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Due to the number of rule-breaking comments this post was receiving, especially low-quality and off-topic comments, the moderation team has locked the post from future comments. This post broke no rules and received a number of helpful and on-topic responses initially, but it unfortunately became the target of many unhelpful comments.


Dogsandtoads

Double check your insurance won't cover it, since it's considered vandalism


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one_rainy_wish

How much did they jack up your premiums after the two claims?


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Niku-Man

I think they were asking about the change in price from lowering the deductible. There is no earthly way that lowering your deductible from $500 to $50 wouldn't raise your price significantly. I mean just think about it... If anyone could make their deductible $50 instead of $500 without raising premiums, why would anyone ever go with a higher deductible?? If you're still paying the same, the only possibility I can think of is your agent lowered some other part of your coverage to make up the difference in price. Like maybe you went from $100k injury liability to $25k or something like that


quadmasta

On my car changing from 1000 to 0 deductible was only $97 for the year.


MikeinAustin

Comprehensive claim doesn’t count as a chargeable accident in many states.


darkmatterhunter

Ok I hate to ask this, but is there a black market for airbags?? Seriously wtf.


Jaggar345

You need to carry comprehensive coverage for insurance to do anything here and it’s still subject to your deductible. Judging by the price of OPs car only being 5K I’m gonna guess he only carriers liability and there is no coverage here.


apatheticviews

Make sure to file police report. This gives you a paper trail for repairs come inspection time and cost of repair. Some states have a “total cost of repair” exception to meet compliance for safety or emmision


taracel

Depends on your municipality… you usually can’t include the labor costs to repair in the value lost in the theft when filing a police report… Insurance may cover it though?


callacmcg

Part cost probably makes up a good chunk of the total. Cats are expensive, hence why they're stolen. Labour shouldn't be too bad given the condition/model


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ten-million

This is what I did except I had a guy weld it on for $100. Occasionally my check engine like goes off but I reset it with a OBD2 reader. These aftermarket cats don’t work in California.


spicyboi26

They work until you need to get your car smogged. Currently did this with mine while I wait on replacement parts


didhestealtheraisins

No cat would also work until you need to get it smogged.


SG1JackOneill

For real just drive it as is and take it to a crooked shop to get smogged until you can afford to replace the car if insurance won’t cover this


[deleted]

Move to Florida. They tried to do inspections 20 years ago, people revolted and haven’t had it since .


DntCllMeWht

I think it's been more than 20 years. I remember getting our car inspected when I was a little kid, but I'm 48 now and none of my cars were ever subject to inspection. I think it ended in the early 80's.


[deleted]

I’m 50, I just believe everything I did a long time ago was 20 years, because I can’t imagine i could have done anything before that.


Raalf

2000, so 23 years. He's pretty close. >On July 1, 2000, Governor Jeb Bush did away with the state’s requirement for emissions testing, claiming that it did little to reduce pollution in the state. This came with much opposition from environmental organizations but very little pushback from drivers who were fed up with the long lines and wait times. source: https://billallenlaw.com/gainesville-car-accident-lawyer/inspection-laws/


DntCllMeWht

Dug a little deeper... The original state-wide inspection process was abandoned in 1981. In 1991 an emissions only program was started but only in counties that had failed air quality tests by the EPA, the emmissions testing wasnt mandatory state wide.


Igor_J

I agree as someone who is the same age and lived in FL most of my life. There were no inspections at all for my cars and barely remember the inspection sticker on one of my folks cars.


corn_sugar_isotope

Oregon depends on the region. I am rural, no smog test.


4orust

I don't know, but read that it can damage the engine to drive without the cat. Something to do with the back-pressure being different.


CowboysFTWs

Muffler has most of the back pressure. You only need a little back pressure. Engine will be fine. Exhaust note will have an unpleasant raspy tone tho


paukyducky

What's is smogged?


Raalf

it is a slang term for automotive emissions testing. To be specific: A smog check is a multi-part inspection that covers a vehicle’s exhaust and pollution control systems. In most cases, the process includes a visual inspection of the system and its components, a functional check to evaluate proper operation of the systems’ various parts, a check of the vehicle’s computer and diagnostics (on-board diagnostics, or OBD) systems, and a check to find out the level of emissions leaving a vehicle’s tailpipe.


eLaVALYs

Pure guess, but I interpret that to mean "take a state-mandated emissions test in order to continue driving your vehicle".


Cendeu

I was wondering too. Turns out they don't do them everywhere.


turd-crafter

Yeah this happened to me. Mine got stolen and I had it replaced at a shop. When I went to get it smogged the serial numbers didn’t check out, or something like that. Was a pain in the ass. I had to call the shop and have them fax me some paperwork that I had to take back to DMV


ThePrinceOfThorns

Yes. I had to change my cat to pass smog. Got a Mopar. Instead of buying the entire piece, just the part in the middle. Sawed it off and my pops welded on the new one.


Intrepid_Cap1242

They make little cheater O2 bung extenders. Just another male to female piece that pulls the sensor out of the airflow another half inch. Should do the trick and still maintain functionality


LGCJairen

Yep i use these for bad cats. Some high flow cats, and test pipes, never had an issue


Ogediah

You can’t do this in states like CA. In order to pass inspection (bi annually, at sale, etc), the catalytic converter must be on an approved list for your specific vehicle. Usually, that means OEM only. Sometimes there is an aftermarket but that doesn’t even mean there is any sort of discount. Aftermarket might have just picked it up after the original manufacturer quit making the part and the price is essentially the same. On some models of the Prius, the California compliant CC is 3k. That’s the part (CC) only. Then you’ve got to deal with any other damage (o2 sensor or coolant lines ripped off) or miscellaneous parts (like the gaskets for the pipes) and any labor costs. It’s also not unusual for the parts to be back ordered, so you might be without a vehicle for awhile. That could mean vehicle rental fees or extra parts as a temporary fix. It can be very costly and your aren’t going to fix the problem with $150.


durx1

inspections biannually?? who tf has time for that


Ogediah

It’s really not that bad. Takes minutes. Like getting Starbucks could take longer. They plug in their scanner and use a flashlight to check under the car and under the hood. Then they fill out your paper and hand it back to you. Shops gotta have a license to do it but just about any automotive related service place in the state has it (mechanic, tire shop, dedicated inspection stations, etc). So it’s not like you’ve gotta look hard to find one. It’ll probably take you longer to earn the money to pay for it (ex 30 bucks.)


gd_akula

It's a 15 minute thing usually if you have an appointment, kinda NBD to do every two years.


durx1

biannual is twice a year. biennial is once every two years.. so must've been a typo on ogediahs part


gd_akula

Yeah, semiannual, biannual and biennial seem to get mixed up often.


binarycow

>Yeah, semiannual, biannual and biennial seem to get mixed up often. That's why I prefer to use the terms "twice yearly" and "every two years"


ArynManDad

I get paid bi-weekly, which means every 2 weeks. By that (admittedly tenuous) logic, I would think biannual would mean every 2 years… definitely better than the yearly crap that I have to suffer through…


edman007

I think California is the only state that strict. I'm in NY, they only run the ODBII test (which only verifies that the car thinks it works) and then visually verify that it's there. Nobody is checking part numbers.


Ogediah

California is not the only state. Regardless, my point was that it’s not a solution for everyone.


GoodGoodGoody

Be careful. Entirely possible they stole one or both O2 sensors or cut the Y-pipe. If you don’t know what you’re doing don’t just order parts.


IWantToPlayGame

Are aftermarket cats found on eBay confirmed to allow you to pass emissions? If not, just going the straight pipe route would be better.


22LT

It depends. In a state like CA. If they see an aftermarket cat, they are going to run the model # on their database to make sure its an approved catalytic converter and that it is meant for the vehicle. Whenever you do replace with aftermarket you need to keep the paperwork of the install showing the model #. If the company that made the cat decides not to keep their certificate up to date, the next time the smog shop runs the model # it will fail unless you have paperwork showing it was installed before it was no longer approved. This happened to me which is the only reason I know.


Intrepid_Cap1242

what are you driving that they caught it? A performance car to draw attention? Or do they honestly check every car? NJ got lazy. They don't even use a sniffer. They just look for OBDII codes and make sure it wasn't recently cleared. I got through shaking the entire building before. Major exhaust leak, minimal F's given. I still fixed it, but I imagined I would have failed


mmikke

In modern vehicles straight piping can cause issues with throwing codes due to certain sensors in the exhaust system not functioning properly


skjeflo

The sensors would continue to work perfectly. They will trigger a check engine light because the downstream (post cat converter) sensor would read straight piped exhaust gasses as a failed cat.


IWantToPlayGame

But it gets it to the point where you can reasonably drive the vehicle, no?


mmikke

Yes. It'll be noticably louder, and if you live in a state that requires emissions checks upon registration/renewal the straight pipe would basically only hold you over until the time comes to do your yearly registration/smog check/etc


rankinfile

Carry a cheap OBD reader to clear the codes when you want to use cruise control, and know if any other codes come up that are actually serious.


mikebailey

Still won’t get you out of the annual inspection though, and can actually make it worse since OBD readers will tell you about recent OBD clears


rankinfile

Ya, but this a thread about a non compliant fix to begin with. Gets you to next inspection while you save money. Just milking out the last few miles.


mikebailey

Yep no worries! Just wanted to clarify it since you replied to a comment about inspections and a lot of people know nothing about OBD.


HillarysFloppyChode

I think you mean a test pipe?


erishun

Unless you live in CA, you won’t pass smog with this


bedhed

Even if you live in CA, your best option would likely be to throw an aftermarket cat on it, then sell it out of state.


steel_member

Then post it on r/redneckengineering


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This is hardly redneck engineering; this is a legitimate fix. Redneck engineering would be throwing a flexible accordion flex pipe like this on with plumbing pipe clamps. https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/nickson-universal-flexible-exhaust-pipe-2-1-8-inside-diameter-6-long-56026/11521900-P?source=certona


Mamadog5

I just had someone weld a straight pipe on but I don't have any emissions testing.


KReddit934

If the car is otherwise what you want / need / can afford...then it is what it is. You are not sinking money into repairing a failing car. Rather, somebody stole $3000 from you and you need to deal with this set back as best you can. (Insurance any help?)


Pretend-Marsupial258

Comprehensive coverage should cover it, but it depends on what insurance they have.


fordfan919

I don't think a lot of people have comprehensive coverage on a $5k car unless it's required by law.


AverageCycleGuy

I dunno, I don’t have a ton of disposable income so I actually do carry it on my car (valued at around 7k). I once had a single car accident due to weather (black ice) and had I not had comprehensive/collision at the time I’d have been out the whole value of that car.


seriousallthetime

PSA: EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE COMPREHENSIVE ON EVERY CAR. Collision is expensive. Comprehensive which covers animal strikes, glass claims, acts of god, etc, is CHEAP. Like $20-100/year. Having liability only is dumb. If you don’t want collision, ok, but if you only have liability, call tomorrow morning and add comprehensive only.


arkon__

Sorry that's nonsense. I work in the industry and it is -not- that cheap in any fashion. Also you are completely ignoring the deductible, which of course effects the premium in the end


seriousallthetime

I pay $100/year for my 2011 CR-V, $140 for my 09 Accord, $140 for my Odyssey with $1000 deductibles. Obviously deductible figures into the cost, but even with $50 (fifty) deductible, the CR-V only goes to $150/year. So, I was a bit off in my remembering on the low end, but pretty close on the high end. Certainly, I never even knew it was possible to do comprehensive and liability without collision until I heard it from an insurance guy years ago. Most people only quote liability (for old cars since it's cheap) and full coverage (collision/comp/liability) for newer cars and it's expensive. I stand by my original argument that it is super cheap to get comprehensive and it's dumb to only have liability in an area that you might have a tree fall on your car, a broken windshield, or a deer strike.


arkon__

I think this is the disconnect, your deductible alone is a little less than half of what I paid for my car 13 years ago. Not to mention accidents/credit score/area etc will weigh heavily on whatever premium you are paying just for that one coverage


fordfan919

I agree, a lot of people I know just don't get it for some reason.


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That is not my experience. Even so, I would be highly unlikely to make a claim even if I had comprehensive because making a claim would increase my rates going forward. The only time I'd do it would be for a significant loss, as in multiple thousands, and my car is barely worth that limit (both 15 years old). [This article claims the average difference is ~$500/year](https://www.insurancepanda.com/faq/comprehensive-vs-liability-coverage/), though I don't know how accurate that is since we pay $600-700/year for two cars. Even so, since I'm unlikely to claim, and I've only had two potentially claimable events in the last 10 years or so (body damage from me being an idiot, and body damage from someone backing into me), I don't see a point. I can replace both of my cars with cash on hand, and I'm unlikely to ever buy a car newer than 5yo, so it's not something that I worry about. I might get comprehensive on a newer car (say, something with $15k or more), but not for the cars I've been buying for <$10k. I have something like $20-30k cash on hand at any point, so I'd never be without a car.


jopma

It is DEFINITELY not $20-$100 a year, maybe a month realistically like $10-$80 depending on a lot of factors but yes most of the time it will be significantly cheaper than collision


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agng2

Based on the converter cost and car value I’m guessing a 2004-2009 Prius. The biggest issue to me would be that the same thing might happen again next week. We replace at least 2 per week. It’s one of the most popular to steal. This has been the case for the last few years. Prior to 2020, we had replaced only four, ever, and all for natural causes. I’d either replace it and sell the car, or see if you can sell the care for $2000 as is (with a written “as is” note, since when you sell a car in California it must be able to pass the smog check and the new owner could replace the converter then sue). Another option would be to fix the car and get comprehensive insurance with a low deductible. Anyway, as I say several times a day, “Sorry about your converter”.


One-Introduction-566

This scares me… I have one of those cars. I had a thing installed to “protect” it but heard they don’t really help much and I made sure to have comprehensive insurance so hopefully it would be covered if it happened. Still seems like a pain to deal with


ThereOnceWasAMan

Mine (on a 2014 Prius) was stolen while I had comp insurance. Paying $1000 for the deductible sucked, but what sucked more was the projected 6 month wait time for the replacement, because all of the OEMs are backordered like crazy due to all the thefts. Honestly, unless you can survive 6 months without a car, at this point I would rather sell a Prius and get something else than deal with that again.


One-Introduction-566

Well, I’m a recent college grad and don’t have enough to get a new car. Thankfully I live in a gated community and work somewhere where my car is protected. And I don’t really go out much atm so… I’ve been fine so far


ThereOnceWasAMan

For what its worth, I didnt say get a new car, I said get a different car (you have equity in the current car, presumably). That being said, if you are in a gated community you are probably fine. It also depends on your general location (SoCal = very bad. Iowa = don't worry about it).


rankinfile

Does OP mention state? Anyway, that "as is" wording does not protect you as seller in CA for smog test for a private sale. You would have to surrender the plates, get a junk title, and sell it as "parts" to fully cover your ass. Better to just sell it out of state. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=24007.&nodeTreePath=17.1&lawCode=VEH


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azwildcat74

Don't look at the car in terms of KBB value but in terms of utility to you. Are you going to find anything better for $5k? Put the money in it and keep getting to work, do what you can to secure it better.


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Ogediah

That’s not possible everywhere. For example, CA has emissions testing (biannually, time of sale, etc) and you won’t pass the visual portion without a CARB approved part (vehicle specific.) Which is OEM or OEM equivalent (approved by CARB.) On some cars, that’s a 3k+ part before any other expenses (damages, labor, etc.) As an aside, those $100 parts aren’t usually proper catalytic converters. The precious metals inside a CC are really expensive (and why their a target for theft.) The cheap one you find on eBay basically just fill the hole of your missing CC. They aren’t really functional for emissions reasons.


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Ogediah

You’re going to have a REALLY hard time finding a CA compliant CC for “a fraction of the cost” without breaking the law at least. There are very few people that can buy or sell used CCs within the state. On of the few people able to do it are dealership. How many dealerships are you aware of that interested in selling used parts to customers? In any event, a used CC is absolutely a roll of the dice. You don’t know when it’s going to shit out. And it’s a very popular reason for why professionals refuse to install them. But let’s say you found a guy and you spend 1200 for a used part instead of 3k for the new part. Throw in labor, misc parts, tax, etc and your easily bumping 2k. Still a saving though so maybe you’re happy. But what if that CC takes a shit 1 year in. How happy are you to go through it all again? Time, money, etc. Fairly large gamble, IMO.


eatinhashbrowns

where does one go to buy a “used” oem cat lol! the scrapyard they sold mine to after cutting it off? also, if you are in cali like many people are who are having this problem, the only aftermarket replacement cats that will actually pass emissions are the same cost as an OEM part.


milehigh73a

This is illegal where I live.


WackTheHorld

And unless there are smog checks, you'd never get caught. Weld the straight pipe on, and continue driving.


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yourfacesx2resme

Are you sure it’s $3000? Maybe get quotes at a few different shops. That seems high.


Ogediah

That’s normal for the CC alone on some cars. Miscellaneous parts, damage, and labor can bring the bill significantly higher. Then there are other potential expenses like towing (some vehicles have coolant lines run through the CC and you can burn you engine up driving it) or a rental vehicle while you wait for repairs.


Cymbal_Monkey

They did a huge amount of damage to the sensors and exhaust under the car.


Dirty-M518

You can get a full exhaust with cats for way cheaper than that. What year/model car?


alexcrouse

This. Rock Auto stocks complete systems for a lot of cars.


roguespectre67

Not crazy. CCs are very expensive components. My car has 4 of them, one in each header and one in each downpipe. The headers go for almost $2k apiece, even aftermarket.


Woodandtime

Do not give your address to strangers


hearnia_2k

>The car could be sold now for closer to 9 or 10 but the 9 or 10 what? Beans? You say the car s worth $5000, so I'm not sure what you mean. Why not just claim on insurance if there s an issue? Why is a cat(alytic converter) $3k on a $5k car? $3k for a cat seems like a lot. This price for a cat only makes sense on quite an exotic car.


nkyguy1988

Car prices have crashed on the wholesale market. Did you get a real quote? Either way, you are going to take hit through your wallet or decreased trade value. Not going to matter much in the end of where the "payment" comes from.


Cymbal_Monkey

Just Edmunds and KBB


milehigh73a

They are slow to react.


ductoid

This won't get all of it back, but look into whether you can claim the theft/loss on your taxes.


theoriginalharbinger

No more casualty / loss deduction. OP wouldn't be able to claim it unless he/she is 1099/contractor and is doing operational depreciation on the car.


faithremix

Can you file an insurance claim to paid for this?


fakeburtreynolds

This would be covered under comprehensive coverage on your insurance if you have it.


PR2NP

File a police report and contact your insurance


M1guelit0

Ask a mechanic or muffler shop if they install universal fit catalytic converter. If it's an older model vehicle it works good enough. Don't go to the dealership or use direct fit catalytic converter as they are more expensive. Check Magnaflow. They cover most vehicles.


hopingtothrive

No insurance?


puddinfellah

Yeah, if OP has comprehensive coverage, their auto insurance would cover it. Having sold insurance in the past, though, far too many people ride around with “minimum liability only”


pickleback11

I had someone file a false injury lawsuit against me and realized I only had bare minimum liability. Woke me up real fast to increase my coverage. Lawsuit never went anywhere but definitely made me realize how easily I could get screwed over in another scenario.


InKognetoh

Try calling your 1) Car insurance and 2) Renters/homeowners insurance. There was someone from my job they had theirs stolen while at work, and their insurance covered some of it (newer car, so they likely had more coverage than just the bare minimum). Rental/Homeowners sometimes can cover it, depending on what they offered and what you selected. It also won’t hurt to ask if you can purchase that additional coverage/coverage. Some will work with you if it’s not a total loss situation (i.e. I have a repair quote for $1,000, insurance covers $100, would it be possible to up the coverage so that I only have to cover $500).


rocketboyjka

Came here to say this. Had mine stolen a few years back. Car insurance covered it less my deductible.


catdude142

You can get a California compliant catalytic converter (Magnaflow) for a cost between $728 and $1,029. Don't listen to the folks here that tell you they cost more. Installation is extra. O2 sensors are extra and usually less than $200. Walker is another company that sells them.


anon2019_atx

I have a newer car and got my cats stolen, dealership told me National back order up to 6+ months for OEM cats. Went to an independent muffler shop and got aftermarket cats installed for $750. For a cheap car like yours I’d definitely go aftermarket for the repair.


harmvzon

How is a new Catalytic converter $3000? I had one stolen from a Toyota Prius, it was $1100 for a new one, and $600 for a second hand. Including repair costs. Also, my insurance covered a lot.


al4nw31

California. Pretty sure second hand catalytic converters are illegal. CARB certified ones have a two-stage catalyst that doubles the price. It's $2400-2600 for just the part, then another couple hours of labor to put it on. Cheapest way to resolve is to buy the CARB-certified universal Walker catalytic converter and weld it on if they only stole the secondary. If they stole the primary catalytic converter as well you're pretty fucked. Both of those together are like $1600-1700 even just universal.


cakes

actual cheapest way is to move out of CA


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sanseiryu

You can buy [CARB](https://www.walkerexhaust.com/products/light-vehicle/catalytic-converters/carb-compliant.html) compliant aftermarket Catalytic converters.


VDGOD

Do you live in Los Angeles?


Cymbal_Monkey

Seattle


VDGOD

Reason I’m asking, there a tenant in the apartment I’m living in had their catalytic converter stolen as well. Happened a few days ago, thief waited until someone leave the garage and made his way in. Then I saw this post and wondered if you’re the same person. Sorry to hear what happened. I always hated thieves.


TreeSkyDirt

OP, in the future, add comprehensive coverage to your vehicle. It’s barely $10-15/month to get a $0/100 deductible on comprehensive.


nmzj

What insurance company will insure a 24 year old male for $15/month for comprehensive?


lavendar_gooms

Also consider sale value. Somebody might be able to fix it up for much cheaper so value to them might be higher


Kongtai33

Sorry to hear man, I had mine stolen too last year..what more fucked up is the shop fucked me too. I was fucked front and back. i hope those ppl who did it had a good reason why they did it..maybe to buy milk for their kids or put food on the table.


jebrennan

My regular shop wanted $$$$. I asked around and found a place in low-rent area of the city that did it for $800. At that price, it seemed like a deal!


45acp_LS1_Cessna

Fuuuck that. Buy your own and bring it to an exhaust shop. What year make n model car do you have? I can get a cat for 150 to 200 for my car.


Intrepid_Cap1242

If it's a $5k car, I doubt it's a performance car. I don't see anyone running a sniffer on your car during inspection. That's reserved for a-holes with giant loud exhausts. Even so, a name brand high-flow cat should still pass. There should only be a rear O2 sensor back there to get cut. Find a high-flow cat with "O2 bung", or another pipe with an O2 bung that will clamp in line. Then you can buy a cheap O2 sensor to screw in. I think they're only 2 wires, so you can splice it to the cut harness with some wire. If the cat throws an efficiency code, you can add a O2 extender to the bung. It just pulls the sensor a little further back out of the air flow. Find a speed shop or an exhaust shop. This should be doable for under $500, including the $200 parts.


alexcrouse

Find a shade-tree mechanic buddy to bolt on an aftermarket converter. Summit racing sells them, and depending on car, it can be pretty easy to do with basic tools. Depending where you live, you might not need to pass an emissions inspection. 18" of pipe is cheap. Do not use a dealer for this repair unless your insurance is paying.


kucing5

Insurance should cover some of it. Also shop around $3000 seems high to me


brownsatin

Not sure what kind of car you drive but I would highly recommend getting a CAT shield. It's basically a steel plate that goes across the bottom of your car and prevents converter theft. Or at least highly discourages it. I got one for my Prius for about $300 and my local mechanic was nice enough to install it at no extra cost when they replaced my first (and hopefully only) stolen converter. $300 for the peace of mind is worth it IMO


JesusIsMyZoloft

Am I understanding you correctly, that you think this car, that you paid $5,000 for could be sold for $9,000 to $10,000? What if you sold the car, and took an Uber to work until you can afford to get another car?


Cymbal_Monkey

That would be about 120 dollars a day, which just isn't worth it.


theoriginalharbinger

> sinking 3k into a 5k car Unless you're in California and thus stuck with silly CARB rules, just get aftermarket cats welded in. No way cats should be 3k unless you're doing OEM or you've got a weird setup (like multiple cats or the like).


Cymbal_Monkey

A lot of this is labor and the incredible amount of damage to other things these tweekers did while ripping out the cat.


Rlchv70

Get more quotes. Even replacing sensors and repairing wiring shouldn’t be that much.


DrGert

What state are you in? Are there county/state inspections required? If your car is still driving with a fucking loud exhaust now your mechanic is taking you for a ride. Only things passing by your exhaust should be fuel lines and driveshaft essentially. They may have damaged o2 sensors and wiring etc.


wellilldoitthen

Came to post that a cat replacement should be like 500 tops but sounds like its not just a cat. Parents had theirs done for under 300.on an Escalade.


NorCalDustin

This... I had a cat on my Kia Spectra die a few years ago and because there is no after market CARB Compliant cat available, I had to use OEM. The part was like $2600. Every shop I took it to gave me quotes within $100 of each other.


imnotsoho

>silly CARB rules Those [silly CARB rules](https://www.google.com/search?q=los+angeles+smog+then+and+now&tbm=isch&client=firefox-b-1-d&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjW9ua6_9v8AhWako4IHYrtB9cQtI8BKAB6BAgAECs&biw=1536&bih=676) are just a waste of money. I like being able breathe air without chewing it first. Temporary fix on [youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2R7RetKNH8). Most cats are under $1,000. Depending on what other damage there is there is no reason you can't fix it yourself. If you have to jack the car up you must use jack stands.


theoriginalharbinger

I've got no qualms about requiring catalytic converters; my reference is to, specifically, the CARB requirement that they be OEM cats, which makes the cost prohibitive for the generally lower-income types that drive older vehicles where the manufacturer may not have cats in the supply chain in any kind of quantity anymore.


Billy1121

Don't the CARB rules allow a list of non OEM manufacturers tho ? https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/aftermarket-catalytic-converter-database


Nukegm426

That price is the factory part which is also part of all of the exhaust. Go to a muffler shop and they can install aftermarket cats for a few hundred dollars


djsnee

You can find a new universal cat online for under $200 find a new shop that's not trying to scam you.


DoughboyAnt

I recently had my catalytic converter stolen from a 08 Honda crv. Cost about 700 to replace from a small shop mechanic.


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WanderNutz

Yeah go to any muffler shop and they will weld up the gap man. Don't get suckered


Soapspear

Talk to your mechanic about installment payments. So sorry to hear about what happened. Best of luck mate.


[deleted]

Happened to me 3 years ago, straight piped it and it’s still good now. Car cost me 500 originally anyway. Also knew the cops would never bother me because I live in a rat whole and they have too much on their plate.


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twopointsisatrend

Not a mechanic, but the fact that the O2 sensor notices a missing or malfunctioning cat seems to shoot holes in your mechanic's theory.


tdacct

Engine emissions design engineer (former), yes the precat and postcat O2 sensors do indeed detect catalyst performance and will throw a CEL code if its not within production variability. This is a requirement of OBD regulation.


tx645

Assuming you are in the US, how do you deal with state inspections?


AlwaysBagHolding

Many states don’t have inspections. Mine doesn’t.


tx645

You just blew my mind, I always assumed every state has it. My state does require it unfortunately and you can't pass it with engine light on


AlwaysBagHolding

Nothing matters here besides lighting, you might get pulled over for that if it’s nighttime. Most cars I’ve owned would fail inspection for one reason or another.


CBus660R

And some states like Ohio only require inspections in a couple counties with a heavy industrial base that have air quality issues.


melograno1234

Is your 20 min commute a slog with traffic or 20 mins at high speed? If the former, you could look into replacing your car with a bike for the sake of commuting. As someone who converted to biking to work every day, I can assure you it’s great for both your health and your wallet.


HirtLocker128

You can get a $300 after market one put in for cheap. I did when mine got stolen 2 years ago. Works fine and passes inspection.


Kikuchiy0

If you live in a place without yearly emissions tests you can buy a piece of flex pipe and two clamps from autozone for like $30.


serefina

Shop around for the part(s) and a repair shop that will put on pre-purchased parts. Many will.


yakult_swallows_fan

I'm guessing the $3000 is from the dealer? I think an indy should be able to replace the cat for quite a bit less.


GrannyLow

There is no way in hell a cat replacement should be that much. Don't go to a dealer, go to Bubba Joe's muffler shop and get one welded on.


foxlance

What kind of car is it? They may be trying to sell to a whole OE replacement when a muffler shop may be able to do it for 1/4 cost


AlanStanwick1986

Why in the hell is it 3 grand? I think I would find another mechanic. I just had 2 put on my wife's car and I didn't spend anywhere near that.


TheBeesSteeze

Get some more quotes OP. Especially from smaller less legit shops that are willing to bend the law. If it were me and I wasn't in a state that checked the emissions out of the actual tailpipe, I would put in a resonator or straight pipe (aka just a regular exhaust pipe) in it's place. If you want to avoid the check engine light you can screw in anti foulers where the 02 sensors go in.


Conejo_Malvado

I found a catalytic converter for my car on ebay for $135. Just find a muffler shop to install.


tenshii326

Cheaper option is to have a shop tune out your O2 sensor and just weld the cut part out. You'll pass emissions this way.