Exhaust issues...a must read.
07-15-2007, 01:54 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Vernon Hills, Il.
Posts: 2
Exhaust issues...a must read.
Hello everyone.
This is my first post here, I think. Ok. I have a 2001 GT vert. About a week ago the check engine light came on and I took the car back to my regular shop who just helped me with installing a window motor that went bad. They told me that it was the Bank 1 catalytic converter. No problem. The 8/80 warranty on cats covers that. So I take it to the dealership and tell them what the problem is. No...they have to put the vehicle on a diagnostic for $156.00 but if it is the catalytic converters, the diagnostic is coverered as well. So, I say go ahead, knowing what the problem is. They come back and tell me that because of my aftermarket exhaust, the cats aren't covered. I explained that I am not paying a dime for the diagnostic because a. I already knew what the issue was and B. They agreed that if it was that problem that it's covered. So, I bitched and complained to the point where they brought me my keys and told me not to come back to the dealership. Fine...bunch of jerks anyway...why would I come back.
So, I decided to try another Dealership as I have heard the horror stories of trying to get this done under the warranty. They had the same thing...Diagnostic for $102.00. I agreed and when they came back this time they told me that not only was the exhaust not stock (Duh, I know this) but that the cats are aftermarket also. DOH. So, I paid the diagnostic fee and was on my way. The dealership told me that to replace the cats with Ford OEM parts would cost around $2000.00 in parts alone. THAT'S RIDICULOUS. I went to summit racing dot com and found Magna Flow Cats for like $80.00.
Can anyone lend some educated opinions here as to what I should do? The only mods on the car are the Borla exhaust system and the K&N cold air intake system. The cats, after looking closely are slip on and not part of the Borla system, so they will be easy to replace. I'm just looking for some ideas about what I should replace them with...
Thanks,
Danny
[IMG]local://upfiles/20041/67DDE2966B644C31A7D95A709E3660AE.jpg[/IMG]
This is my first post here, I think. Ok. I have a 2001 GT vert. About a week ago the check engine light came on and I took the car back to my regular shop who just helped me with installing a window motor that went bad. They told me that it was the Bank 1 catalytic converter. No problem. The 8/80 warranty on cats covers that. So I take it to the dealership and tell them what the problem is. No...they have to put the vehicle on a diagnostic for $156.00 but if it is the catalytic converters, the diagnostic is coverered as well. So, I say go ahead, knowing what the problem is. They come back and tell me that because of my aftermarket exhaust, the cats aren't covered. I explained that I am not paying a dime for the diagnostic because a. I already knew what the issue was and B. They agreed that if it was that problem that it's covered. So, I bitched and complained to the point where they brought me my keys and told me not to come back to the dealership. Fine...bunch of jerks anyway...why would I come back.
So, I decided to try another Dealership as I have heard the horror stories of trying to get this done under the warranty. They had the same thing...Diagnostic for $102.00. I agreed and when they came back this time they told me that not only was the exhaust not stock (Duh, I know this) but that the cats are aftermarket also. DOH. So, I paid the diagnostic fee and was on my way. The dealership told me that to replace the cats with Ford OEM parts would cost around $2000.00 in parts alone. THAT'S RIDICULOUS. I went to summit racing dot com and found Magna Flow Cats for like $80.00.
Can anyone lend some educated opinions here as to what I should do? The only mods on the car are the Borla exhaust system and the K&N cold air intake system. The cats, after looking closely are slip on and not part of the Borla system, so they will be easy to replace. I'm just looking for some ideas about what I should replace them with...
Thanks,
Danny
[IMG]local://upfiles/20041/67DDE2966B644C31A7D95A709E3660AE.jpg[/IMG]
07-15-2007, 01:57 PM
#2
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location:
Posts: 2,126
RE: Exhaust issues...a must read.
ORIGINAL: Arimanio
Hello everyone.
This is my first post here, I think. Ok. I have a 2001 GT vert. About a week ago the check engine light came on and I took the car back to my regular shop who just helped me with installing a window motor that went bad. They told me that it was the Bank 1 catalytic converter. No problem. The 8/80 warranty on cats covers that. So I take it to the dealership and tell them what the problem is. No...they have to put the vehicle on a diagnostic for $156.00 but if it is the catalytic converters, the diagnostic is coverered as well. So, I say go ahead, knowing what the problem is. They come back and tell me that because of my aftermarket exhaust, the cats aren't covered. I explained that I am not paying a dime for the diagnostic because a. I already knew what the issue was and B. They agreed that if it was that problem that it's covered. So, I bitched and complained to the point where they brought me my keys and told me not to come back to the dealership. Fine...bunch of jerks anyway...why would I come back.
So, I decided to try another Dealership as I have heard the horror stories of trying to get this done under the warranty. They had the same thing...Diagnostic for $102.00. I agreed and when they came back this time they told me that not only was the exhaust not stock (Duh, I know this) but that the cats are aftermarket also. DOH. So, I paid the diagnostic fee and was on my way. The dealership told me that to replace the cats with Ford OEM parts would cost around $2000.00 in parts alone. THAT'S RIDICULOUS. I went to summit racing dot com and found Magna Flow Cats for like $80.00.
Can anyone lend some educated opinions here as to what I should do? The only mods on the car are the Borla exhaust system and the K&N cold air intake system. The cats, after looking closely are slip on and not part of the Borla system, so they will be easy to replace. I'm just looking for some ideas about what I should replace them with...
Thanks,
Danny
Hello everyone.
This is my first post here, I think. Ok. I have a 2001 GT vert. About a week ago the check engine light came on and I took the car back to my regular shop who just helped me with installing a window motor that went bad. They told me that it was the Bank 1 catalytic converter. No problem. The 8/80 warranty on cats covers that. So I take it to the dealership and tell them what the problem is. No...they have to put the vehicle on a diagnostic for $156.00 but if it is the catalytic converters, the diagnostic is coverered as well. So, I say go ahead, knowing what the problem is. They come back and tell me that because of my aftermarket exhaust, the cats aren't covered. I explained that I am not paying a dime for the diagnostic because a. I already knew what the issue was and B. They agreed that if it was that problem that it's covered. So, I bitched and complained to the point where they brought me my keys and told me not to come back to the dealership. Fine...bunch of jerks anyway...why would I come back.
So, I decided to try another Dealership as I have heard the horror stories of trying to get this done under the warranty. They had the same thing...Diagnostic for $102.00. I agreed and when they came back this time they told me that not only was the exhaust not stock (Duh, I know this) but that the cats are aftermarket also. DOH. So, I paid the diagnostic fee and was on my way. The dealership told me that to replace the cats with Ford OEM parts would cost around $2000.00 in parts alone. THAT'S RIDICULOUS. I went to summit racing dot com and found Magna Flow Cats for like $80.00.
Can anyone lend some educated opinions here as to what I should do? The only mods on the car are the Borla exhaust system and the K&N cold air intake system. The cats, after looking closely are slip on and not part of the Borla system, so they will be easy to replace. I'm just looking for some ideas about what I should replace them with...
Thanks,
Danny
are you serious?
07-15-2007, 02:10 PM
#3
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Vernon Hills, Il.
Posts: 2
RE: Exhaust issues...a must read.
Oh yeah...and the other dealership that I started at was like $1750.00 for parts alone. I couldn't beleive it. I looked at the guy and asked in all seriousness, "Do people really pay that? Are they that stupid?" Now mind you, I'm not trying to cast dispursions upon people who just don't wrench on cars but I mean take it somewhere else then. I don't think ANYONE should pay that much when you can get an aftermarket PERFORMANCE part for less than a tenth the price of the stock parts. But then again the people who pay those prices are people who take their cars back to the dealership for oil changes.
07-15-2007, 02:42 PM
#4
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 2
RE: Exhaust issues...a must read.
well u said u only have a borla exhaust i don't think borla makes midpipes last time i checked and thats what ur cats are part of is your midpipe not your cat back...so if u know u have not changed your midpipe and its stock fight it. its factory parts at that point and neither your catback or k&n will cause a catalytic convertor failure and by SEMA law they have to prove that the modifications u have done to your vehicle are what caused the problem, and there is not one dealer in the world that will be able to prove that the catback will be able to cause the catalytic failure.
07-15-2007, 03:06 PM
#6
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: CT
Posts: 4,951
RE: Exhaust issues...a must read.
Dealer markup on parts is amazing, isn't it? I'm a mechanic at a Cadillac dealership. You should see some of the rediculous prices for stupid parts. This one guy needed a tire pressure sensor. I think the sensor alone was like $150 or something. I think he ended up paying something rediculous like $240 or something. All I had to do was take the wheel off the car, unmount the tire, change the sensor (which is just like changing a valve stem), remount the tire, and put it back on the car. Not worth $240 to me.
07-15-2007, 05:55 PM
#8
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 508
RE: Exhaust issues...a must read.
ORIGINAL: Xemeth
Dealer markup on parts is amazing, isn't it? I'm a mechanic at a Cadillac dealership. You should see some of the rediculous prices for stupid parts. This one guy needed a tire pressure sensor. I think the sensor alone was like $150 or something. I think he ended up paying something rediculous like $240 or something. All I had to do was take the wheel off the car, unmount the tire, change the sensor (which is just like changing a valve stem), remount the tire, and put it back on the car. Not worth $240 to me.
Dealer markup on parts is amazing, isn't it? I'm a mechanic at a Cadillac dealership. You should see some of the rediculous prices for stupid parts. This one guy needed a tire pressure sensor. I think the sensor alone was like $150 or something. I think he ended up paying something rediculous like $240 or something. All I had to do was take the wheel off the car, unmount the tire, change the sensor (which is just like changing a valve stem), remount the tire, and put it back on the car. Not worth $240 to me.
this dude in oneof my classes said that someone paid over $1,000 to have a factory radio installed in their vehicle. i forgot whichdealership he works at.
07-15-2007, 09:34 PM
#9
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 2,584
RE: Exhaust issues...a must read.
I just busted one of my cats on the Pypes X-pipe...Yeah, Ford charges like $450/ cat for OEM...whereas you can get a set of replacement aftermarket cats for MUCH cheaper.
I ordered 2 Pypes cats, on the way in the mail. Costed $112.00 out the door.With the install, it will be like $140.00, not bad at all.
I ordered 2 Pypes cats, on the way in the mail. Costed $112.00 out the door.With the install, it will be like $140.00, not bad at all.
07-15-2007, 10:06 PM
#10
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location:
Posts: 1,667
RE: Exhaust issues...a must read.
If the cats "slip in" I bet that you have a SLP midpipe. Do the 2 pieps go into and X shape or an H shape?
If it is the SLP midpipe and you dont have the cat delete pieps I'd just go to an exhaust shop and have them cut you some 2 1/2? pipe the right length and slip them in and then get some MILS.
I agree with the guy above though, I bet the cat isn't even bad, the system is just reading too many bad gasses going through because the high flow cats dont filter as well as stock cats.
If it is the SLP midpipe and you dont have the cat delete pieps I'd just go to an exhaust shop and have them cut you some 2 1/2? pipe the right length and slip them in and then get some MILS.
I agree with the guy above though, I bet the cat isn't even bad, the system is just reading too many bad gasses going through because the high flow cats dont filter as well as stock cats.