benzbaby2

4 months ago my 2002 E320 (78,000 miles whew!!) cat con. was replaced 4 free by dealer. Don't know if they did both sides.

Now it's rattling like crazy again and yesterday a chunk of metal fell out onto the road as I was driving slowly through a parking lot. My mechanic is gone until Monday and I need to drive this car around town for short back and forth trips. I'm worried that the car will catch on fire or ??????????? Is the car safe to drive in spite of the horrible (embarrassing) rattling noise?

ohlord

if it was just a hanger that let go,roll it up on some rhino ramps from walmart and take a look.If they were installed properly no cat should have failed in 2 months unless it had major engine issue.Like burning 3 qts. of oil per weekif nothing is loose you can drive it,just expect your gas mileage to be **** poor.







ohlord

TMAllison

It's sealed; nothing should have fallen out, otherwise it wouldn't rattle. Look for whatever else is missing.

8/80. Gotta love it.

stemags

Now Im looking at mine,,just had both cats done at 74 k by dealer...LOL

Red66GT

Just curious as to how much you guys paid for replacement. Mine sounds like marbles rolling around in it/them. Need to get them replaced.

ohlord

many miles on your 02?
where do you live?
oem cat only splice it in is about 65 bucks if you are over 80000 miles if under 80k the dealer does it free.if under 8 years old.
ohlord

Red66GT

Really? I'm under 80k! Live in Reno. Hate the dealership here though..... Might have to call them.

ohlord

If you don't like the service go to another dealer.They will only replace the failed side,if both failed or failing both sides will be done.Whole unit complete.
Keep us posted.
ohlord

Red66GT

I just called. They said some are 7yr/70k warranty and some are 8yr/80k warranty. She said some California vehicles have a different warranty? ?? I asked her if she could check the vin if I gave it to her and she said "we have to have possession of the car in order to check". See, this is exactly why I hate this local dealer. Thoughts?

ohlord

is 8/80.federal mandate on cats find another dealer.Good dealer, you pull in they test it and verify,then replace .It is a money maker for them because they bill it to the parent co. and send the diagnostics as proof.
ohlord

don't let them give you the run around.

AlphaWolf

Hey the dealership in El Dorado Hills is good. The Service Center in Rocklin in CA is great too. Might be worth your time driving to here.

Red66GT

Thanks Alpha. I'll give these guys one more opportunity since they are only a few blocks from where I work. If they cheese out again, I'll come to Rocklin.

TMAllison

I dont know that ANY MB warranty service qualifies as a "money maker" for the dealer as MB is pretty stingy with warranty book labor hours, but it ought to be covered 8/80 and is simply both their tough luck.

ohlord

One side is a profit maker.That is over a $1100 above part cost.Do the math.
ohlord

purplegrog

@benzbaby: It's very possible that the other cat went out. you have 2 under there, and in my experience, anyway, they both went within 3 months of each other. If you're within the federally mandated warranty periods, get it to the dealer before they expire and get your cats replaced. As some have posted about their respective dealers, don't let the dealer give you the runaround. FWIW, where I am in Austin, the dealer did quick, good work and got me back on the road the same day.

purplegrog

oh, and in response to your question, as far as I'm aware (board, please feel free to correct me) it's perfectly safe to drive. The only concern you might have with driving it in that condition is that you'd be polluting more, since you're not converting your pollutants to harmless water.

ohlord

to drive,depending on the condition of the failure.If the cat is partially plugged you could have misfire issues.If it get plugged too badly the car will just choke out and stall,leaving you stranded.If chunks pass from the system it can foul the muffler.Overheated failed cats can get red hot and cause a fire.
A cat does far more than convert toxic gas to water.
Usually when a cat fails under warranty the dealer replaces the whole system .on the side or sides that failed that includes the two cats and the whole pipe.
ohlord

j944

I wish I could have found cats for $65. It seems for the v8 universals dont exist. I went to Race pages etc w/ no luck..

ohlord

as in seattle?
ohlord

TMAllison

I've missed the part about OEM cats for $500 and labor quoted at $1100 in this post.....still cant find it.

MB's warranty reimbursement time is based upon master factory trained techs perfoming the work on a "new" car, not one with 20, or 50, or 100K miles with stuck or tight nuts and bolts on it. They have every tool needed already at hand, laid out in order and have practiced the job numerous times. They're timed after practicing. Thats warranty book. Every tech I've ever spoken to claims they can rarely perform warranty work in the time that MB reimburses.

ohlord

funny.I know a lot of techs making tons of money doing jobs in under booked hours and moving on to the next money maker.when they can charge 880 bucks for a mass air sensor,that we all know cost $160 and takes a blind man with one arm ten minutes to r/r you know they are getting by and performing those jobs well under the labor manual.
ohlord
cats are paid for by the parent co. and the dealer franchise loves the profit

Ben'z

My dealer in SoCal replaced my CAT when she was over 70K miles. I think you should try the other dealer. Good luck!

Red66GT

Dropped it off this morning. Guy gets in it, turns key, looks at mileage and says "it's covered under warranty". He doesnt even check the vin or anything. ? So, what the h#ll was the chick on the phone talking about? Anyways, he says he'll call me this afternoon and tell me how long it will take because "we dont keep cats in stock". So, doesnt sound like I'll get it back today. If they cant fix today, I'll either pick it up and take it back when they get the cat in, or ask for a loaner. I cant wait to hear the $20k list of other things they're gonna tell me my car needs to have done.

ohlord

them give you the list,tell them politely you need to budget it in,and then diy time.
ohlord

ohlord

about universals,in emerald city.If you can't find oem universals for your model on racepages.com google eastern cats and call or email them for applications and 50 state approved if in Ca.
ohlord