Solved: Loud Rumbling & Tailpipe Smoke (3rd Gen 2017 Tacoma)

Here you go:

 

My guess is someone got the cats off of one bank.

 

Run it, wiggle underneath and look/listen.

 

Well shit, I guess you guys were right. ONE of the cats was chopped off sometime during the day. Can't believe I missed it the first time looking under. Color me hasty to criticize the car for breaking on me already. This is the driver's side catalytic converter that has been chopped.

Pics:

 

What's the typical repair cost for this? I'd imagine cost of new pipe section and cat? Should I get this done at the dealer or at a private shop?

 

File a police report first.

Second, call your insurance company, as this was a theft. Cats can be expensive, not sure if it's cheaper than your deductible.

Note the police report number with the insurance company as well.

 

You don't want to know lol. Catalytic converters, especially OEM ones, are crazy expensive. Toyota wanted almost $3,000 to replace the two of them on my 04, and that was 5 years ago. In the last couple years, platinum and palladium prices have skyrocketed (the metals used in cat converters) which is why cat theft is rampant lately, and they are even more expensive to replace than they used to be.

You can get cheap aftermarket cats but they won't last long, and if you live somewhere with strict smog inspections you need to get the 50 state compliant ones. Which of course are more $$$.

 

if it was me.... and considering it happened once... i would go to a shop and get the pipes connected and to hell with the theifs. Dont give them another set to steal.

 

Yeaaaaa uhh that's a pretty hefty fine for doing that.

 

its very possible he doesnt live where there are visual inspections and the second cats missing wont throw a code. Go hug a tree.

 

as long as you can pass inspection if you are in a place that has those

 

That sucks.

Note that the rear cats are not monitored by the ECU. You can go straight pipe, but you would want to do that on both sides for engine back pressure balance.

 

Curious where you live OP so I can be sure I dont go there.

 

That idea might work for now but what about when the owner goes to sell it or trade it in? Could you pawn this off on someone else without divulging this info? File the police report and see if your insurance is of any use. It sucks but just cobbling something together half-assed and then passing the buck to the next owner somewhere down the road is just bad karma.

 

So I'm a tree hugger huh? Far from it, but ok...



Even in non-emissions or inspection states it is more than likely illegal. Muffler shops would refuse to do anything as such when I lived in Mississippi, and they don't inspect shit or do emissions.

 

Again, file a police report. This stuff gets tracked now, and most larger departments have a task force setup for cat thefts as they tend to be part of larger organized crime. This will also aid you with your insurance company.

 

MSRP on that part looks to be about $1024. You should be able to get it cheaper than that if you shop dealers. It looks like a pretty easy bolt in installation.

 

It might have been a bolt on before but look at his pictures. Loos like a Sawzall was used to take it off. Going to take more than a couple of fasteners to make it right. Likely needs the pipes on either side of the cat to bring it back to OEM. If filing a claim get it fixed right.

 

people pay money to remove those pipes and install upgraded y pipes.
https://www.autoanything.com/exhaus...GeZrEWaw_iDnHwiOuEpG3bzqtu4a50IwaAnkREALw_wcB

 

might as well make this shitty event into an upgrade opportunity!