|
|
|
bad catalytic converter errors...please advise me
|
|
|
| |
|
|
abstruseoni
New User
May 1, 2010, 10:49 AM
Post #1 of 8
(2110 views)
|
|
bad catalytic converter errors...please advise me
|
Sign In
|
|
I have a 2004 Mitsubishi Galant with about 110,000 miles. I took it to the shop for a check up only to find out my check engine light is burnt out and I have two engine codes popping up. I think the codes were P0420 and P0422, which the mechanic said was my left and right catalytic converters.. and he said that a dealership would have to fix it because it's a Mitsubishi. the dealerships quoted me (over the phone) about $2,400!!! I've googled catalytic converters and the parts (i'm not 100% which parts i would need to make this the easiest) range from $50-$400..Much cheaper than the dealer. My concerns are, I've read this requires a welder or sawzall, which in it's self is dis-concerning ...and i've read the CATs don't just GO bad, that it's usually from another issue, but i'm not sure what issues to check. plus I don't have a gas analyzer, so i can't even properly diagnose that it's the CATs. and if a mechanic told me I must take it to the dealership, what hope do I have of doing it? am i in over my head? I definitely don't have $2300 to throw at a dealer, but they charge $100 for a full diagnostic which might tell me for sure it's the CATs and might tell me what caused the issue to begin with, but I don't know for sure. Any advice on my situation would be appreciated. Thanks in advance
Ryan
|
|
| |
|
|
Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
May 1, 2010, 10:55 AM
Post #2 of 8
(2106 views)
|
|
Re: bad catalytic converter errors...please advise me
|
Sign In
|
|
Your only hope is to take it to a Midas or other exhaust shop. If there is an aftermarket cat available and there might not be, they will have access to it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
|
|
| |
|
|
abstruseoni
New User
May 1, 2010, 11:52 AM
Post #3 of 8
(2100 views)
|
|
Re: bad catalytic converter errors...please advise me
|
Sign In
|
|
Thanks for the quick reply Hammer. I've googled 04 mitsubishi galant catalytic converters and got only a few results, but i noticed several different parts and kinds ranging from $80 - $500. and most of them show a picture of what looks like the whole exhaust pipe...but they're really only selling the CAT right? I would need to weld their cat onto my exhaust, right? (excuse my ignorance if i'm using the wrong name, i'm not use to this stuff) So wouldn't the CATs i get have to match my current exhaust system, for the most part? how do I know i'm getting the right part?
and could you enlighten me a little on "direct fit" parts? do those not require welding?
Thanks again :)
|
|
| |
|
|
Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
May 1, 2010, 12:55 PM
Post #4 of 8
(2088 views)
|
|
Re: bad catalytic converter errors...please advise me
|
Sign In
|
|
You've got the right idea but this is nothing for you to attempt yourself. Take it to an exhaust shop. That's what i did ffor my own vehicle. they are the only ones equipped for this.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
|
|
| |
|
|
abstruseoni
New User
May 1, 2010, 2:19 PM
Post #5 of 8
(2080 views)
|
|
Re: bad catalytic converter errors...please advise me
|
Sign In
|
|
You're right, it probably is too much for me, but I have a friend that's done a few catalytic converters before and he has most the tools we would need. However, I'm taking your advice and monday i'll drop my car off at midas for them give me a full diagnostic and quote me a price. depending on how that goes, i'll either have them do it or try to fix some of it myself. Thanks for all your help
|
|
| |
|
|
Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
May 1, 2010, 2:23 PM
Post #6 of 8
(2076 views)
|
|
Re: bad catalytic converter errors...please advise me
|
Sign In
|
|
If you can buy a direct fit "Y" pipe at a reasonable price, then fine but don't attempt to cut and weld that converter in yourself. It's not easy and requires a lot of experience to get it right.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
|
|
| |
|
|
abstruseoni
New User
May 3, 2010, 5:20 PM
Post #7 of 8
(2060 views)
|
|
Re: bad catalytic converter errors...please advise me
|
Sign In
|
|
I took my car to midas and for $30 bucks they were able to tell me what i already knew, lol. I thought they'd have something to check the gas levels and actually be able to tell me for sure that it was my left and right CATs...instead they just checked my computer codes and said it's my CATs for sure. and they told me I currently have OEM parts...oh and said my O2 sensor didn't need to be checked because it would give a code if it was bad... and apparently they charge $1200 for fixing the CATs.
I've got a friend that's done this before, so with his help I think we can replace it, but i'm still not 100% positive what part or parts to get. Here's a list of Galant 04' CATs:
http://www.thepartsbin.com/catalog/?N=9190&Nr=OR%28AND%28make:Mitsubishi,model:Galant,year:2004%29,AND%28universal:1%29%29&Vi=1676+11327+4294962849&y=2004&mk=Mitsubishi&md=Galant can you recommend any parts? I have a V6
the first one is listed as an Eastern Front Manifold Catalytic Converter and it looks like it has both the right and left CATs in it...is that right? or is this a different part completely?
and I was told my car has 3 CATs and that one of them is unmonitored, and since i can't test them individually should i replace them all?
|
|
| |
|
|
Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
May 3, 2010, 5:36 PM
Post #8 of 8
(2058 views)
|
|
Re: bad catalytic converter errors...please advise me
|
Sign In
|
|
Your codes are for bank 1 which would be the rear pipe.
You can do what you want but I wouldn't touch those parts with a 10 foot pole.
By the way, that 2 year warranty they are giving is not even legal in the US. Converters are required to be warranted for 50K and at least 8 years. You might want to check for warranty coverage on yours if you are the original owner.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
|
|
| |
|
Auto Repair Home
SEARCH
WHO'S 
LOG 
1989 toyota pickup 3.0 crank no start
Please Help - Knock sound & engine fail
