Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Need some feedback please!

I went to the dealer because of a check engine light. They said that I needed a new cat converter and a bank 2 hego sensor(02 sensor?). Well, they wanted close to $1300.00 for the repair so I declined it. Does anybody here know anything about Random Tech cats? I saw some reviews and it kinda scared me. There were more negative reviews than positive. Some say that the stock cats are more reliable and Random Techs aren't. Does the stock cat converter really cost that much as advertised on the internet? Somebody said to just go with a straight pipe w/out the cat but I need to go for emission soon. Can anybody please tell me a rough estimate on how much I should be spending on the main cat and a hego sensor?

Thanks

If your main catalytic converter is dying, it will NOT trip a Check Engine light.

However, if your pre-cats (embedded in your exhaust manifolds) are dying, they can trip a Check Engine light. Pre-cats are expensive to replace if you have your stealership do it for you. If you're under 8YR/80K, the stealership is required (by law in the U.S.) to replace your pre-cats for FREE.

Did the stealership tell you what the exact code was? Try to find out the exact code, then do a SEARCH here on CEG for it -- you'll find plenty of good advice.

On 96+ V6 equipped Contiques, the vehicles are equipped with 4 oxygen sensors (O2). They cost around $40-60 apiece and really aren't hard to install yourself (most auto parts stores will loan you an O2 sensor wrench for free). Bank 2 is located closest to the radiator (e.g. easiest bank to access).

I've never heard of "Random Tech Cats." I'd be wary of any product with the word "Random" in the name!

Thanks. I did some search on P0430 error code. My buddy mentioned something about gutting the pre cat and the main cat also. By gutting the pre cat wouldn't it trip the check engine light again? If I ended up getting a MSDS header w/y-pipe do I still need to worry about the pre cats? He told me to get the header w/y-pipe and gut the stock main cat and install a borla exhaust. Are any of these performance part going to fix my problems? I don't know, I'm not mechanically inclined so please bare with me.