Someone please help!!

It very well could be the front O2 sensor(s). Even if it looks ok on the scanner. If he can garrantee it will pass with a third CAT that seems to be a cheap fix. I have never heard of doing that. You might ask the smog place about that one....Oh, and a universal type CAT around here is about $130 installed. $200 plus labor sounds way high. You might ask him about the CAT getting hot enough to work when its install a little farther back than normal too. Like I said, thats a new one to me.......Can you post the readings? like HC, CO, NOx, O2........we might be able to tell whats up....p.s. what tricks did you try? Just curious..:)

The OP did post that data on 5/18.

...................................................................... If it will help...here are the numbers. I did two tests...

Day 1:

HC (g/km), max allowed 0.5000, vehicle reading 0.3193, avg pass 0.0873

CO (g/km), max allowed 8.0800, vehicle reading 2.8459, avg pass 1.9758

NOx (g/km) Max allowed 1.1200, vehicle reading 1.4698, avg pass 0.6229

I was advised to put fuel injecrot cleaner into my tank and premium fuel, then drive to heat up the cat...drove for over an hour

Day 2:

HC (g/km), Max allowed 0.5000, vehicle reading 0.2357, avg pass

CO (g/km), Max allowed 8.0800, vehicle reading 2.3989, avg pass 1.9758

NOx (g/km), Max allowed 1.1200, vehicle reading 1.6969, avg pass

Well, I'm a mechanic. If the EGR is working right, the HC and CO are in range, and the engine is not running hot, with no CEL lit, the only thing left is the cat. And they DO wear out over time. It IS possible, with a gas analyzer, to check the NOX pre-cat and post-cat and see what the cat is doing, if anything. Looking at the numbers, I'd say there is a good chance the oxidation catalyst is getting a bit weak too - I'm suspicious the vehicle has been badly neglected, and the WinStar was no gem right from new - but a new converter will, in all likelihood, get the vehicle to pass NOW, and if nothing else happens, likely still produce a pass in 2 years. She says it has a "new" engine in it. We don't know if it was "new", "rebuilt", "reconditioned", or just "different" We don't know if it is a 3.0 or a 3.8.

When I said new engine, I meant brand new out of the box, it?s a 3.8L as per my original post.

I don?t know what you mean about badly neglected...is there something I?m supposed to do other than the regular oil changes?

The engine was replaced when I bought the vehicle, they were trying to sell it with a blown head gasket, since I wasn?t about to buy it that way, they put in a brand new engine. The transmission they put in was used.

The first time I took it to aircare I passed just fine. It?s been two years and now I am failing. Unfortunately I can?t just buy a new vehicle...or I would have, a long time ago.

For the person who posted about me giving bogus prices...Ford charges about $1400 for the part AND the labour to install it. The part itself is a little over $500. I called them already, they were like, my first call when I found out. My local parts distributor (lordco) was my second.

Someone asked what "tricks" I used. Fuel injector cleaner, premium fuel and driving for a while first before going in. The next set of suggestions got outrageous, like, put ice in the air box...I didn?t even bother.

The mechanic cleaned out the ports or w/e they are called...the lines that can get carbon build up and cause high readings...he drove it and it still failed (although I think he just used his gas analyzer instead of taking it through aircare).

The numbers are posted in a previous post...

"clare at snyder dot ontar" wrote: > On Mon, 19 May 2008 21:34:50 -0400, "Mike hunt" > > wrote: > > >I suspect it is NOT competent or they would be looking to > determine WHY it > >is not doing its job rather than simply suggesting it be > replaced... I > >would take it to a shop that made that determination first, > but that's just > >me > >

Put in the new catalitic converter and you should be good to go then. And watch the coolant like a hawk, because coolant leaks are a common problem on 3.8s, and they are usually "fatal" Head gaskets, intake manifolds and front covers have a tendancy to leak on them.

That should be "Mike's". :-P

"My car wont 'crank'". To some, this means the motor wont turn over... to others it means the motor will turn over but it wont start..."

That one drives me absolutly nuts!!!!! You get a call on the phone and your wife says, " it won't turn over". So, you say, " You turn the key and nothing happens?" Yeah, "Something happens .. the motor makes that sound." You say, "OK, so, let me get this straight .. you turn the key and the motor turns over but just won't start, right?" "And not only won't it turn over, but I hear a clicking sound sometimes." "You mean when trying to start it?" "No, that was when I started it up this morning in the driveway, but it quit a few minutes later." "So, is it still doing it?" "No, not now, while I'm trying to get it to turn over."

What about that 3rd CAT trick? ANYONE ever heard of doing that and is it legal? I'm curious as hell bout that one...

p.s. for the record I would through an O2 at it in a heartbeat first.

I've heard of it, and it is legal. So is putting a cat on a vehicle that never had one.

How can you say it's legal when you don't even know where the OP lives? Or did I miss that? Where does she live? Please excuse me if I missed that.

Well, here in Ontario it is legal. And we have mandatory biannual emmission tests. It is illegal to remove any emmission device. It is technically illegal to modify an emission device. There is nothing on the books saying you cannot ADD an emmission control device.You can use aftermarket (universal fit) cats here too - although my luck with them has not been terribly good. Anything that makes it pass is fair game - but I'd be replacing the original if at all possible.