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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 13
New CEG\'er
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OP
New CEG\'er
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 13 |
Well, I could no longer igonore the CEL and took my contour in for diagnosis. Things are bad. My mechanic told me that my car has 3 cats and they are pretty much shot. He said that they are disentigrating on the inside and that they will have to be replaced. He also told me that I could get some more months of driving out of it until things get too clogged and I lose power because of it.
On top of this my starter is going.
His final advice - Buy another car
I am tired of pouring money into this car just to have something else go wrong with it. I have spent a lot of money on this car in the last 4 months-rebuilt transmission, new alternator, new brakes and rotors, new tires. It makes me sick to think about it but I have decided to fold and just sell the car for whatever it Bluebooks at minus the cost of fixing it. Do ya'll think anyone will want it? It is a 99 SE V-6
I already have my new car lined up and should be getting it this week. 2003 Focus SE
Thanks for all of the help and advice you guys have given me. You really are good people.
Mel
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 397
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 397 |
Bro,
The cats are not that hard to "fix". I'd do the mystery mod on the 2 pre-cats and get MIL eliminators.
2 done one to go.
Contact Stazi and get a high flow Magnaflow cat for under $100. Take off your stock cat w/pipe, and take it down to a local muffler shop. Have them cut off the flange, and weld onto new cat. Then have them put what ever pipe is necessary to join up to the remainder of the cat-back. Viola...done for ~$200...
Also..did you know that Ford has to replace them by law if they're under a certain mileage or years of use? I'm sure someone will chime in here with the deatils...
T-red E0 SVT
ATS 17x7.5 Comp Lites, 215/45/17 Falken 512s, Ausi Bar, Boxed subframe, Poli all around, Warmonger's Opt Y, Opt TB, AFE, DMD, NGK's, Bendix Ti, Alpine, Polk, Mobil-1 0W-40, Redline MTL.
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 319
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 319 |
I feel for you. I hope I don't have to deal with that kind of stuff anytime soon.
Here is some advice. Don't buy the focus. Get a honda civic instead. They are more expensive in the short term, but will save you headaches and trips in ford dealer shuttle. Personally, my CSVT is the last Ford I will own. It's been good so far, but after owning a acura/honda as a second vehicle and not having to put a cent into it for 3 years (it is 6 years old), that trip down south this winter is actually doable.
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 2,382
Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 2,382 |
In Ford's defense, Honda's aren't 100% themselves. I put in a new exhaust manifold with O2 sensor and an AC compressor in the Civic in the last year. Thank goodness it was a certified Honda so the manifold was under warranty.
So compared to my Tour it's still more reliable yes, but no car is going to be trouble free forever.
"Fear is the little death."
Muadib.
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 864
Veteran CEG\'er
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Veteran CEG\'er
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 864 |
Federal emiisions warranty is 7/70. And isn't the P0420 code only fo the bank one downstream sensor? How does your mechanic know all the cats are shot? Did you view the sensor data he recorded to come to this conclusion?
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 7,117
Hard-core CEG'er
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Hard-core CEG'er
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 7,117 |
Originally posted by TheAlmightyMe:
Federal emiisions warranty is 7/70. And isn't the P0420 code only fo the bank one downstream sensor? How does your mechanic know all the cats are shot? Did you view the sensor data he recorded to come to this conclusion?
8/80,000 actually - he's in Georgia. 7/70 in California.
Must be that jumbly-wumbly thing happening again.
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 864
Veteran CEG\'er
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Veteran CEG\'er
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 864 |
Originally posted by TourDeForce:
Originally posted by TheAlmightyMe:
Federal emiisions warranty is 7/70. And isn't the P0420 code only fo the bank one downstream sensor? How does your mechanic know all the cats are shot? Did you view the sensor data he recorded to come to this conclusion?
8/80,000 actually - he's in Georgia. 7/70 in California.
Yeah, you're right. I keep transposing those two. But the point still remains, as long as he's under 80K, to replace the cats he could possibly be looking at no cost out of pocket.
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,725
Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,725 |
Dont buy a Ford Focus, see how many recalls Contours had, well the Focuses are turning out to be just as bad.
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 38
New CEG\'er
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New CEG\'er
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 38 |
Originally posted by MelC:
.... cats and they are pretty much shot. He said that they are disentigrating on the inside and that they will have to be replaced.
On top of this my starter is going.
rebuilt transmission, new alternator, new brakes and rotors, new tires. .
The only thing that sounds serious to me is the tranny, the rest is pretty much routine for an older car.
Frankly bad cats is a blessing in disguise, it gives you the chance to get some performance from the car by getting a y pipe and a high flow cat.
Why sell it now, you essentially have a new car after doing all the repairs....
EVERY car that gets older will require most of this work!
1999 CSVT #545
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 2,163
Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 2,163 |
so what are you going to do MelC ?
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