kbearmoney

My car has been running great with no issues, but I took it in for regular 6 month check up and received unexpected news. I have a 02' ES300 that I was told needs a catalytic converter because of a code that came up. He said that to pass inspection this code would have to clear. I haven't spoke to my mechanic yet, but he left me a message saying that I needed it and it would cost about $985. I called Lexus to get the part number, thinking that aftermarket would be the way to go to lower cost; but they said it's only $349.92. So, how much work goes into replacing this thing. Is it $635 worth of work.

As an afterthought: What's the purpose of a Catalytic converter?

BDSL

Catalytic converter is to convert unburnt fuel to CO2 and H2O...I think..

An aftermarket Cat would cost anywhere from $150-$400.
Labour is less than 1 hour.

BradTank

So it wasn't an issue when you brought the car in, but thankfully the code just happen to be thrown while the car was getting a check up?

I think you're getting hosed, and just because that code is thrown doesn't necessarily mean it automatically needs a new catalytic converter. It could be several other issues, like an exhaust leak or simply need a new O2 sensor.

The whole thing sounds fishy to me, I'd get a second opinion.

$1000 is also high for that job, that's close to what a Lexus dealer would charge. You could probably have a muffler shop weld in an aftermarket converter and be out the door for under $200.

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

If there is a "cat" problem, the code will always be on, which in turn would light up your Check Engine Light. Do you have a check engine light?

If you do, find another shop to scan it for you.

Lastly, I have a few questions for you.

Where did you go to get a check up? How many miles are on your '02 ES? How long have you owned the car for? Do you do a lot of short trips(less than 10 miles)? And finally, what kind of maitenance have you done and how often do you service the car?

kbearmoney

I've had the car for a couple of years now. Previously, owned by one other person. I have all maintenance and repair records since 02' from him, as well as everything that I've done. Last year the check engine light came on and I took it to be serviced. I got a new water pump, starter, brakes, oil change, etc. Cost me like 1500-1600, don't remember exactly. The light was off but came back on a few mins later, after leaving the shop. I called and was told that sometimes with a lex the light stays on and it's fine, unless I wanna pay a lot of money to get it turned off. So, it's been on but I've had no problems. I've been getting my car services from a shop that specializes in foreign cars. I've had a bmw, and then a mercedes before crashing the latter and getting the lex. So, I've been with the same people for about 5 yrs. Only once, did I think they screwed up but, I'm not sure and I felt comfortable going back to them. But this $985 got me concerned. I guess they went up on their labor prices because they also quoted me $250 for rear pads and rotors, where another shop quoted $175. As for the miles, I believe its about 150k. I drive this car almost everyday doing short trips at around 10 miles and under, and about once a week at about 30 miles and twice a year at about 400 miles.

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

The CEL can be easily turned off on Lexus cars, and it doesn't cost "a lot of money" as the shop told you. It's just a matter of clicking "Erase All Codes" on the same scanner that they use to retrieve the code from the computer. So that concerns me. Auto Zone can scan the code for you, free of charge, but they won't erase it.

What you need to do is find out what the code is. It's a letter followed by four numbers, such as P1153 (as an example). This will give us some clues as to where the problem really is. Of course as the saying goes, one test result is worth one thousand expert opinions. So going to another shop for a diagnosis is your best bet.

The reason I asked you about short trips is because that is one of the primary reasons for TWC(Three Way Converter) failures.

Here is a good video explaining cat failures.

carlangas

Same exact year and model, and same problem. I got quoted $1,985. They said the catalytic itself was $800 and the rest was labor. This was at the JM Lexus. What a ripoff.