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I Need Help!!! 06 Grand Prix 3.8 V6 Catalytic Converter

T

TheDoctor15

New member
alright. so. Im new to the forums. I just joined so that I could get some advice. I need a new catalytic converter because my cat is clogged and hindering my performance and torque (or at least that is what Bumbera told me after i told them "im losing hp and torque, please look at my car"). i went to Bumbera Performance assoc and they said $700 for parts and labor. so i figured "alright. no. I need a rate more in my range, ill try to fix it myself.". let me throw in that I am a college student paying my own way through school and on a college budget. so i contacted O'reily's auto parts and got the right match for my car and found i could get an un-wielded magnaflow cat for $87 but i cant wield stuff so i found that the pre-wielded cat was $200 but now i see how hard it is to get under there and saw off bolts and stuff. so i called around asking for labor quotes on removing and replacing the old cat with the new cat that i would buy myself. i found that i could have it done for around $300 total. (after buythe part and there labor) which was great, but everywhere ive called so far say they will do it, but they do NOT recommend it at all because the after market cats may be nice and cheap but often dont work, work for a very short time, or cause more problems than they fix and also that a clogged cat is actually a rare problem. so my question is...

Does a clogged catalytic converter cause loss of performance or could it be something completely different? what is the probability that my cat is actually clogged? Am I being ripped off? Is it true that after market catalytic converters are not worth the price? Should i just get this done the right way? Are there any cheap, after market converters that are reliable? What is about the right price range to remove and replace a genuine cat?

Long story short, I'm losing performance and torque, Bumbera Performance Associates have told me that I need a new catalytic converter because my current one is clogged, I need a the most inexpensive yet reliable and long-lasting solution possible. Please help.

Thanks,
TheDoctor15

P.S. Just living with low performance, horse power and torque is NOT an option. I'm poor but not that poor.
 


How many miles on your car? Cats last about 150,000 miles.
You'll want to make sure your cat is actually the issue. Taking it to an autoparts store for a free OBDII scan can get you the codes to ensure nobody lied to you.

At rockauto, a bolt in cat's going for $188+shipping, and can be changed in the driveway with ramps and a couple hand tools everyone should own anyway.
You could shop around for cat itself and have an exhaust shop do the work. $35-100, plus labor... $100? So, $135-200 total.

$700 is far too much.
If you have to, bribe a buddy with some beer to come help you.
 
ZZP's highflow cat/downpipe will more than likely set off his SES light.


You also havent realy told us "How" you are losing performance.

Like when? Does it just fall on its face? Have you done any sort of tune up (plugs, wires, air filter, clean the TB and MAF)??
 
Well, about two months ago I was on the free way and I stepped on the gas to get a nice rush of speed and it didn't put out the power that it always had. normally, going 60mph, I could step on it and go up to 90 with a few seconds. And i could go from 0-60 pretty fast too. now it gets there but nowhere near as fast as it used to. barely any torque anymore. and now it feels like it kind of skips gears when i step on the gas, or when it changes gears sometimes. i just feel a jut and the car shakes and continues to climb in rpm until it shifts and juts again. also ive been hearing a hissing noise once its gets to about 4k rpm. so no it doesnt just stop or slow down at all, im just not getting the surge of power like i did 3 months ago.

there is 111,000 miles on it. and i got it in January of 2012.

no i have not done a tune up yet. thats actually why i brought it to bumbera. to get it checked out and tuned, then they said i need to get the cat replaced before i do anything else.
 
Sounds like it could be a clogged cat. How's your MPG and do you smell anything that smells like rotten eggs and I would do what Blue suggested and get a catted downpipe from ZZP or Headers and do the work yourself. Much cheaper route.
 


I'm not keeping extensive records of when/how much/calculation from point A to B, but id have to say around 19mpg? ill get back to you in a few days and give you a more educated guess. and ya thats what i was going to do but the actual garages told me that any after market cat is just a waste of time and money. so are you saying that they are just trying to scam a kid with basically no knowledge of cars? because has been in the back of my head since the first place i called, told me that. so ZZP and/or Headers sell trusted, reliable cats?
 
A cat'd ZZP dp is the cheapest option and easy to install but it will give you a P0420 code after a couple days.
8B8CB17B-C282-472F-BB00-CB8034BD51D7-3700-0000069575FED34A.jpg
 
Yup lol shops tend to tell you what they want so they can get your business. That's what the forums for :) many replace there's cats with aftermarket w/o any issue. Some will get a code that can be cleared or tuned out if you'll like. I'm on tapatalk right now so I can't see your location but do you have inspection? After my second cat (first one replaced thru dealership w/ warranty) failed I just went to headers w/ no cat. Check the exhaust manifold thread it'll tell you most everything you need to know. If going headsets SD's (Speed Daddy) off of eBay are the best bang for your buck around $220 or so. I'm sure others will chime in.
 
Clearly he is new and really has no idea about mods and codes and troubles with cheap parts.

Its a 06 car, it has a cat diag in the PCM, if he runs a cheap ass cat converter he will get a SES light and his one problem will now be 2 problems. He'll have a check engine light and no way to "tune" it out. You can't tune a 06+ pcm. Don't gimme that get a different PCM bull, because just no.

Headers wont solve it either, because they don't have a cat.


OP. If your problem is indeed the cat converter, please buy a QUALITY cat. They will cost upwards of $200+ and wont cause any further problems after you change it.
 
Thanks guys for the help. I'm learning a lot just from reading the forums and stuff. Keep the comments coming! As of right now, I think I'm just going to take my car to an exhaust shop and pay them the $500 for the genuine cat and labor. But I don't know, I feel like I should at least TRY the after market cat. But unless someone can prove that after market high-flow cats are actually reliable...
 


Install an OEM cat/down pipe yourself and save your money. Easy direct bolt on, reliable, and no check engine light.
 
blackspike2710 said:
Does Texas even check for cats? If not ,straight pipe that mofo.
Click to expand...

If he does have emissions, he can't straight pipe on his car without increasing his costs (PCM, tune). If he doesn't it'll lower his mpg to do anyway. what you're proposing is a far more complex solution for him.
 


ok. so. ive done so tests and im getting about 15.5-16 mpg. my car is starting to make an airy sound too. and the skipping is worrying me.

yes i ust got my inspection in october but i need a solution that will last me AT LEAST till im out of college. (2-3 years).

i have found a place near by called Katy Exhaust Pros and they say they will install a quality cat for about 500$. ive also been told that i have not one but two cats? is this true?

(2006 grand prix 3.8L V6)


I need this fixed soon (withing a few days) so please get back to me ASAP
 
500 for a cat install run!

you should be able to get a cat welded on for about 200, maybe a bit more.


you only have one cat, then the next part is a resonator. if thats rusting out, put a glass pack muffler in its place, they cost 25 bucks at any parts store. and its the same thing. myself and a whole lot of others are using a glass pack, its the same thing and works. vs over 100 for a factory replacement resonator.
 
Sounds like you might be getting hustled. Be careful, ask more questions - could just be a misunderstanding.
 
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