caytalytic converter issue?? 850glt

Could be

..i noticed a slight

A long term test?

are there generic cats

Yes--$299 for my rabbit 8 years ago

what is expected cost from a dealer?

Arm, leg, kidney, 3 eyelashes and a pint of blood

Others might know better, but I would check the cost of an OEM one, and a universal one.

Labor is not too bad unless the 02 sensor is in it

If the catalytic convertor is clogged and causing backpressure then about the same thing will happen in any gear at higher RPMs. Try it in first or second at the same high RPMs for a bit and see if it is noticeable there- maybe on a hill.

Have the plugs been changed recently?

It could be something as simple as an anti-knock sensor reacting to a bad load of gas and the hot weather, and it is retarding the spark advance to compensate.

Maybe the timing belt slipped one notch?

I don't know the car enough, so these are just general comments, but don't go blowing a wad on the catalytic convertor before being sure that it is the problem.

__ __ Randy & \ \/ /alerie's \__/olvos '90 240 Estate - '93 960 Estate

Simple question- is the "check engine" light lit? I can't remember if that year has OBD2, but regardless, there should be some diagnostic software built in that may help you with troubleshooting.

Like Randy said, replacing a catalytic converter (new one or straight pipe) is a lot of work to eliminate just that one possibility. Checking and maybe replacing old fashioned tune-up items (plugs, wires, distributor, vacuum hoses, clean throttle body) might be a better bet.

Random thought, are you running premium or regular gas (admittedly mine runs fine on regular, even on hot days in Florida)?

I don't know how it's set up on an 850 but on the older cars there's a flange so you can just disconnect the cat for testing purposes. Noisy as heck, but you only have to drive down the street and back.

I think a bad O2 sensor can cause high-RPM stumbling and misfiring. But I think it would set some computer error codes, too.

snipped-for-privacy@comcast.net wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@comcast.net:

On my 98 s70, which sure looks to be very "similar", I will be doing a cat soon. I have researched an aftermarket as the original part price is close to a $1000, part only, and no o2 sensors which may or may not be needed.

If you need one, there seem to be at least 3 choices. All the ones I have found any info on are made with steel that has an aluminum finish, then welded. Welding removes the aluminum finish, makes me wonder why they bother. Depending where you live, I would expect a life of 3-6 years, it is just a guess. Costs about 300-400 dollars for the part. As I say, I have not done it yet. Metal thinkness seems to vary from 0.075" to 0.060" depending on the manufacturer. I have decided to get the one made by D.E.C. in California (D.E.C., 15125 Califa St. Unit C, Van Nuys, CA 91411 (818)

Some people claim that the aftermarket cats can cause problems with codes, I assume from o2 sensors. The folks at d.e.c. claim to have the o2 sensor depth in the gas stream at the same depth, and also the same locations as the original.

Make sure you need a cat before you get one. If yours shows any signs of porisity or flacking (or holes) where the welds are that hold the internal structure to the exterior structure you will need one soon, If you have holes you should have codes that would point to the o2 sensors, which may not be the problem at all. With holes you should address the situation asap.

The other option is to get a used original part from a yard. I chose not to go this way as the yards that have them want almost what a new aftermarket will cost.