[A4] How much for a catalytic converter for my A4?

[aaron]

If the CAT is plugged...or if the honey comb has come apart and lodged it's self in the down 
pipe causing blockage (like what happened to me); a wrench should be able to disconnect the 
cat from the turbo and give it a visual inspection....granted there will be some time 
envolved for that.  

IIRC my performance cat was like $300 shipped w/ new gaskets and hardware.  A friend and I 
did the labor, but I think it is 1-2 hours.  It isn't a fun nor easy job to do btw.  I have 
sent a few friends to a local shop that was able cut then ends off of the old cat and weld 
them onto a new generic one.  I think in that case it was $125 in parts, and $150 labor.  

MKIV 2.O's & A4's seem to run on the rich side....driving habits (lots of short trips where 
the cat doesn't get hot enough), mods, and maintence all play a part in amount of life.  I 
know ppl w/ 250k+ on originals...I also know ppl who had them fail in under 80k.  A healthy 
car should burn up it's cat before it plugs, and if it's OBDII you would recieve "cat less 
than efficent codes" but no loss of power.  

..aaron

-SABIS Educational Systems Network Administrator
--Carpe Diem

On Wed Jan 23 17:08 , furonobono at gmail.com sent:

>All very helpful thoughts. You're confirming my ill feelings about this diagnosis. Thanks! 
My car is only at 105,000 miles. It seems to me cats should last longer. And even if it 
should be changed 1,000 seems extremely high. But I can't ignore the check engine light. 
>
>As spending 1,000 is about the last thing I want to do right now, I'll ask about the oxygen 
sensor but pass on the cat job. I'll get a 2nd opinion on that one. Luckily I have a friend 
who has a trusted mechanic. I'll try him out.
>
>Thanks for the advice!
>
>Joyce
>
>Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: aaron jungle at hickorytech.net>
>
>Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 10:45:31 
>To:jungle at hickorytech.net, 'Peter Kirby' 4pkirby at gmail.com>
>Cc:a4 at audifans.com
>Subject: Re: [A4] How much for a catalytic converter for my A4?
>
>
>Go talk an Audi tech...and ask them how many times they replace A4 cats.  Also 
>quite common on VW Golf/Jetta MKIV's w/ the 2.O.
>
>...aaron
>
>-SABIS Educational Systems Network Administrator
>--Carpe Diem
>
>On Wed Jan 23 11:35 , "Peter Kirby"  sent:
>
>>BALONEY!!!
>>
>>I have never had to replace a converter in any of my cars (VW Golf --
>>290,000 km, 1988 Audi 90 -- 287,000 km, 1990 Audi 90, 310,000 km, Audi
>>A4 -- 160,000 km, and a couple of Subarus that have gone over 250,000
>>km).  Granted much (~70%) of my driving is highway.
>>
>>Did Joyce's mechanic actually read the CEL codes?  Even if the CEL
>>code for a bad converter is indicated, chances are it's the 2nd O2
>>sensor and not the converter that is bad.
>>
>>A bad converter will either be plugged up or blown apart.  If it is
>>blown apart power loss will not be a problem and it will be LOUD.  If
>>it is plugged up it will be consistent in terms of poor power.
>>
>>At work we had a Ford van that was having a hard time getting up big
>>hills (full 15-passenger van pulling a trailer).  The Ford dealer told
>>us it was the converter that was plugged up.  He changed it (~ $600, I
>>think) and 100 miles down the road we realized it was no better.
>>Turned out to be the fuel filter!!
>>
>>Be careful unless paying $1000 for perhaps an unneeded converter is
>>your idea of a good time.
>>
>>Peter
>>
>>On Jan 23, 2008 11:25 AM, aaron jungle at hickorytech.net> wrote:
>>> If your car has over 140k on it...the cat is prolly toast....especially if you 
>are
>>> running any aftermarket software or let the car run rich for long periods of 
>time.  I
>>> found it cheaper to get a "high flow" cat from Techtonics Tuning that to buy an 
>oem
>>> one.  Plus the hi-flow cats are a great perf. mod.!
>>>
>>> ..aaron
>>>
>>> -SABIS Educational Systems Network Administrator
>>> --Carpe Diem
>>>
>>> On Wed Jan 23  8:17 , "Joyce Furono"  sent:
>>>
>>>
>>> >My car starting acting up recently where when I was shifting down a gear to
>>> >slow down, and then shifted back up to speed up, it would kick back, lose a
>>> >little power for a second, and then decide that it could give me power after
>>> >all and then speed back up again. The check engine light would blink for a
>>> >few seconds and then go off. Then after a couple of times of that, then the
>>> >check engine light would just stay on. He's saying it's clogged.
>>> >
>>> >This didn't happen all the time. It mostly happened when I was taking a
>>> >particularly sharp turn at speed, or when I was trying to go up a hill in
>>> >the middle of traffic. Basically when I find myself needing a little more
>>> >power than if I were driving on flat, straight ground. So something is
>>> >definitely not working right.
>>> >
>>> >As a little backstory, my husband got my car into a wreck that essentially
>>> >damaged the underside of my car so that it practically ripped the oil pan
>>> >off, or ripped a hole big enough that it lost all it's oil in a very fast
>>> >amount of time. So that resulted in us having to replace the transmission
>>> >and get a new oil pan. So my mechanic did that, gave my car a tune up it
>>> >probably desperately needed and sent me on my way. And it worked fine for
>>> >about two weeks.  I'm thinking it was either the accident that precipitated
>>> >the cat converter malfunction or my not having given the car a tune-up for a
>>> >year. Although all in all, I drove the car a total of 2,000 miles last year
>>> >as I started taking public transportation to work.
>>> >
>>> >I ask about the oxygen sensor mainly because it's a relatively inexpensive
>>> >part (at least compared to the CC) and some car care sites recommend you
>>> >replace the oxygen sensor when you replace the cat converter.
>>> >
>>> >Joyce
>>> >
>>> >On Jan 23, 2008 5:16 AM, Peter Kirby 4pkirby at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> >
>>> >> Why does he think the CC needs replacing?  Ditto re O2 sensor.  You
>>> >> may want a second opinion.
>>> >>
>>> >> Peter
>>> >> 2001 A4 1.8tq
>>> >>
>>> >> On Jan 23, 2008 2:17 AM, Joyce Furono furonobono at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> >> > Hello all,
>>> >> >
>>> >> > My mechanic just informed me that I need a new catalytic converter for
>>> >> my
>>> >> > car. I have a 2001 A4 1.8T Quattro. I've been going to this mechanic for
>>> >> > years and have never felt that he was ripping me off. He quoted me $950
>>> >> for
>>> >> > the job. That seemed a little high to me since it looks like I can
>>> >> purchase
>>> >> > one for about $200-$300 online. (actually even cheaper than that). And
>>> >> it
>>> >> > doesn't seem as if it should take hours and hours to install the new
>>> >> one.
>>> >> > But I'm not sure.
>>> >>