure what the laws are here but I think it is worth a try before spending more money on parts that's not gonna work..But do you know why it gets worse when the temp outside gets hotter..I mean it run fine Jan, Feb, and now that its in the 50's and 60's it has started to act up but only in the middle of that day when it is the hottest...it runs fine first thing in morning.. Thanks Beth

Ummmm..for one I am not calling anyone I don't know. and second where do you get off telling me I have no clue about how the cat works. After I posted this I called a garage and they said the same thing as the guy who posted a solutions cut it off and see if it runs better because with the code for the o2 sensor coming up the cat could be plugged. so thanks for you advise but next time you could just ask for the info you are looking for. I may be a women but I do know things about cars and what I am talking about. I have just never had this type of problem before. Ummmm..for one I am not calling anyone I don't know. and second where do you get off telling me I have no clue about how the cat works. After I posted this I called a garage and they said the same thing as the guy who posted a solutions cut it off and see if it runs better because with the code for the o2 sensor coming up the cat could be plugged. so thanks for you advise but next time you could just ask for the info you are looking for. I may be a women but I do know things about cars and what I am talking about. I have just never had this type of problem before.

I just wanted to say thank you for the help. The car is up and running better then it was before but the problem was a combo of a bunch of things gone wrong..ICM was bad, a couple of the plug wires were broken, one of the spark plugs was cracked, ECT sensor was bad, the throttle position sensor was way bad and the purge valve was shot, the vacuum lines for the PCV valve was broken and the catalytic converter was plugged. The only thing we changed that we don't really know was bad is the fuel pump but when we tested it it only had like 35 psi and should of had 41-47 so we are guessing it was going too..thanks again I just wanted to say thank you for the help. The car is up and running better then it was before but the problem was a combo of a bunch of things gone wrong..ICM was bad, a couple of the plug wires were broken, one of the spark plugs was cracked, ECT sensor was bad, the throttle position sensor was way bad and the purge valve was shot, the vacuum lines for the PCV valve was broken and the catalytic converter was plugged. The only thing we changed that we don't really know was bad is the fuel pump but when we tested it it only had like 35 psi and should of had 41-47 so we are guessing it was going too..thanks again

No we did not go to professional help we did this all on own on and with the help of this site and other sites. The ICM was bad as after we got it running right we swapped it out with the old one and it run like shit again, so we know that was part of the problem well either the ICM or coils we changed both. I am sorry if i offended you but in this day and age you never know who is on the other end of the line..sorry i like to take precautions...also we didn't get taken for a whole lot of money all the parts came to about $200.00 which to me is not all that bad considering what it would of been had we taken it to a professional, they like to rip people off that's why we don't use them. the car didn't seem in that bad of shape when we bought it in Jan. and really what did we want we only paid $800 for it and the body is in perfect shape... No we did not go to professional help we did this all on own on and with the help of this site and other sites. The ICM was bad as after we got it running right we swapped it out with the old one and it run like shit again, so we know that was part of the problem well either the ICM or coils we changed both. I am sorry if i offended you but in this day and age you never know who is on the other end of the line..sorry i like to take precautions...also we didn't get taken for a whole lot of money all the parts came to about $200.00 which to me is not all that bad considering what it would of been had we taken it to a professional, they like to rip people off that's why we don't use them. the car didn't seem in that bad of shape when we bought it in Jan. and really what did we want we only paid $800 for it and the body is in perfect shape...

As u found out the catalytic converter won't cause a stall, it will however cause a lack of power with a smooth idle, u must have sought out professional help because u listed a plethora of parts, this car was in bad shape, but i really doubt the ICM (igntion control module) was at fault here, they just seldom fail, am surprised u toke the car to a shop where u had to talk to folks u don't know, glad u got it fixed. I guess i took great offense to be treated like a I was some kinda weird person because i tried to help, your behavior reaction to my offer of phone help was unfair to me considering I took my own personnel time and 45 years of automotive repair experience and offered it to u free of charge, I am just a regular guy trying to help out with my skills and save u poor car knowledge poor folks some money..like getting charged for an ICM u most likely didn't need. As u found out the catalytic converter won't cause a stall, it will however cause a lack of power with a smooth idle, u must have sought out professional help because u listed a plethora of parts, this car was in bad shape, but i really doubt the ICM (igntion control module) was at fault here, they just seldom fail, am surprised u toke the car to a shop where u had to talk to folks u don't know, glad u got it fixed. I guess i took great offense to be treated like a I was some kinda weird person because i tried to help, your behavior reaction to my offer of phone help was unfair to me considering I took my own personnel time and 45 years of automotive repair experience and offered it to u free of charge, I am just a regular guy trying to help out with my skills and save u poor car knowledge poor folks some money..like getting charged for an ICM u most likely didn't need.

suit yourself. wow talk about paranoid! suit yourself. wow talk about paranoid!

I asked u to call because u don't seen to have a clue on how the cat works, cost u maybe 20 cents to call and ask for proper info I asked u to call because u don't seen to have a clue on how the cat works, cost u maybe 20 cents to call and ask for proper info