(Poll) Have any of you replaced your catalytic converter?

[Xist]

Well, do I rent a compression tester up here (and make sure I return it fast enough), or wait until I am home?

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by Xist

Well, do I rent a compression tester up here (and make sure I return it fast enough), or wait until I am home?

wait til you're home. You can't fix any problems probably until you are home anyway. But bring plenty of oil along for the drive home!

[Xist]

I brought my ratchet and socket set for some project a month or two back and have kept it in my car.

Same with Napa's largest truck jack, but I do not want to lug that out of my trunk and find a place for it.

I check my oil every thousand miles and usually add half a quart.

[Xist]

I did a quick search for burning oil and almost everyone said to check the PCV valve. I keep trying to remember to spray Simple Green on my engine and wash it off before driving. I figure that will help me find any leaks.

I also want to figure out a grill block. My fuel economy keeps going down!

[Rosieuk]

An update on the story. Its been in the garage for three MONTHS. I've just turned 1000 miles on the hire car I've been using. The UK head of engineering for Hyundai is apparently getting involved and so far replaced parts.. that I know of..

2 lifters
12 valve springs
2 valves

the heads been on and off more times than the average lightswitch and they *still* can't find the problem. Yet with aero mods, pulse and coast and fuel octane additive it was doing 42mpg before it went in in September. The Kia Rio with the 16v version of the same engine is barely managing 36.

what's really annoying me is the guy is refusing to give it back until he's fixed it while I'm stuck with a blatantly obvious courtesy car with a £1000 insurance excess!

[Xist]

I wish that I knew how to help, but it takes me three weeks to figure out how to replace a light bulb.

[Baltothewolf]

I always replace mine with a crowbar as long as it's a 2000+ yr car.

[Xist]

Do you ride it like a witch's broom?

[mattrod]

I've had my Magnaflow on for 4 years without any problem.

[Xist]

On September First 2017, Bell Honda in Phoenix asked $1,319.12 for a catalytic converter, although they offer a 15% military discount on parts. Today they are asking over $2,100, almost $500 more than what Kelley Blue Book says my car is worth.
Tempe Honda charged $648.81 with tax, but now they want $1,036.83.
Majestic has gone from $650.98 to ship one to $895.62.
Honda Parts Network went from $608.77 to $848.58.
Bernardi Honda does not mention the core and would have shipped it for $477, but now they want $1,124.64.
Manly Honda has the best deal I can find now, they will ship for $726.65, and do not mention a core, but that is almost three times what I paid for the car! As much as I prefer to put Honda parts in my Honda, I cannot imagine a scenario where putting a $727 part that should last decades into a nineteen year-old car with 195,000 miles makes sense. I had hoped to reduce the oil burning by replacing the seals when I changed the timing belt. Hopefully I decreased the leakage, which did not seem to be a problem, although some of the seals appeared questionable. I planned on acid-washing my cat and still will, but I do not have any reason to believe that it will burn less oil now, nor that acid-washing would keep CELs away for more than 5,000 miles.

Looking at aftermarket cats, I see:
Magnaflow: O’Reilly’s: $182, AutoZone: $194, Napa: $195, and Amazon: $144.
More expensive Magnaflow: O’Reilly’s: $280, AutoZone: $267, Napa: $275, and Amazon: $266.
Walker: AutoZone: $179, Napa Solutions: $267, Amazon: $113, and RockAuto: $142.
More expensive Walker: AutoZone: $267, Napa Solutions: $456, Amazon: $144, and RockAuto: $251.
Bosal: AutoZone: $186, Napa $195, Amazon $178, and RockAuto: $151.
More expensive Bosal with the oxygen sensor in the wrong place: AutoZone: $212, Napa: $219, Amazon: $104!, and RockAuto: $158.
Most expensive Bosal: AutoZone: $305, Napa $315, Amazon $227, and RockAuto: $214.

As much as I like the idea of walking into a store and ordering a replacement, Amazon has the best price on 5/7 of those, as little as $1, but $312 for the more expensive Walker, less than a third as much as Napa charges! RockAuto is $13 - $27 less on two of those.

Napa labels the Walkers as Napa Solutions, so Napa considers Walkers to be the best? In our survey, two people recommended Magnaflow, one suggested OEM, and seven said Other (BM Catalyst, Random Technology, custom, unknown, and perhaps three people said they chopped it up fine and inhaled it).

RockAuto and Amazon also carry Eastern Catalytic, which was the top pick of Xterra owners. RockAuto charges $158 for the cheaper one. Amazon asks $148: Eastern 40234 Catalytic Converter
...and $202! Amazon is lower than anywhere listed in Google Shopping.

Then again, there is the evil twin of my current cat: $86 shipped via Amazon.


If I play my cards right I could be the proud owner of two failed cats!