Honda Ridgeline Catalytic Converter Scrap Price – Our Investigation

In 2005, Honda entered a new era of its production and introduced the Ridgeline pickup truck. It's one of the first vehicles Honda targeted exactly for the American market and sold only in the US and Canada. The first generation was quite successful while the second lost some stats to then again gain success as the third-gen truck.

About 30,000 Ridgeline trucks have been selling each year since its introduction, so now a lot of them are ironing the roads in the United States. Given the first generation of the truck was introduced almost 20 years ago, some of these vehicles will naturally have the common problem for old cars - catalytic converter issues.

Today, we'll tell you how much you can get if you sell the cat converter from your Honda Ridgeline. Also, we'll cover some other topics that you should know. Of course, will talk about replacement, legalization, and other important features.

Let's get started!

What should you know about the Honda Ridgeline catalytic converter?

This is a mid-sized truck and its engines are not huge but also not small. The only available engine in the first generation was the legendary 3.5L V6 gasoline engine by Honda. It was modified when the vehicle was restyled but actually, nothing important changed in it. The first-gen Ridgeline has two exhaust manifolds thanks to the configuration of the engine.

The number of exhaust manifolds means a lot when we are talking about catalytic converters. Now you can easily find all cats after you learned that there are two manifolds. Each manifold has one catalytic converter near it. And also, the exhaust system has one more cat integrated into it.

Here are some facts to remember:

• each Ridgeline has three catalytic converters in its exhaust system, two are placed near the exhaust manifolds and one is located near the muffler;
• all converters are more or less the same in size and value, so there is no need to distinguish between them as pre-cats and main cats;
• these are OEM Honda converters which may or may not have serial numbers, identifying them may be a hard task for a person with no experience;
• all three converters contain a little rhodium, and also some grams of platinum and palladium in them which makes these parts valuable;
• when these converters are clogged, they stop exhaust gasses from coming through them and make the engine sputter and like choke it;
• the converters have ceramic honeycombs inside them - these honeycombs must be intact because, otherwise, the converter will not cost much money.

So, now you know that it's not that easy to identify Honda Ridgeline catalytic converters. But before spending your time and reading the article further, you should do this. Because aftermarket cat converters aren't worth your time. If you or someone else have already replaced OEM converters in your car and installed aftermarket ones, the further article doesn't make sense to you.

If you eventually understand that you have the aftermarket converter, the best thing you can do is sell it to one of the local scrapyards. The price is going to be $20 to $30 depending on the scrapyard you choose. But there is still no sense to try and find a more generous buyer. Aftermarket cats are risky and usually don't let recyclers earn a lot.

How long will the OEM cat converter live in your Ridgeline?

So, the OEM Honda catalytic converter in the Ridgeline can survive at least 100,000 miles or about 12 years. We've seen Ridgeline SUVs with more than 200K miles on them and the cat converters were still OEM. It means that these cats shouldn't be broken too fast. But when they are clogged, you can't do anything. Just take sell the old converter and install the new one if you are going to use the vehicle after that.

Well, some Ridgeline owners ask what exactly kills their converters. The answer is pretty simple:

• overheating of your engine;
• too high level of engine oil;
• engine misfiring;
• bad quality of gasoline;
• oxygen sensor failing;
• physical damage.

Even if you just drive in a deep puddle, you can damage the hot converter. This part is pretty hot when you drive the vehicle and the cold water will rapidly change the temperature inside and shock the materials. This can lead to the gradual deterioration of the part.

How much is the Honda Ridgeline OEM converter scrap?

We've come to the most interesting part. But we can't give you any certain numbers because there are a lot of criteria that may change the price. Anyway, the average current price of a scrap catalytic converter from the Honda Ridgeline should be about $180 for a single converter. It means that the whole set should cost about $500. Not bad, you may think!

But read on to find out why you shouldn't be so optimistic.

First of all, let's see what can change the price of your catalytic converter:

• changing price for precious metals on the market;
• condition of your catalytic converter (bad damages, for example);
• the type and size of the converter as well as its origin;
• the way you sell the converter and the buyer.

So, you can't change much but you can choose the buyer. Sometimes, it may change everything. For example, you can sell the catalytic converter to a recycling company twice as expensive as to one of the local scrapyards. And when we were talking about average prices above in this article, we were taking exactly the average offered prices from recycling companies.

So, now you should know a little more about how you can sell your Honda Ridgeline catalytic converter and who you should choose as a buyer.

Who will buy your Ridgeline scrap converter?

Among buyers of catalytic converters, we may think of scrapyards, exhaust shops, car mechanics, private buyers, and small local businesses. Also, you can sell a converter on eBay which is not a bad idea but the catalytic converter should be working. Otherwise, no one will buy it.

But all those sellers are not good enough and they will only want to earn some money when reselling your catalytic converter. You can still sell a cat converter at a higher price if you choose one of the recycling companies.

Here's how you can sell the Ridgeline scrap converter to a recycling company:

• first, take the converter off the car and clean it to see the numbers or logos;
• then, weigh it in and write down the weight;
• take pictures of the converter;
• find websites that belong to recycling companies that buy catalytic converters;
• use those websites to send your pictures and information about the converter;
• get price offers and choose the best one.

One important thing to remember is that different recycling companies will offer different prices. It means you should find several companies to then choose the best price offer. Also, pay attention to shipping costs. It's really cool when the company pays those shipping costs for you.

Unfortunately, the average price may change every week, so we can't give you any more precise information on Ridgeline converter prices. But using the guideline in this article, you can easily learn the up-to-date prices from recycling companies and spend just an hour or two on that.

Will you need a replacement converter?

Yes, if you decide to delete the catalytic converter, you will have to install something instead of it. It's illegal in most American states to drive your vehicle without a properly working catalytic converter. This is checked in a special emission test or fog test. If they see that the car doesn't have a cat where it should be, they will not even complete the test procedure. And you will have to pay a fine.

Unfortunately, the OEM converter for the Ridgeline may cost about $1,500 for one single part. So, many owners will choose to buy an aftermarket converter that may cost $200 to $500 depending on the quality.

Now you see that it's impossible to earn money after you sell the old converter. But at least, you may reduce the amount of money you spend on the new converter.

Final words

We've tried to show you everything you should know about the scrap catalytic converter business. If you own the Honda Ridgeline, now you know for sure what you should do if the old catalytic converter isn't working anymore. The best idea is to take it off the truck and sell it to one of the recycling companies. Just choose the one that offers the best price.

Also, you've learned that recycling companies are always the best buyers because all other buyers just want to resell your catalytic converter and earn some money. You can get this money by yourself, you will just need to find the best buyer by following the simple guide we've provided you with above.