Catalytic Converters for 20V Avant

[Martin Kuetzing]

George,

I am in San Diego and I dealt with this issue early this year.  At the moment, I 
cannot lay my hands on the invoice so I can't recall exact prices and part 
numbers.

With the new law taking effect in California in 2010, all cats installed for any 
vehicle must be compliant.  In order to prove compliance, each cat has to 
display an engraved or welded-on tag with a compliance id number visible to a 
smog station inspector.  Of course, reputable businesses will neither sell nor 
install cats that aren't compliant.  Technically, the OEM cats from Audi are no 
longer compliant.  To prove compliance, manufacturers of cats must have testing 
done and then they are issued a compliance id number.  Once they have the 
number, those compliant cats sporting their compliance id numbers can be offered 
for sale in California.  For a period of time, nobody had compliant cats 
available.  I went through this and had to wait until there were compliant parts 
on the market.  I'm sure that are many more sources than last fall, for example.

I my case, I had a cat that was rattling due to a fractured core.  The best 
choice for me was to have a shop cut out the OEM cats & replace them with new, 
compliant ones.

(On another question about this topic, I seem to recall some other 200q20v owner 
in San Diego, where I live - so this may be on interest to him).

I used a shop called Dual Tone Muffler, on Mission Bay Drive in San Diego.  
Their tech did an outstanding job of cutting out the OEM cats (which are 
retangular in shape & cross-section) and replacing them with (Magnaflow, I 
believe - but again, I don't have the invoice readily available) new, compliant 
cats that are cylindrical.  The new cats fit perfectly and actually look better 
than the OEMs.  I don't think that I paid more than about $800 for everything.

Martin



----- Original Message ----
From: George <gsidman at webloq.com>
To: quattro at audifans.com; 200q20v at audifans.com
Sent: Thu, December 2, 2010 11:48:01 AM
Subject: Catalytic Converters for 20V Avant

With the new California emissions standards and clamp down on cats, I need
advice on where to get new cats for my '91 200 Avant. 
All the cats on eBay are now illegal in CA.  Magnaflow lists two expensive
cats (36035 & 36922 at around $500 each) and the VWAudi OEM cats are $800
each. 

Any recent BTDT....?   Thanks

George Sidman

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