catalytic converter and oxygen sensor replacement?

Gord,

Thanks for the advice. For some reasons I thought you were an electrician. I think I got you and Bruce mixed up. This fixture doesn't have starters, it is only 2 or 3 years old.

I've been bit by household current a few times, and it definitely got my attention. I grew up in an apartment building that I think was built around the turn of the century. It had small doors by the back entrances for the ice man to deliver ice, it had speaker tubes from the front vestibule to each apartment, and there are gas pipes for lighting in the ceiling in every room that were converted to hold electrical light fixtures. When we moved in, the ceiling lights were controlled by a switch that hung on the end of cloth-covered wires that hung from the light fixture. You'd know the switches were bad when you got a buzz when you went to switch the light on or off.

isn't a wrench a wrench no matter what brand it is?

Most GD assuredly not... :(

Absolutely not! A cheap wrench may chew up the head on a bolt because it doesn't contact it properly or the wrench will become deformed or crack over time or when working on a stubborn bolt. On ones with a chrome finish, the chrome peels or flakes off, and then it doesn't contact the bolt head properly. The last think I want to deal with in the middle of a project is having to go buy another wrench because the one I was using became unusable. A quality wrench will feel good in your hand and the angle of the head will make it easier to use. Cheap sockets will wobble or be hard to push on the driver or it will fall off. I have some 12 point sockets but don't use them because they are much more likely to round off the head on a bolt so I stick to 6 point whenever possible. Also, cheap tools do not have a lifetime warranty or it is hard to get them replaced.

On a quality ratchet like a Snap-On, there is no slop in the ratcheting mechanism so starting a bolt in a hard-to-reach place is a lot easier. I have fine-tooth ratchets so the teeth will engage with very little swing - very handy in a tight place. The chrome still shines after decades of use and the ratcheting mechanism is replaceable when it becomes worn. My dad has 50 year-old Snap-On tools that are in perfect condition.

IMO, Snap-On, Mac, and Matco make the best wrenches, sockets, and ratchets, then S-K and Craftsman. Craftsman has come a long ways in the quality of their tools and I have quite a few of their sockets. To me, Stanley tools are cheap tools with a name-brand, other than their tape measures. I use wrenches, sockets, ratchets, and screwdrivers a lot so for me, it is worth the investment to buy quality.

so oxygen sensors are part of the 8yr/80000 warranty?

It is if it causes the car to fail an emissions test.