Guys,

What's a good way of diagnosing a bad secondary cat? Smell? loss of power? Visual Inspection?

My car builds boost fast as always. A/T does not shift as crisp as it used to, that's the only thing that I've noticed that has changed performance wise. Like it pauses before it up-shifts.

I've got a tranny cooler. I've got open dump WG and it still regulates boost very well -turbo still flattens out at higher rpm's just as it always has. I'm not pushing it hard enough to excercise the tranny at all.

I'm thinking of doing a little experiment with the mid-pipe... but before I open the can of woopass on the mid-pipe I'll ask for some opinions.

 

If it's the catalytic that's going, you'd be able to tell by the scent of your exhaust. It wouldn't radiate a stink unless it was...like..melting.

The problem depends on the smell. Should probably take it into a shop and have'em check the tranny, as that would be my first guess. You may have a transmission cooler, but there is still a hell of a lot more stress on it than stock.

 

How long has the roasted smell been going on? Mine had a smell of burning flesh once I recieved it back from the paint shop but I'm assuming thats because something crawlled up and died in my exhaust...what a horrid smell it gave off. Only for about 2 days though and it went away and never came back.

 

The car has only been boosted since September. Maybe my tranny is going bad I guess time will tell.

 

well if the cat is melting or cracking up u can look at the boost/vac gauge and when its idling it will usually be around 20 in hg. , well it will be around 10 in hg. if the cat is not flowing . u can also tap on the cat with a dead blow hammer to see if it rattles , if it does it is cracked .

 

You're right about the smell of an un-catted exhaust. Get the car warmed up and put your hand in the exhaust stream. Smell your hand. If it smells like fuel, you're either a.) running rich or b.) catless.

Regardless of what's making the stink, you might want to start checking your tranny fluid on a regular basis. If your shifts have changed it may have gotten hot enough to cook and alter its viscosity. A flush might be in order.

I drive a manual, but I have towed a 2500lb trailer behind a 2.2l subaru from WI to NH. And back again.

 

u may have dropped a lit roach under your seat.

 

Transmission +1.

Once had a friend go reverse and without stopping, slap the shifter into D. A horrible burning smell emanated from the car for a good twenty minutes.

 

I suspect tranny. Does the smell have a sweetness to it? Sweetness with a touch of chemical smell? When you get out of your car you should walk around the car to see if you can locate the area of the smell. Go sniffin around your bay too. If its the tranny then I dont know, get some valve body upgrades and maybe a new torque converter if its chewed up.