03 olds Alero cat. Converter

QUIX

MEMBER
2003 OLDSMOBILE

This is gonna be convaluded and I appologize in advance but here goes:

I have an olds alero (2003) 4 cy. Engine. Miliage is about 83000.

I have literally had this car for 35 days (bought used.)

A week ago the check engine light comes on. So I take it to carter's mechanic. Initially he calls me and says that my 0xygen sensors are bad and quotes me a price of something astronomical like 585.00 to fix them.

So I call my cousin, bill, who owns a car dealership/mechanic/napa store in illinois. (I'm in texas.) He says "no way, that price is astronomical."

So I call back carter's mechanic, and before I say anything he says "well I was fixin to call you, turns out it's not the sensors, it's yoru catalytic converter." I ask him to explain further and he says "that the cat. Converter is clogged and its preventing exhaust from leaving." He quotes me a price of 450 (for the new converter, manufacturer not universal.)

So I decide to go for a second estimate. Take it to a place called leonard's. He comes up with the same diagnosis that it's the cat. Converter that needs to be replaced. He quotes me a price of 600nsomthing.

So, here's my question. First of all I'm getting information from 3 different sources, so I'm trying to piece it all together. I was informed that cars can have either more than one cat. Converter or that the cat. Converter can be located in more than one place depending on the car.

The Leonard's guy told me that, on my car, the cat. Converter bolts to the manifold and that's why it's so expensive to fix. So does my car have two, or is it just that that's where the one it has is located? The guy from Carter's said that it's located "sort of in the middle of the exhaust system."

So I also called Midas, out of curiosity. Told them make/model of car and midas quoted me 225.00. Are they quoting me wrong?

Really I'm just trying to understand where the cat. Converter is, Do I have two of them?

I hope I explained all of this allright, please don't hesitate to contact me if something needs clarifying or more information.

I'm just trying to not get taken (but I feel like the dealership all ready did :( )

3 Replies

ROCKWOOD84

MEMBER
103 POSTS

Midas sounds about right. If you look under your van under the passenger door on the exhaust pipe you will see the cat. Covertor it looks like a small muffler cheap gas and bad emmissions, oil burning motor will stop this up. The exhaust from the motor goes through this and it has some sensors that get readings in front of, bank one o2 sensor. The bank two o2 sensor gets its readings after the cat convertor but midas is about right as they have to put it on a rack, cut the old cat convertor off and weld a new one on.