1995 camaro cat problems?

[1981 ss chevy]

Ive got a 1995 camaro with a 3.4 that i drive to work.  Well yesterday once i got home i knew that it needed plugs so i got some new plugs for it gapped them to the right gap installed them and right away it started then died then wouldnt start but it was sitting on a slight hill and was kinda low on gas so put some in them it started fine.  Then later that night i went to the gas station to fill it and it would start but run super choppy so for about 5 mins then died and wouldnt start. so i popped the hood and noticed a crackling noise coming from underneath and upon looking under my car i noticed the car cat converter was red hot.  Now what could be causing this? Is the car plugged? or maybe the plugs i got are junk. they are a motorcraft plug or something else? anyone have any ideas im stumped

[1981 ss chevy]

after drilling a hole in the cat i have discovered that someone had previously hollowed it out so how would the cat even get red hot then if there is no inner "honeycomb"?

[Layne]

Sounds like its super lean. Do you have a ses light on?

[1981 ss chevy]

yes, but its on because the air bags are deployed, i hit a deer months back and today i put in a new fuel filter and now it runs fine and starts and idles and drives with plenty of power but chugs a little, maybe it needs a mass air flow sensor?

[screamin86]

make sure none of the rest of the exhaust is plugged. my cousin had a 3.4 camaro and it did something similar and there was a blckage in the muffler.

[Irish_Alley]

not sure about odbI but with obdII the air bags set off a diffrent light i know my 92 sable had its own light for the air bags

[jaredts]

I'm with Irish, I don't think airbags will set the ses light.  Go to autozone and have them scan it for trouble codes.

[1981 ss chevy]

ok will do not worth the crap with newer stuff, wish it had a carb haha
ill keep you guys updated

[1981 ss chevy]

and now ive figured out that it only does this when it has a quarter tank of gas or less

[VileZambonie]

yes, but its on because the air bags are deployed,

No

Remove the cat and inspect. It could very well have the substrate broken apart and plugging the exhaust. Once you figure that out back track and determine what caused the cat to fail before you put another one on there.

[1981 ss chevy]

i just checked the cat, stupid guy who had to car before me didnt believe in exhaust clamps, its fully welded that was fun anyway it is hollwed like i suspected and it has NO blockage anywear

and i went to oreillys after putting the cat back in place and had the ses scanned and the oreillys guy said that the scanner couldn't  read the data from the car.....whatever that means he said he has never seen that before he also said that there could be something wrong with my computer so now what? i really dont wanna start throwing parts at it any ideas

[Blazin]

I have a 95 3.4 Camaro that is OBDI. I can read it with a Snap On MODUS scanner. My cat got plugged, and I could here it hissing. The more gas I gave it the more it sounded like it was doing a bang up job of going like heck, but it had no power. I bashed the cat out, it has more power now than it ever has!