catalytic converter?

I went for an oil change at my local garage and when i was paying for
my bill the clerk asked when my next inspection was. I stated not
unitl October, she said well you better save your pennies. The
mechanic said i need two oxygen sensors and a new catalytic converter.
All for the low price of $1100, parts and labor included of course.
After considering throwing a Moltov cocktail through my 99 sl with
109k, i went to Auto zone, the kid pulled the faults with the computer
and said my o2 sensors were reading slow. My check engine light has
been on for a little so i assumed it was a sensor of some sort. Here
is my question, Should I wait until october and see if i fail
emissions then replace it or could the sensor's be bad therefore
causing the converter to run inproperly. Or is everything shot and i
should just take the hit and try to smile? is there anyway to tell?
I don't know this mechanic too well i only trust him to change my oil
and balance a tire or two. I just don't know him and haven't dealt
with him that much. any help would be great!!!

 

Reading slow? you mean low voltage right. anyway did
he say it showed codes for both sensors? o2 Sensors
are about 65 a pc and cat conv is 199.00 at autozone
so you buy parts find hand wrench person remove and
replace.

Ok so your not mechanically inclined call around for a
few estimates from smaller car shops and get a price.

Heck a whole system cat and all to the tailpipe is about
550 at midas and another 120 for sensors they have to
remove them and reinstall them anyway.

If your light has been on for awhile you are just burning
more fuel than you need too. The o2 sensors control the
lean/rich burn signal for your computer to adjust the fuel.

Don't know what state your in but in ohio if your light is
lit you fail automatically now.

Hope this helps,

Tim

 

narf ... time replace that bulb with the burned out version!

Seriously tho, I'm in Franklin county and I wasn't aware that we had any
etests here - does it vary by county, or is it something the state has
recently implemented?

 

he didn't say it showed any codes just that they are reading slow, at
Autozone it was $200 for both sensors, but if i change the sensors
are the odds in my favor that i am good to go?

 

also, is the sensor behind the converter hard to change? The one in
front of the manifold appears that it is just a turn of a wrench.
I've had this god awful rattling noise for the past couple of months,
someone mentioned that the heat shield could be loose or falling off?
Thanks for your help, !!

 

Would a '99 still be covered under the EPA warrenty?

No emissions test, then what's it matter?

Oh yeah, every state's doing the check engine light BS now. What I
don't get is if the light's that accurate, why do they STILL need to
test the car, and if it's because the light's not always right, then why
do you have to automatically fail if it's on? Then again, I wonder why
people put up with the whole BS in the first place....

 

Heatsheilds loose? You dont have anything else loose causing an exhaust
leak upstream do you? A slow 02 sensor could be getting to much carbon
build up for all we know. Been keeping up with your oil changes, plugs,
and plug wires? There's plenty of info that can be found searching
google.com
At a quick glance this may be enlighting to you.
http://www.mr2.com/TEXT/O2_Sensor.html

 

Different counties have it depending on how much
pollution. don't panic you'll soon get to do the echeck
for 20bucks and feel totally ripped off.

Tim

 

nope not at all. just get the loaner tool from auto zone
when you buy the sensors and you want to remove them
with the exhaust hot or you'll be busting knuckles.

Also wear some gloves. as far as the heat shield could
be. do you live in a high salt area lotsa winter driving in
it. I wouldn't worry about it just find it and remove it.

Tim

 

I would get the sensors fixed and then see what happens. It is hard to
believe that your catalytic converter that is only 5 years old would be
bad. Did you damage it in anyway, like some kind of a puncture? Too bad
you have 109K miles on your Saturn, Saturn Warranties all emission
control parts for 7 yrs/ 70,000 miles! Good Luck!

 

I could be wrong but I believe that (by Federal law,) catalytic converters
have an 8-year, unlimited mileage warrantee.

As I said, I could be wrong, but this is certainly worth checking into.


- David

 

They check the On Board Diagnostic computer to make sure it thinks that
everything is within spec and that no trouble codes have been set. They
also query to make sure that the owner did not just recently disconnect the
battery to perform a soft reset to mask a known problem. Lastly, they send
a command to illuminate the check engine light since otherwise people would
just pull the bulb or put in a dead one to try to pass the emission test.

Bob