pacinitaly

Hello all,
I Don't want to spend $3100 to replace cats.

I have been getting the sulfur smell for over 500miles. (hot / cold ) when I hit
the gas a bit harder than usual.

I was told it may be the cats. no codes. no red glow (that I can see ) have used prem fuel 99.8% of the time. ( a couple of times I put reg fuel 5gals to see the diff in mpg )

is it true when the cats go, the car will just stall and then they have to be replaced?

I have 113000 on the car everything has been done except the brake fluid change yet.

I feel bad to trade it in to have someone else get the problem ( also dealer wants to only give me $10K F them )

in the rotten state i live in there is no inspection. can I just pull the cats and just use a pipe in it's place? --prob throw codes but will the car run the same?

thanks for reading

stay well friends

Carmine

ps.... happy belated holidays and new year

str8evl

Here are a few ideas if they are valuable.

1st i'd probably look for a totalled ls or used set of cats. thats a huge price for some cats to be replaced.

also your car probably won't run at max efficiency with cat codes for o2 being off.

scottgolf

yes, str8evl is right, usually start dumping gas and running rich.

Is it possible to take it to an exhaust shop? they are usually a lot less than the dealer, but I don't know about quality

Shiryo

For that price... Could just get a fully custom exhaust and some flowmaster high-flow cats or something...

warminwisc

250-300 on line each after a quick check. Waht year is your car they will give ya 10 g's

Boomer01

That smell is common. I have had similar smells. It has something to do with the way the cats work. Unless they are throwing codes, you're fine.

votru

iTrader: (7)

Agree with Boomer01 since no codes...............................check for gasket leak.
I'm also don't trust Ebay CATs as they may not last very long or throw code after install. Look into the classified ad or purchase use OEM CATs from Yahoo Auction Japan (very cheap) and route I took if have to replace CATs since Houston ban selling CATs due to thief.

Forbidden

I agree with the above comment. If you going to spend that kind of money might as well do something custom

alredxiii

iTrader: (13)

I replaced the right cat on 99ls400 after market and installed at a muffler shop for 380.00 inc installation then sold the veh.

xsbc63x

check rock auto, or aftermarket. should be much cheaper.

pacinitaly

2003 ultra

good idea


thank you all for the advice

pacinitaly

hi again

2 repair shops said $1800-2300

smell is now every time i get on freeway or push abit hard on gas

no one will just remove cats and put a pipe in it's place.

avg of 22mpg got a wild 29mpg up/down fl-ny ny-fl

new car or fix it ?

soon, the bags may go. to change to reg struts $2200 or $4300 for airbags.


ps it hit 37 deg here today and my leather seat has a nice 6" rip
happy new year

Kansas

I probably wouldn't do it today but back in 1970's I had a muffler shop fabricate a pipe so I could temporarily remove the catalytic converter on my brand new Volvo - the first car model with a catalytic converter sold in the U.S.

I wanted to take the car on a several thousand mile driving vacation during a period where there was a shortage of unleaded gas without having to worry about finding unleaded fuel and ruining the cat. The muffler shop had no qualms about fabricating the pipe but they would not install it. It took me only a few minutes to remove the cat and bolt in the new pipe.

I can't imagine a muffler shop refusing to frabricate pipes to replace your cats but I sure can understand why they would not accept the liability of installing them.

There's no way I would do something like this today - unless there was another shortage of unleaded fuel ... and that's not going to happen.

rael

I've had that problem in the past, especially if I don't use top tier gasoline. Have you tried a different brand of fuel?

pacinitaly

hello

I only use shell 93, BP 93, cheveron 93 ? , mobil 91, suocco 94

the NY run I only stop at shell 93

thanks


Carmine