I just brought my car in to a muffler shop. The guy told me that my car was running too rich and the rear cat needs to be replaced to comply CA law. They also suggested that I take it to a mechanic to modify the richness before they can insert the rear cat, otherwise it would melt it.

My question, I've never altered the "richness" of my car, so how did this happen?

 

And what qualified this muffler shop employee to come to the decision that your car was running too rich? Was any actual measurement taken?

The only "richness" you can adjust is the idle mixture on an S4, which is done with the variable resistor. There is nothing else that can be adjusted on a stock car. Unless you have a non-functional air pump/ACV, there is no reason a new cat would melt. I'd suggest going to another shop.

 

Nothing really qualified this employee to come to that decision other than the fact that he mentioned that there was a strong gas smell.

Air pump/ACV, how do I check it?

 

Did he take the exhaust apart and inspect the cat? What about the first 2 pre cats?

 

Sounds like this guy wants to make a quick sale

 

Read the FSM, it tells you how to check the air pump and other solenoids.

 

He did not take anything apart. All he did was raised the vehicle when it was on, and he put a torch with a little flame to the whole exhaust. It looks old school but I saw the flames get bigger near the rear cat.

As for the 2 pre cats, no big flames but I was told by another party to take off the two pre cats and hopefully I can "gut" them out and reuse it. Although I don't really know what he means by gut it out. I assume he meant clean it out from debris.

Thanks for the advice on the air pump, I'll check it out.

 

Glut it out means to remove the cat material so it flows better. You can smash/glut it with a long screw driver. Its easy. But Not recommend if ur pre cat has no issue.


Ur car is old so a dying cat is perfectly normal. Just buy an aftermarket cat and replace it. There are cats tthat works with CA emission laws.

 

Aftermarket cat? Any suggestions (nycgps)?

 

PM'ed

 

Maremont makes one with Cali emission

Bosal also makes one with Cali Emission.

both cost under 100 bux. Rear Converter only.

 

Sorry, NYCGPS but would you happen to know of any "high performance" cats that are Cali emission? Thanks

 

meh,straight pipe that ****

 

There are no "high flow" cats that I know of that are CA legal. You live in **** Germany over there, I don't think anything but O.E. equivalent will be legal.. Then again, a lot of the times as long as you have a catalytic converter they may not care, but you can't win them all the time...

 

Thanks, JJcobm!

 

Also, if you are searching around for a cat you MAY be able to find a high flow, but contact the manufacturer and ask for the CARB sticker for it or CARB number. That is your ticket to using a high flow cat in California legally or any cat in general...

 

no high flow cats will get that CARB sticker.

the reason is that high flow cat never sell like hot cakes. and it cost quite a lot of money to get that stupid CARB sticker.

 

Magnaflow has a direct fit rear cali cat, around $150.

Let us know your smog results.

 

[QUOTE=As for the 2 pre cats, no big flames but I was told by another party to take off the two pre cats and hopefully I can "gut" them out and reuse it. Although I don't really know what he means by gut it out. I assume he meant clean it out from debris.[/QUOTE]

Leave them on, and don't gut them. You will need as much cat material as you can get to pass the smog.

 

Might want to pass smog first, then add your high performance mods (for 2 years).

Did a search for cali legal from Bosal and Maremont. Do you have retailers or part numbers I can look up? Thanks.

 

Maremont's 28956 supposed to be Cali-OK cat. but for some reason they changed it again.

Bosal's cat is gone.

Magnaflow still has something.
http://www.magnaflow.com/02catalytic...california.asp

Im running the Magnaflow Federal Rear Direct fit CAT and it past the first emission test (last Nov) without any issue. Just dunno what will happen this year. It was fairly cheap, I got it for 80 bux.

Cali cat gonna cost a lot more, just for that "CARB" sticker ...

 

I dont know how the laws work in CA for vehicles that are too old to get replacement emissions for, I know in NYS you can change them so long as the car passes NYS emissions.

I replaced all 3 cats on my convertible when it was NA with a single high flow converter and the car actually ran cleaner then when it had the 3 on it, performance was not effected because at first I had a pre-silencer on there, then went to the single converter.

 

the first 2 cat is for start up emission. which nobody really cares.

it is the REAR CAT thats handling all the "after everything is warm up" emission. it is also the part that determine rather you fail that smog/sniff test or not.

I picked up a stock rear cat with 90K on the odo for 10 bucks. I checked it it looks fairly good inside, just a bit rust on the outside. gonna keep it until my Magnaflow cat's warranty is gone (5 years, free replacement) and the CAT dies.

 

but you are in NY, any high converter will do, a modern high flow will outperform the OEM from the late 80s early 90s

 

and your point is ?

in terms of filtration, there is nothing special about "CALI/CARB" cats. Its just that the company "paid" for the sticker so they can sell it in CALI. Which I think that equals to high way robbery. (it also explains why everything CARB related cat cost so much more)