2002 SL1 sounds like someone strangling a cat.

[Loanshark]

I usually pretend there's and egg between my foot and the excellerator. But today I pressed a bit harder than normal going up a hill. The car downshifted and the engine sounded bad... The sound is hard to describe... Didn't seem to make much more power with the higher RPMs... What do the experts reccomend I check first?

[magtec]

can you record the noise for us?

[Loanshark]

I can try. Dunno if it will be picked up...

[mansaturn]

cat-strangling whine that varies with engine rpm can often be low trans. fluid. check the trans. fluid level immediately. if it is low, and you must drive it, at least fill it to the proper level so you don't burn up the trans. find the leak (usually the external spin-on filter needs to be replaced), and fix it before driving.

[Loanshark]

The fluids are all good, and I haven't been able to reproduce the sound... I had an 83 ford escort with 68hp that wasn't much worse at maintaining speed going up a slight grade... What should I be checking?

[mansaturn]

there is an odd appropriateness to your description. if your trans. fluid is definitely not low, you might have a partially clogged cat (catalytic converter). the blockage in the exhaust can cause an unusual sound, and the car will often run ok under low rpms and loads, but stumble or fall flat or lose power when
accelerating harder.

[Loanshark]

Originally Posted by mansaturn

there is an odd appropriateness to your description. if your trans. fluid is definitely not low, you might have a partially clogged cat (catalytic converter). the blockage in the exhaust can cause an unusual sound, and the car will often run ok under low rpms and loads, but stumble or fall flat or lose power when
accelerating harder.

I thought of that after I typed it in. I said to myself they're gonna tell me that my cat is strangling my engine...

With the high miles I'm leery of mashing the pedal, so how do I check the condition of my cat? Should I just remove it? Cash is tight so I'll be looking for a cheap fix if there is one...

[madpogue]

Quickest test - remove (don't just unplug, but REMOVE) the front oxygen sensor from the exhaust manifold. Take it for a short, LOUD drive. The sensor is just coincidental; all you're doing is providing an alternate exhaust path (think of it as an emergency tracheotomy). If performance improves, that suggests a restriction.

Your car being a 2002, does it have a pre-cat? Look at the exhaust manifold; if it looks like it swallowed a whole can of ham, it has the pre-cat. And that's the one that is most often the clogged one. You can gut it out without any impact on the engine's operation (and it won't set a code).