Hi guys and gals. I'm not really sure if this is in the right spot, but I went to a shop today because of my check engine light. My car is a 99 2.3 cl 5-speed. they told me I needed a new cat?????? They want 400.00 to fix it. Does this sound right???? Does anyone have a stock one they dont need on a parts car maybe? What do i do?

 

same exact thing happening to my 99 2.3 right now. Im getting P0420 code. My mechanic said i needed a cat so i got a new non oem one and my code came back on in like 2 days. The only thing i haven't tried is a new 02 sensor but i was told if that was bad it would come in the obd code. its BS that acura only extended the emissions warranty for the 97 obviously they didn't fix it for the other years

 

Thanks. I'm gonna try an O2 sensor 1st. Yea Acura screwed us on the warranty.

 

Could most def be the O2 sensor, try that first

 

Unfortunately that price is about right for an oem acura cat. These cats are tough though, and while the heatshields tend to rust terribly, the cats themselves aren't too prone to failure; so
like blackack said, be sure to rule out the comparatively inexpensive 02 sensor (you can get an aftermarket one of those for 80 bucks or so and DIY).
You could certainly source an aftermarket cat (that will undoubtedly last the remainder of the car's life) for about half that cost -- keep in mind that either oem or aftermarket cat will need to be welded in. I believe i found one for 175 when i finally terminated mine on a divider. good luck with the fix.

 

P0420 can also be caused by a cracked exhaust manifold, leaking connection, or exhaust pipe ahead of catalytic converter.

good luck

 

if its the cat, tell them they better lick ur balls for that price. I replaced my cat with a CATCO High Flow Cat for like $100, which obviously flows better than OEM and comes w/the O2 bung. I think getting the O2 sensor n the cat from after market would be way less expensive

 

Thanks guys.