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I'm new to civics, but am buying a friends 94 ex. He says the cat is backed up. When cold, it idles and runs fine, but once up to operating temp, and you cut it off, it will not start. It tries to start, but sounds as if it's "loading up", and will try to idle at abut 4 or 500 rpm, but when you give it gas, it dies. When the car cools off, it will start and run normally... Does this sound like the cat, or something else? No cel's are on. I'm gonna buy the car regardless of what the problem is, I'd just like to know what direction to go with this problem. Car has 145k, and has been maintained well.

 
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Doesn't sound like the cat to me. My boy's 93 had a rattle coming from his. 1/2 of the honeycomb was broken into bits. On his, there are disks of honeycomb. At least there were. I just took off his and hanked out the broken pieces and the mesh "gasket" that seals the honeycomb against the walls of the cat. His had no running issues at all.

Anyway, I don't think it's the cat. It'd be easy enough to find out though. Just bust up the honeycomb in the cat. If you have to pass smog inspection, that cat won't do it for you anyway.