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View Full Version : car spewed out molten metal last night

hotdog19d
12-29-2004, 09:37 PM
Last night I was heading to work and my car started cutting out, and I looked behind me and it had litteraly shot out of the exhaust some molten pieces of crap it was dark so it looked like a fireworks display. I pulled over and the entire cat and behind it was red hot. I took some pics but it had time to cool down before I could get some. After further investigation I found that my post-cat O2
sensor had been unplugged . Could that have done it?
bimmerboi318
12-30-2004, 12:28 AM
From the sounds of it, the substrate in the cat melted down. A big, nasty, constant misfire (one that just POURS gas down the exhaust) could do that. Maybe an unplugged O2 sensor could do that too... I would think the check engine light would be going berzerk though. The crap in the cat pretty much burns unused fuel. If there's too much fuel, it can overheat. It also does other stuff like reduce NOx emissions, but the big thing is the unburned fuel (hydrocarbon) emissions. How many miles do you have? Maybe you can get it warrantied.
hotdog19d
12-30-2004, 01:51 AM
I have 133,000
E36bimmer
01-31-2005, 09:19 PM
hotness
bimmer95
01-31-2005, 09:59 PM
The second o2 sensor doesn't effect the mixture at all, it's only there to monitor the effectiveness of the cat. It's suprizing that you didn't throw a CEL for the second o2 sensor being disconnected previously though.
BMWDRIFTER
02-01-2005, 03:10 AM
someone may have taken the bulb out for the CEL, dealer trick. Or it may be burned out. as 95 said, the rears only function is to monitor the Post cat emissions. You may now have most of the cat stopping up the rest of the exhaust.
hotdog19d
02-01-2005, 03:24 PM
The second o2 sensor doesn't effect the mixture at all, it's only there to monitor the effectiveness of the cat. It's suprizing that you didn't throw a CEL for the second o2 sensor being disconnected previously though.

I can't believe you have never posted on here before.
bimmer95
02-01-2005, 03:31 PM
I can't believe you have never posted on here before.
Never made it over here until yesterday :blink:
1996 328ti
02-01-2005, 07:40 PM
Never made it over here until yesterday :blink:
Well it is about #$#^# time! ;)
I think we are developing a nice little community.
Away from BMW elitists!:x
hotdog19d
02-01-2005, 08:52 PM
Away from BMW elitists!:x

Watch it Steven he still has an M3 as well. :)
1996 328ti
02-02-2005, 02:08 AM
He is an enthusiast. Not elitist.
I find with some people there is a pecking order in 3 Series owners.
M3--> 325/328--> 318--> 318ti
You can see it whenever someone posts a message about a ti on anyother board.
bimmer95
02-02-2005, 02:49 AM
You're right Steven, those guys drive me nuts. They never factor in the usefulness of the hatchback and how light the chassis is. Even stock a 5-speed 318ti will give a 325 a run... SCed they're no match :)
lkwd318ti
02-02-2005, 04:02 AM
Seriously, it seems like everybody looks down on the ti :no:
I don't get it, our cars are practically a Z3 with a different body shell...isn't it?
and yeah...Z3s are cool too haha.
Hey Bimmer95 I've seen your posts on other forums, aren't you from understeer.com or something?
bimmer95
02-02-2005, 04:06 AM
I don't get it, our cars are practically a Z3 with a different body shell...isn't it?
Or an E30 M3 with a different body.... and less HP... no one complains about the "horrible" rear suspension on them.

Hey Bimmer95 I've seen your posts on other forums, aren't you from understeer.com or something?
Yup, that's my site.