OEM Cat converter for '02 Impreza?

My '02 Impreza Outback got 121,000 miles, and my local subaru dealer has got a Cat converter check engine code reading.t. They quoted me $850 to replace the Cat ($650 part + $200 labor).

All I need is to pass the California smogs. I am not driving the car much anymore anyway (gas prices), just keep it in the driveway for an occasional camping trip (still cheaper than renting... provided no major repair costs) so giving out $800 just to register the thing just does not sound right.

Goggling produced a $150 (???) "Catco" converter. Does anyone have experience with this beast? Can I bolt it on myself to keep the smoggers happy?

Also, I am not sure if the sensor in the car gives a yes/no kind of answer, or actually produces a real number. Meaning that if I knew that the reading was on the borderline, can I make the car barely pass somehow (heard some urban legends on driving on a highway before the test).

Reply to
runcyclexcski
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An aftermarket cat shouldn't be a problem, but its not as easy as bolting it on. You'll need to cut the old one out and weld the new one it.

And the sensor on the car is just yes/no.

Reply to
Ragnar

I would clear the code and then have the car smogged before dropping $800 on a repair that may not be needed. If the car fails the test, now you know for sure you need a new converter. Passes then the original problem was just an O2 sensor failure.

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Reply to
johninKY

Thanks! It's interesting that there is no way of telling is it's the detector problem or the cat problem.

Reply to
runcyclexcski

I think the sensors can be scoped to see if the switching is fast enough and in the proper range. DO NOT try an ohmmeter reading. Some ohmemeters will burn out sensors. Thsi may be less of a concern with wideband sensors - I dunno. I wouldn't risk that.

Carl

Reply to
Carl 1 Lucky Texan

Try googling some O2 and cat con info. here's coupla sites I found quickly;

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carl

Reply to
Carl 1 Lucky Texan

check this article too;

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Reply to
Carl 1 Lucky Texan

The latter was a great source, thank you, Carl!

Reply to
runcyclexcski

You can try installing a spacer on your rear o2 sensor. I have a catless exhaust on my 03 WRX. The spacer pulls the o2 sensor out of the direct flow of the exhaust , no CEL and gets threw emissions. Costs about $2. You get 2 spark plug spacers available at any autoparts store. I can dig up the part number if you need it. You will need to drill out the opening some on the spacers too.

Reply to
Michael Prosek

I can see how that can clear the check engine light but how would that affect the smog check readings?

Reply to
runcyclexcski

Hi,

A couple of thoughts after "interesting" experiences getting past California smog tests:

Cats do go bad, but it's far more likely you've got an O2 sensor failure. Not sure how many sensors you have, but it sounds like you have one in the exhaust stream of the cat. My smog guy tells me this one rarely goes out (if it's throwing a code, it's obviously working), but can tell you one of two things:

First is the cat's dead. Think big bucks as you've heard. He says "emissions wise" the cheap replacements do as well as OEM. HOWEVER, I've seen nothing but grief down the road w/ OEMs, both on my cars and others. It starts w/ the installation problems: they usually don't just bolt in like OEM. From there you could have heating problems--the guys I've seen put 'em in weren't always the brightest when it came to figuring out WHY the factory spent all that money for heat shielding! I was lucky--my carpet only got "warm." An acquaintance wasn't quite so lucky--he burnt the carpet in his truck pretty badly. So... if you don't care about driving the car much in the future, go "cheap" but if you want to return the car to "constant" service, suck it up and buy OEM. Doing so saved me money in the long run.

The other thing a cat code could mean is the upstream O2 sensor(s) is a goner. The mixture going to the cat is too rich for it to handle properly. Nothing wrong w/ the cat itself, it's just overloaded (especially problematic as the systems age.) Not such big bucks to fix.

My current smog guy says the upstream O2 sensors are generally good for about 60k miles (though some last longer, none I've had made it past

100k), and cats for about 150k. So you're due for O2 sensors "again" according to him, but still have another 30k on your cat. Generally!

Were this my car, I'd start by replacing O2 sensors, resetting all codes, and starting over.

Now, for "urban legend" and such: the entire emissions system HAS to be up to operating temps to work right. Again, as the car ages, this becomes more important. One of my smog guys always told me to drive the car 5-10 miles to get things hot. Another always blocked the throttle for a full minute to two minutes to make sure the cat in particular was "hot." My current guy says both approaches should be combined.

He also suggests any time you're "not quite sure" to have a "pre-test" done. This gives all the readings w/o upsetting the DMV computer w/ a "failure" reading that stays on the vehicle record (ever do a CarFax inquiry and see the "failures" on some cars?) He charges me half the regular price of a test for the pre-test, and applies the charge to the real test if I'm ok. In other words, if I fail, I pay half price, go fix whatever it takes, then come back and try again. If it passes the pre-test, he'll run it again "for real" and only charge me the one full fee.

You might ask your guy about doing this since you've already had problems.

Good luck!

Rick

Reply to
Rick Courtright

Well it wouldnt. They dont do those here, depends on the year car i think. They just hook mine up and look for codes and do a gas cap pressure test.

Reply to
Michael

Hey there,

I had a similar problem with my 2001 Impreza Outback and I subscribed to ALLDATAdiy.com and it has been very useful. I am handy and like to do things myself and this subscription gives me diagnosis, repair, TBSs, recalls and labor times.

Check it out - I copied the link below for you.

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Andy Deil

Reply to
ADdiy55

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