A bad catalytic converter can cause your vehicle to run rough and even seem to stall and hesitate around 40 to 50 miles per hour, this will feel like a ignition problem, the simplest way I found to check a cat is with a cheap infrared or temperature probe, check Amazon or Ebay, they are inexpensive enough, you don't need great accuracy , nothing expensive. The tempeture of the cat after the engine is hot will be approximately 30-40 degrees hotter on the output of the catalytic converter than the input, also the exhaust will have an odor of rotten eggs.
SOURCE: Will a bad catalytic converter
you have numerous problems to address, the cat could cause the car to smoke, but only because something is getting in it, heating up , and causing the smoke, normally if its white its due to water, and blue or gray due to a fuel issue , as far as a head gasket, if it was bad your cat could be bad too, so could the MAF sensor,, the alternator could work into this mess just due to the sensors not providing the correct signals to be sent to the computer in the car ,, but I doubt its bad , it can be simply checked, if you have a known good battery ,, use a meter and place the leads on the battery terminals, you should see a reading of between 13.5 and 14.5 volts, ( with the car running) if you do the alt is good, if not,, its probably bad,, There are two common types of mass airflow sensors in use on automotive engines. These are the vane meter and the hot wire. Neither design employs technology that measures air mass directly. However, with an additional sensor or two, the engine's air mass flow rate can be accurately determined.
Both approaches are used almost exclusively on electronic fuel injection (EFI) engines. Both sensor designs output a 0.0-5.0 volt or a pulse-width modulation (PWM) signal that is proportional to the air mass flow rate, and both sensors have an intake air temperature (IAT) sensor incorporated into their housings. When a MAF is used in conjunction with an oxygen sensor, the engine's air/fuel ratio can be controlled very accurately. The MAF sensor provides the open-loop controller predicted air flow information (the measured air flow) to the ECU, and the oxygen sensor provides closed-loop feedback in order to make minor corrections to the predicted air mass.
SOURCE: Catalytic converter shot
3 front coils? Ignition coils? If the engine had a miss for a long time the excess fuel can ruin a catalytic converter.
SOURCE: do I need a catalytic converter
Yes but there could be other causes. A sticky fuel injector, bad fuel pump etc. Other signs of a bad catalytic converter are a smelly sulphur exhaust, a very hot exhaust throwing heat from the middle of the car. Unless there's a lot of miles on your car, I'd be surprised if it were a bad Cat. Hope this answers your question. Best of luck.
Greg
SOURCE: Coils need to be replaced and VW Touareg Catalytic Converter
Call around find out. Call at least 3 repair shops to get an estimate.
SOURCE: Could a bad catalytic converter cause the vehicle
If the catalytic converter is clogged, then yes.
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