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You may have a plugged catalytic converter. Or some other restriction not allowing the engine to breathe. I’m pretty sure those Malibu’s don’t have a downstream o2 sensor to monitor catalyst efficiency. If it turns out to be a cat converter, remember that this is a symptom of another problem. Cats don’t die, they’re murdered. 🙂 It could be getting too much fuel, or the car is burning excessive amounts of coolant or oil. A vacuum leak will cause your engine to starve for fuel and run hot, which can also cause your cat to melt down from heat.
Double and triple check your work with the fuel injectors. If they aren’t installed correctly you will have all sorts of issues. Make sure you connected every vacuum line properly and in the correct locations.
The engine may have been burning coolant with the bad LIM gaskets. That will kill a cat. Whenever I have a GM car with bad LIM gaskets I always go further and sell head gaskets. Never had a comeback as a result.
Don’t let ANYONE discourage you from learning. In today’s flat rate shops it can be hard to do any learning. That coupled with shop owners/foreman who won’t let new hires do any diagnostic work. I agree with what SpawnedX said about going hourly to start. This is CRITICAL. Going flat rate straight away will most likely just discourage you right out of the trade. I recommend finding a smaller independent shop to start out in. If you choose a dealership, find out about factory training and see what that dealerships policy is about sending newer hires out for factory training. If they invest in you, they will be more reluctant to let you go in the future.
When it comes to buying tools, you don’t need to start out with Snap-On, or Mac or Matco. Spend your money wisely, only buying tools that will save you time. A Husky screwdriver from Home Depot will do EXACTLY the same thing as a Snap-On screwdriver. If you’re in the US, try Harbor Freight. If you’re in Canada, try Princess Auto. There are many national parts store chains that will have plenty of good tools as well. Don’t forget to pop into a pawn shop or two from time to time. Plenty of good used tools in those places.
The best advice to you would be learn from the people you work with. Keep an open mind, and never think that you know everything. Those grumpy old guys you work with are the way they are to test if you are committed to learning. They don’t want to waste their time on someone who doesn’t care to learn.
If you find that you really aren’t learning after you’ve been in a work environment and when you bring it to the attention of management and you find they aren’t doing anything to help, well, there’s a reason our toolboxes have wheels.
Take Care!
Don’t let ANYONE discourage you from learning. In today’s flat rate shops it can be hard to do any learning. That coupled with shop owners/foreman who won’t let new hires do any diagnostic work. I agree with what SpawnedX said about going hourly to start. This is CRITICAL. Going flat rate straight away will most likely just discourage you right out of the trade. I recommend finding a smaller independent shop to start out in. If you choose a dealership, find out about factory training and see what that dealerships policy is about sending newer hires out for factory training. If they invest in you, they will be more reluctant to let you go in the future.
When it comes to buying tools, you don’t need to start out with Snap-On, or Mac or Matco. Spend your money wisely, only buying tools that will save you time. A Husky screwdriver from Home Depot will do EXACTLY the same thing as a Snap-On screwdriver. If you’re in the US, try Harbor Freight. If you’re in Canada, try Princess Auto. There are many national parts store chains that will have plenty of good tools as well. Don’t forget to pop into a pawn shop or two from time to time. Plenty of good used tools in those places.
The best advice to you would be learn from the people you work with. Keep an open mind, and never think that you know everything. Those grumpy old guys you work with are the way they are to test if you are committed to learning. They don’t want to waste their time on someone who doesn’t care to learn.
If you find that you really aren’t learning after you’ve been in a work environment and when you bring it to the attention of management and you find they aren’t doing anything to help, well, there’s a reason our toolboxes have wheels.
Take Care!
I hate doing fuel and brake lines. This is only an issue in climates that require salt in the winter. Rots them right through on most cars in about 10 years. Replacing any fluid lines suck here where rust is a major factor.
I didn’t mind alignments because so many of todays cars have only toe adjustment.
Warranty work really has taken a turn for the worse in the last 5 years or so. Getting paid less than half retail to replace some poorly manufactured component. It’s one of the largest reasons I left the dealership environment. It leaves NO room for quality. Replacing short blocks due to block porosity or re-ringing pistons on a car less than 2 years old for peanuts is not my idea of a decent living.
The plastics on modern cars are a fragile hopeless joke as well.
I hate doing fuel and brake lines. This is only an issue in climates that require salt in the winter. Rots them right through on most cars in about 10 years. Replacing any fluid lines suck here where rust is a major factor.
I didn’t mind alignments because so many of todays cars have only toe adjustment.
Warranty work really has taken a turn for the worse in the last 5 years or so. Getting paid less than half retail to replace some poorly manufactured component. It’s one of the largest reasons I left the dealership environment. It leaves NO room for quality. Replacing short blocks due to block porosity or re-ringing pistons on a car less than 2 years old for peanuts is not my idea of a decent living.
The plastics on modern cars are a fragile hopeless joke as well.