catalytic converter.............X2. Ouch!!!

[bert06040]

So last night, my CEL came on. The car started making a weird noise. Noticed that it was also burning up more fuel than it normally would. I took it to the dealership this morning and they stated that both catalytic converters needed to be replaced. $2,500 plus tax. WTF!!!!! Lol. Is that crazy or what? Anyways, the service rep informed me that since my 2005 v6 2.8 passat wagon has the 4 motion that it would take roughly all day being repaired. Is she blowing smoke up my @$$ or she telling me the truth? I know this local high quality europarts dealer that sells them for cheaper. Maybe I can bring them to an indy shop and have them install if it isn't as difficult as she says. ............and finally more

[scotts13]

For a VW dealership doing the standard dealership work, that's actually a pretty good price. They don't just replace the CATs, they replace the entire exhaust segment that contains them. You can purchase and have installed direct-fit (don't try the "universal fit" ones) CATs for much less.

HOWEVER, you might want to look into exactly WHY they think your CATs need replacement. In some cases, a bad CAT diagnosis on the V6 can be an over-sensitive monitoring program, fixable with a firmware flash.

[bert06040]

well for starters, the car has 87,000 miles on it. i don't know the life expectancy of the cat system. also, they said that the tech tapped on the cats and they were rattling pretty bad. and finally, i read a previous response, which i believe was yours, regarding a v6 versus a 1.8 and you stated that the v6 goes through numerous cats.

[bert06040]

Another thing, is it THAT difficult to change out the cat system on a 4motion or was she making it seem much more difficult than what it really is?

[scotts13]

Yes, the V6 does seem to be more prone to CAT and O2 sensor issues than the 1.8T; but it's basically the same system, just twice as many parts. It's reasonably labor intensive; I wouldn't be surprised they want the car for the whole day. How many hours labor did they quote you?

The catalytic converters actually should not "wear out" at all. They're guaranteed by federal law for 80,000 miles. The only time they should go bad is if they're mechanically damaged, or if they're contaminated by a poorly-running engine. My 2000 had the original CAT at 255,000 miles. OTOH, I've managed to destroy a CAT in a single day by driving with a serious miss (dumps unburned fuel into the CAT where it combusts).

[bert06040]

well she said most of the day and especially since it's the 4mo. idk. I'm kind of confused here.

[bert06040]

i also noticed a stronger than normal fuel smell coming from the back end. lately, the gas does seem to run out a lot faster too.

[scotts13]

i also noticed a stronger than normal fuel smell coming from the back end. lately, the gas does seem to run out a lot faster too.

OK. If I were you, I'd have them do an ECU scan, ask for a printout of all the information gathered. Ask them to explain it to you. You're looking for misfires, fuel trim issues, etc.

Once again, CATs don't go bad for no reason. You could have a misfire, an over-rich condition, an internal oil leak, or other things. Anything that puts something in the exhaust other than what the converter is intended to handle. Pulling the spark plugs and examining them can also tell you a lot about what's going on in the combustion chambers.

The reason I make a point about this is, if you don't correct whatever (may have) ruined your current CATs, it may well happen again.

[thscott]

You might be just past the expiration of the emissions warranty which covers the cats - I seem to recall it is 8 years, 80,000 miles. But it might be worth checking. I had my cats replaced a couple years ago on my 2002 wagon and was able to have it done for free under this warranty.

[The Swami]

I would check with another dealership to see if this repair isn't covered under Federal Law for Emission Control Devices. Also, the V6's have 4 catalytic converters so which one is giving the fault code. Many owners have replaced their units with OBD-II compliant one's from various exhaust vendors such as Magnaflow. You might also want to visit a quality exhaust shop or another dealership to check if it's not a leak issue!!

Good luck,

Will aka The Swami

[ArcticFox]

My Flowmaster Cat works pretty good. Just buy 2 and goto a good exhaust shop and they can cut the old ones out and weld the new ones in.

[blubayou]

What's the weird noise that the car started making? Which came first, the CEL or the noise?

I got CEL's when my flex joints started leaking (making exhaust leak noise). Being upstream from the cat and the second O2 sensor, they throw off the readings and light the CEL. Repairing the flex joints (part of the downpipe/cat piece) sealed the leak and fixed the O2 sensor reading/CEL.

Might not be it, but worth exploring

[blubayou]

I also recommend an indy for either the flex joint or cat replacement. Dealer kills you on the cost of either, since the dp/flexjoint/cat are all one unit.

[E CODE]

Indy shop 100% - in fact, I'd go against mathematical law and say 1000%.