i need to start taking advice from mb owners rather then friends with honda's lol ..i have to replace my catalytic converters. so i was thinking....since i want alil more noise out of my clk 430 cabrio...why dont i just stick straight pipes instead of catalytic converters....and i know the check engine light will be on and i can get it thru inspection.... bad idea? or do it? i do want an exhaust as well but im still debating if i should just replace the converters and get and exhaust or straight and exhaust?

 

take my advice you need a good mechanic with a ramp. do not take out the cats completely cut a rectangle out in each cat clean the cats both together and then weld them back you will have straight pipes. ad more power

changing the cats would be costly let me know.

 

I cut my secondary cats w/ no issues. I think primary ones will trigger the CEL. You can get fake O2 sensors tho so there are no errors. Haven't seen any MB's with those, but I haven't looked either!

 

I've taken my cats out and I'm running straight pipes on my Cab!

The car is twice as loud but sounds MEAN! No error codes though. Uk cars have the Lamda sensors in the down pipes.

 

then i guess i should do straight pipes ...wow i thought everyone would be like no just get converters, but ok straight sounds like a plan so far.......

 

do u have exhaust done? what do u have done cause i need opinions ... i was planning on gettin the eisenmann....or magnaflow..i dunno

 

Do you really want a Mercedes that sounds like a monster truck? Go on Youtube check it out. Lots of guys with super loud Benz's. They set off car alarms. Chopping off the primary cats will add noise. It'll also throw off the other emmissions systems. Whats wrong with starting with the other end? I removed my muffler, left the resonator. Start there and if its not loud enough, then resonator, then secondary cats if you want that monster truck roar. At least it'll be still be legal. Almost.

 

I replaced my secondaries with cheaper magnaflow cats, chopped off the resonator and added a magnaflow muffler and it sounds sick, in no way like a monster truck and at stop lights you cant even notice a diff noise...

 

Ha...this is good. My car is the one that set off a car alarm. It is definitely louder than stock, but I removed the 3 ft long resonator and have a hi flow muffler, so it's close to straight pipes. Removing *just* the cats won't make a huge difference in sound.

FYI, the reason the alarm went off is b/c the vid was inside a concrete parking deck and some doofus has a retardedly sensitive alarm system on his tuner.

 

well the first thing that has to be replaced is my converters cause that rite now is slowing my car down alot.....they are bad

 

and if i step on it all the way .....it wont go anywhere so what i have to do all the time is just come to a stop turn the car off and on and its fine as long as i dont step it all the way down.....i have to just drive normal which sucks !!!

 

and i dont want my car to sound like a garbage truck...what i want is like low tone exhaust sound on it not a HONDA .......i want it to sound very german....should i just get rosetta stone? lol

 

where can i find that?

 

no my mechanic told me my catalytic converters have to be replaced and he checked it on the computer and it read up as that....check engine light is on but thanks!!

 

im not really sure what size it is and i can ask my mechanic but hes workin now and i cant really call him untill later which he is gonna work on my wifes car but do u know what size it is? is it 3 inches? and i also have to buy both not just one ......but thanks alot

 

yea one on each side .... nice thanks a bunch

 

usually emissions components trigger the CEL. stopped up cats could lead to lower airflow or poor exhaust quality which could make an o2 sensor have a bad reading telling you that your cats are bad. That's part of why the oxygen sensors are there - monitoring your emissions components for failure. Of course, the bad O2 readings are what makes the CEL illuminate.

You'll need to replace your 2 primary cats (closest to the engine). Metal substrate is high flow and also cheaper, as hary mentioned. the 2ndary cats are unrelated to CEL issues and (if worn out) can be replaced with metal ones as well or even straight pipes depending on your emissions requirements. replacing the secondary cats alone will not lead ot a significantly louder exhaust but will allow slightly less restricted flow at higher rpms

 

thanks! mr guitar man!

 

no problem, that's what we're here for bro.

 

Anyone have the youtube link to these loud CLKs?

 

OR you could always get Electric cutouts and have the best of both worlds! Super load or Simi Quiet! I would leave the cats unless you are changing the headers.

 

well my cats are shot!!! i wanna do the cheapest and easiest way so any suggestion

 

Oh I see, Go aftermarket! Headers and cats! What was the cost to replace the stock cats?

 

well i havent yet thats what im tryin to do......get rid of my cats....now i just need to find the rite after market or just do straight piping

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbnXpFJS6w8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFin6eBAJ4k