6G Celicas Forums

I need a new front Catalytic converter for my car. Its a 2.2L and is cali. emissions. Is there any difference in the front catalytic converter for a cali emissions cat. and a FED emissions cat.?

if by front, you me the cat attached to the manifold, then no, the cali spec cat has an opening for an O2 sensor that the federal model dont have (pre '96) but, the actual cat itself is the same, you can just plug the hole.

I need the second hole as my car is cali emissions. also the first cat melted away and clogged the second cat, so needless to say, both the insides have been punched out temporarily so i could get moved into school. Though i'm only replacing the first cat because i live in maine and we don't have emissions testing there and the fed emissions never came with the second cat. Thanks for the info, i will be ordering one very soon.

Since you live in maine it does not matter if you had a fed or cali spec catalytic converter.

However if you decided to moved to California, you would need to get a california spec catalytic converter because of the serial number stamped on the cat.

I assumed a needed the cali spec cat. because of the oxygen sensor right after the first cat. Won't the car run a bad fuel+air ratio if the sensor is not plugged in?

you'll have a check engine light on and not pass emissions unless all sensors are installed.

So your saying if we get a new cat we wont need the o2 sensor after it ? (In all other states besides cali)

You will need the front cat and the downstream (post-cat) O2 sensor or else the car will throw a check-engine light for "catalytic efficiency below threshhold". If your state requires there be no check engine codes to pass inspection, you're screwed and will have to have both front cat and two O2 sensors. This is because your car "knows' it has california emissions bs and will check for it. (replacing the computer with a federal one is possible but not practical, as you will also need to change the fuel injectors and maybe the distributor and throttle body)

The second cat is not monitored by the computer and will NOT set any codes. You can just get rid of it and replace it with a straight pipe, as long as your state does not have a "visual" inspection where the inspector would look for all the components being present.

I have a federal emissions gt, they come with a three-way catalytic converter.

I need to get a few facts straight regarding cat converters on a 1995 Celica:

From this thread: http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showto...35476&st=20

"most US Celicas have 2 cats (primary and secondary)- 94-95 STs have 2, 96-97 STs have one - the secondary, 94-99 GTs (94-95 cali) have 2, the 94-95 fed (non-cali) have just one, the primary."

Based on this, a '95 GT non-cali emissions vehicle has one cat, the front one coming right off the manifold in the engine bay.

From above:

"if by front, you me the cat attached to the manifold, then no, the cali spec cat has an opening for an O2 sensor that the federal model dont have (pre '96) but, the actual cat itself is the same, you can just plug the hole."

And:

"I assumed a needed the cali spec cat. because of the oxygen sensor right after the first cat. Won't the car run a bad fuel+air ratio if the sensor is not plugged in?"

This suggests if a pre '96 car has two O2 sensors (before/after the cat), it is cali-emissions.

My 1995 car was sold new in Ohio, uses the non cali-emissions style distributor & ignition, and has only one cat (the primary up front), however it has two O2 sensors, one before and one after the cat. Any ideas on what's going on?

Also, 1995 was pre OBDII. I'm told it will not throw a code/light for a bad cat (I believe it is currently clogged, but no SES light). Why the second O2 sensor then?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Couple of points. I'm talking about GT here.
1. Easiest to determine Cali vs Fed would be to look at the injectors: if the car has light green injector tops and there is a hose going from the throttle body to a port on the head b/w inj 2 and 3, then you have Cali car. If you have dark green injector tops (the part where connector plugs in) and NO hose going to the head b/w inj 2 and 3, then it's Fed emissions.
2. I've heard that some late 95 cars were build to 96 specs in preparation for going OBD2 - check your build date (on the driver's side B-pillar behind the door), and see if you have OBD2 port. 96-99 cars all had same distributor with single 2-pin connector going to it for the cam position sensor, fed or cali regardless.
3. If your car still has the original hood, check the emissions sticker - should say either "fed and canada" or "california" emissions.
4. Just because the car was sold in Ohio does not mean it's fed emissions. My 99 was a PA car with Cali emissions. Also, I called Toyota corporate to verify and they were useless. The lady on the phone assumed I had federal car based on the state it was sold in, but it was indeed a cali car. Go figure.

Hope this helps.