Catalytic Converter...

[elevate]

i own a 96 ES300 with 165,000 miles. car has been great to me for the 8 years i've owned it. no major mechanical problems. however, recently i have noticed the engine revving unusually loud when i try to accelerate. it doesn't have the pick-up it used to have. i took it in for a diagnostic check and they explained that there is a hole in the catalytic converter and it should be replaced. i am hesitant to pay the lofty repair price b/c i get the impression that the car may be on it's way out and this is just the beginning of a host of mechancial problems that i may encounter over the next year. i'm considering buying another car rather than investing in the one i own. has anyone had this issue with their car? has it lead to other problems? would you advise getting it repaired or getting rid of the car? i appreciate any advice you can offer.

[djspawn00]

You can ask them to delete the cats all together and deal with a CEL cause of the smog... the car won't legally pass inspection in a lot of places but it'll run... or you can just get the cat replaced somewhere else... it doesn't hurt to shop around... What other problems do you think the car may be having? I've seen cars like yours go well past 200k miles... If you decide to replace the cat, avoid universal ones, rockauto sells a direct replacement for about $250 of course shipping will be extra but its worth a look... or if you're really frugal at the time... have someone patch the hole and see how things go..

[George_Jetson]

You can ask them to delete the cats all together and deal with a CEL cause of the smog... the car won't legally pass inspection in a lot of places but it'll run... or you can just get the cat replaced somewhere else... it doesn't hurt to shop around... What other problems do you think the car may be having? I've seen cars like yours go well past 200k miles... If you decide to replace the cat, avoid universal ones, rockauto sells a direct replacement for about $250 of course shipping will be extra but its worth a look... or if you're really frugal at the time... have someone patch the hole and see how things go..

I woud suggest taking it to a good muffler shop, they can set you up for a universal replacement cat for a lot less than what you would pay at the dealer. Universal cat go for as little as $50 on ebay. The labor for installing it should be quite reasonable.

[elevate]

You can ask them to delete the cats all together and deal with a CEL cause of the smog... the car won't legally pass inspection in a lot of places but it'll run... or you can just get the cat replaced somewhere else... it doesn't hurt to shop around... What other problems do you think the car may be having? I've seen cars like yours go well past 200k miles... If you decide to replace the cat, avoid universal ones, rockauto sells a direct replacement for about $250 of course shipping will be extra but its worth a look... or if you're really frugal at the time... have someone patch the hole and see how things go..

thanks for the info. To answer your question, i don't think the car is having any other problems at the moment. i just thought this might be the sign of things to come.

[elevate]

You can ask them to delete the cats all together and deal with a CEL cause of the smog... the car won't legally pass inspection in a lot of places but it'll run... or you can just get the cat replaced somewhere else... it doesn't hurt to shop around... What other problems do you think the car may be having? I've seen cars like yours go well past 200k miles... If you decide to replace the cat, avoid universal ones, rockauto sells a direct replacement for about $250 of course shipping will be extra but its worth a look... or if you're really frugal at the time... have someone patch the hole and see how things go..

I woud suggest taking it to a good muffler shop, they can set you up for a universal replacement cat for a lot less than what you would pay at the dealer. Universal cat go for as little as $50 on ebay. The labor for installing it should be quite reasonable.

george, i appreciate the feedback.

[camlex]

I did replaced my with local mechanic. He bought from Oreailly, made by walker

total install cost was $244. installed@ 289,000 presently i have 319,300 miles on it.

hope that helps.

[elevate]

I did replaced my with local mechanic. He bought from Oreailly, made by walker

total install cost was $244. installed@ 289,000 presently i have 319,300 miles on it.

hope that helps.

two places have quoted me a price of $1700 for the part alone. thanks.

[djspawn00]

$1700... wow that sounds even higher than what a dealership might charge... keep shopping around!