Truck Maintenance

[QuarterMillionMan]

Engine light came on for my brand new 2024 Chevy Trailblazer which I bought in November 2024. Too dark at almost midnight in Los Angeles to diagnose it so tomorrow I find out. I hope it's just a cheap sensor and not a $5000 catalytic convertor with my last 2018 Dodge. I cannot seem to escape the dreaded engine light.

[QuarterMillionMan]

If only you had put out this issue of your's 2 years ago. I would have changed both the catalytic converter and the exhaust manifold at the same time 2 years ago and be done with it.

[myrdale]

Noticed the mounting flange is 2 pieces when it should be 1 piece which caused the crack in between pipe 2 and pipe 3., wow.

That is similar to the issue I had with the Frontier. The exhaust manifold had cracked. Unfortunately I chose to replace it along with other repairs, just before the transmission started giving me issues and I finally traded for the Tacoma.

I am still suspicious if issues with the catalytic converter could have put some back pressure on the exhaust manifold or not. I will never know.

[QuarterMillionMan]

One last food for thought on a PO420 diagnostic code which indicates a faulty catalytic converter. Whoever wrote this diagnosis should have generalized the diagnosis to a faulty exhaust system rather than saying a faulty catalytic converter which sort of put blinders on the mechanics eyes only focusing on the catalytic converter. By generalizing the diagnosis to the entire exhaust system rather than just the catalytic converter it would require the mechanics to put on their thinking caps to pinpoint the problem rather than being lazy and just saying the catalytic converter is faulty. Okay I am done ranting.

[QuarterMillionMan]

Hindsight is 20/20 but as I think back both the Dodge dealership and Pepboys should have started with the cheapest repair which would have been replacing the exhaust manifold vs the catalytic converter. I would have been okay paying $350 for labor and $300 for a new manifold rather than $4000 Pepboys or $5000 Dodge dealership for a catalytic converter which was still good. Imagine if I paid the $4000 or $5000 the first time and the problem reoccurred then paying another $4000 or $5000 a second time and problem would still have been the cheaper fix the exhaust manifold. I would have been livid.

[ua_guy]

Glad it's fixed, at least... Diagnosis isn't always straightforward, and nobody likes paying $100-$150+/hr for someone to track down the problem. They want an immediate solution, an obvious answer. Diagnosis via the parts-cannon can be expensive, i.e. replace stuff until you find the defective part..

My Jeep, which is under warranty, is going to the shop this week. Electrical issue. If I could diagnose this one myself, I would... I hate taking vehicles to the dealer. It's such a time sink.

[QuarterMillionMan]

I stand corrected a new one has that same break in the center.

https://www.quirkparts.com/oem-parts/mopar-exhaust-manifold-4693321ad?origin=pla&msclkid=cc0c06d9b4c3173b451061c4d306b140&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Shopping%20%7C%20Max%20%7C%20Mopar&utm_term=4577747948244742&utm_content=Ad%20group%20%231

[QuarterMillionMan]

Noticed the mounting flange is 2 pieces when it should be 1 piece which caused the crack in between pipe 2 and pipe 3., wow.

[QuarterMillionMan]

[QuarterMillionMan]

Huge crack in the exhaust manifold. Paid Pepboys $450 for installation which I supplied the new exhaust manifold ($300) from Parts Geek along with gaskets and bolts which was worth it. 2 years ago both the Dodge dealership ($5000) and Pepboys ($4000) diagnosed the problem as a faulty catalytic converter. At that time I bought an after market catalytic converter for $1000 along with $250 installation. Both the Dodge dealership and Pepboys 2 years ago had missed diagnosed the problem. It was only until the 2nd time my engine light threw the code PO420 where I got another $1000 after market and paid a muffler guy $350 to install it last week he correctly diagnosed the problem as a leaking exhaust manifold. I have the old exhaust manifold and clearly can see a crack in it which was the cause and not the catalytic converter. It took 3 professional repair shops to finally diagnose the problem correctly.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I love the fact that someone on the internet off a chat board is your armchair mechanic way better than reddit

[kork13]

Today I paid $350 installation for the $1000 catalytic converter. Mechanic thinks my exhaust manifold is warped and leaking exhaust fumes which may be causing the error codes and not the catalytic converter causing it. I can hear the exhaust leaking. Order from Rockauto $300 Mopar manifold, $30 Mopar manifold gasket, and $10 Walker 4-bolt flange gasket for the inlet to the catalytic converter flange. Mechanic said same price when I get the parts next week for the installation.

Sounds like you're playing "ready, fire, aim" with some pretty expensive parts/installs, going about repairs backward -- ordering parts before you even know what the problem really is. I'm sure your mechanic appreciates the work, but your wallet can't be enjoying it.

[QuarterMillionMan]

Today I paid $350 installation for the $1000 catalytic converter. Mechanic thinks my exhaust manifold is warped and leaking exhaust fumes which may be causing the error codes and not the catalytic converter causing it. I can hear the exhaust leaking. Order from Rockauto $300 Mopar manifold, $30 Mopar manifold gasket, and $10 Walker 4-bolt flange gasket for the inlet to the catalytic converter flange. Mechanic said same price when I get the parts next week for the installation.

[QuarterMillionMan]

In Arizona $99. In California $999.

[QuarterMillionMan]

Good call ua_guy.