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The real, right answer is MAYBE Posted by Justin VanAbrahams [Email]  (#32) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Justin VanAbrahams) on Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:19:18
In Reply to: difference between Ca/nonCa catalytic converters?, blue87, Wed, 17 Apr 2013 17:34:55 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
A few years ago (2009, IIRC) California passed a law requiring a couple things:
1. All non-OBDII catalytic converters would carry the same amount of catalyst as OBDII converters
2. All non-OBDII converters would offer the same 5yr/50k warranty
3. No further marketing of so-called "high flow" catalytic converters. All catalytic converters must meet the same spec.
4. All catalytic converters must be tested against a baseline (which is a Crown Victoria with a 4.6l IIRC), and all passing converters must bear a California EO stamp.
The #4 thing is important, since getting that EO stamp (and passing that test) costs money. A lot. However...
Until this law was passed, thee were a lot of folks making "high flow" catalytic converters that were just cats with less catalyst. They flow more because there is less to flow through. It's not like there is magic is making these things! Related, a lot of manufacturers were making cats that were effectively designed to fail in a couple years simply because they contained less substrate. Forcing them to design a product that would reliably do the 5/50 and eliminating the evasively named "high flow" designation probably required making a more expensive product.
One would *think* that a company offering a "good product" wouldn't impacted at all by these requirements... I mean, if you're going to make a cat that will do a good job and last five years, you'd just make that product and spread the cost of the California EO testing across your whole product line. That doesn't seem to have happened... You still have California EO cats, and non-California non-EO cats for much less.
That tells me one of two things. *Either* Californians are being gouged by manufacturers that do in fact make one catalytic converter, and the one they put the EO stamp on they charge more for. OR, they are in fact making two versions of the same product - one that's better and costs more, and one that's worse and costs less.
I bet you could find the answer by cutting one of each of these cats in half, but I don't know anyone who has done that. SO, until someone does, the only answer is maybe. *Maybe* California cats are better, or maybe we're just getting screwed. :)
Believe me when I say I've done an enormous amount of research on this topic. I need to disclaim that I've had a crappy week and an enormous amount of Booker's tonight so I apologize if this post is hard to read. All that said, as annoying as the big premium we're paying here right now is, there is a real upside... Cats for pre-OBDII cars are clearly labeled, and there is no more guessing about what you're really buying. It costs more, but it's kinda nice. :D
posted by 69.62.18...
, Sun, 21 Apr 2013 08:17:23, Fri, 19 Apr 2013 09:10:19
, Fri, 19 Apr 2013 06:22:06, Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:19:18 <-- Viewing This Message
, Wed, 17 Apr 2013 18:17:19, Wed, 17 Apr 2013 20:57:33
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