catalytic converter geting red hot and no power

[m.d.]

Someone put sugar in my gas tank so I had it worked on at the Dodge place they replaced my fuel pump..fuel filter cleaned the tank..flushed the lines cleaned my injectors and replaced the plugs..I went to
pick it up I barely made it a mile down the road I had no power and a lady flagged me down to tell me to pull over because I had sparks coming from the bottom of my van I looked under the van and the catalytic converter was red like hit coals the Dodge place is telling me its my flex plate? I think they are misdiagnosing the issue because before the sugar issue I had no problems with my van???? Can someone please help??

[aleekat]

Didn't give the year or motor. Plugged cat or bad knock sensor. Any codes?

[m.d.]

Its a 2003 Dodge caravan I think its 6 cylinder sorry not sure of motor but I havnt been able to make sense of the Dodge places explanation of what the probleml is they say its the flex plate but I've never been showed a code I have had no problems out of this van until the sugar got put in my tank and the Dodge place worked
on it

[aleekat]

See if you can find your knock sensor and check the connection. This may help:

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/rep...96b43f802d73a8

[StreetShotz]

Your cat is clogged. Common thing to happen when you get sugar in the tank.

The reason its glowing red is because all the heat is getting trapped in the cat and its overheating.
Quick fix, drop the exhaust and punch out the cat material with a hammer and screwdriver.
Long term fix, you need a new cat.

If it were a bad sensor you would have a check engine light so thats pretty easy to rule out.
The flex plate will do nothing for emissions systems in your car.
I would suggest you take it to a good muffler shop and have them inspect it for you.

SS

[m.d.]

Thanks the Dodge place said that I could try to change the converter but they keep insisting that it had nothng to do with the sugar being in the tank amd that its the flex plate I think they aren't doin there job and just tryn to get more money for unesscary work

[m.d.]

And I can't drive the van to take it anywhere it'll barely go 15 MPH and that's with my foot all the way on the pedal to the floor

[RIP]

Been cruising multiple forums for 8 years nearly every day and have yet to read about a flexplate causing a cat to glow and I've read many posts about cracked flex plates. Normally they are associated with various crankshaft sensor codes, ticking/scraping noises and stuttering or stalling. That said, I would think if the flex plate were indeed at fault, you would be seeing one of the other symptoms.

Your cat is clogged. A shop can verify it by checking the pre and post cat pressure.

[aleekat]

Originally Posted by m.d.

And I can't drive the van to take it anywhere it'll barely go 15 MPH and that's with my foot all the way on the pedal to the floor

This is pretty symptomatic of a plugged up cat. If you have the ability. Look at the cat. Most have a removable plug/bung for testing. If you can get it off, try running it that way see if it improves. Before I would let that shop do any work.

[m.d.]

Ok thanks I was wanting to take it for a second opinion because they are telling me that the sugar in the gas tank wouldn't have anything to do with the catalytic converter that its the flex plate that is causing it to overheat it..my point is it wasn't running like that before hand..they are saying its my fault for driving it with the sugar in the tank well I didn't know it was in there at first..they assured me the sugar never made it past my pump and filter..I can't driver it due to having no power and with the catalytic converter turning red hot so its still sitting at the Dodge place

[aleekat]

If you google sugar in gas, you'll see this has been a myth for a long time. Sugar doesn't dissolve in gas. So that part they are correct. The cat issue can be just coincidence. I do agree with Rip, if it was the flex plate you would be hearing something.

[Bill Grissom]

The dealer guys sound like idiots. I had a cracked flex-plate. The engine ran fine, it just made noises. It is easy to check for a plugged catalytic converter, using a vacuum gage on the intake manifold. This has been done for decades, long before converters (plugged mufflers). Find a decent mechanic. A plugged exhaust will cause exactly your symptoms. With air flow choked, you get no power.

I also read that sugar in the gas causing problems is a myth. Usually, what plugs converters is too much fuel makes them run hot and the ceramic melts. "Converter don't die, they are murdered" is the Car Talk guys line. If you just change the converter, the next one will quickly be murdered. Find the culprit, which is likely the degraded fuel injector harness wires. Search and you will find photos. Common, and easy to fix.

[m.d.]

You are correct the Dodge place towed it to a muffler shop today cause if they had done the job it would've cost me so much money so they were trying to be consideret and take it yo a place that'd be ch eaper anyway the muffler shop called said that the catty was burned up he replaced it but its still running the exactly the same and it hadvto be towed back because if it gets drove its just going burn back up again the Dodge place is acting like they have no idea what's goin on and swear its the flex plate..urrhh I'm so frustrated at this point cause I'm dealer with the insurance company as well.

[Bill Grissom]

I'm guessing you didn't bother to read my post. Whatever murdered your first catalytic converter will murder the new one. Sounds like you haven't checked the fuel injector wires or looked for the many posts about that with photos. Bad wires could keep an injector spraying all the time, which would pass raw fuel to burn up in the cat. It would also eventually cause cylinder wear.

The way a bad flex-plate could cause this is by messing up the spark timing pickup on the "toner ring" which is welded to the outside of the flex-plate. My car still ran with the flex-plate cracked all the way around and rotated 20 deg, so I doubt that is the problem. It might also cause mis-fire. But much less likely to pass enough unburned fuel to the cat to melt it.

[m.d.]

No Bill guess I didn't bother to read your post since I already had taken it to have the converter replaced..if u don't like how I write don't read my post.
I didnt realize it was a grammar lession i thought it was an open forum for questions
about vehicles not smart rude remarks..so u have a good day