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aaronmateo

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Hey all, the catalytic converters on my 2012 SXT failed a few days ago and my tech quoted me a parts and labor price of $2,000 to replace the cats and O2 sensors. This is the first time ever having cats replaced and I knew it was going to be a pricey fix but I'm just wondering if this is a reasonable quote. I've been going to this tech for about six months and he's been good to my truck and I don't think he'd try to rip me off but 2 Grand seems excessive. I have a Mopar extended warranty but it doesn't cover cats, which to me is absolutely ridiculous but whatever.

Any info/advice anyone can give about this I'd appreciate it. Thanks.
 
How many miles do you have on your Durango? Most Catalytic converters are warrantied for a fairly long period. My 2015 warranty states:
B. Parts Covered for 8 years or 80,000 miles If your vehicle has one of the following parts, this Federal Emission Warranty covers that part for a period of 8 years or 80,000 miles, whichever occurs first, calculated from the start of the Basic Limited Warranty as set forth in Section 2.1(E). The covered parts are: • catalytic converter; and • powertrain control module. 5.2 Emission Performance Warranty This warranty supplements the federal warranty under 5.1. It lasts for 2 years or 24,000 miles on the odometer, whichever occurs first. If your vehicle has one of the following parts, catalytic converter and powertrain control module, this Federal Emission Warranty covers that part for a period of 8 years or 80,000 miles, whichever occurs first. These limits are counted from the time when your Basic Limited Warranty begins under 2.1(E).
The Emission Performance Warranty covers the cost of repairing or adjusting any components or parts that might be needed for your vehicle to pass Federal Emission Standards for a federally approved state or local emissions test, but only if: • your vehicle has failed a federally approved state or local emissions test; • your vehicle has been maintained and operated properly up until it fails such a test; and • you face a real penalty — for example, a fine or the loss of the use of your vehicle — because the vehicle has failed the test.
Section 6.4 explains how to get service under this warranty.
 
All the cats failed? What led up to this?

Edit: I guess there are only two on your vehicle.. list price for the two is about a grand, more like $650 +SH from online mopar sites..
 
I thought all vehicles are covered 8/80! 8 years, 80 thousand miles
 
For OEM it sounds good but if you're footing the bill, you could go with headers (and cats) or something like magnaflow cats like this (just an example) Hottexhaust
 
AM:
How many miles on your Durango? It is quite unusual for cat convertors to simply go bad on their own early in their life. What diagnosis is your tech providing for their demise?
Excess fuel being dumped through them due to a poorly running engine is one thing that can kill them. Lots and lots of idling hours (commercial use) can also accelerate their demise. The mileage won't show on the odometer, because the vehicle is not in motion, but anytime the engine is running, they are being used.

What symptoms was your D presenting that prompted this service visit to begin with?

Don
 
Discussion starter · #7 ·
The truck has 106,000 miles on it and there was nothing that led up to the codes being thrown. The engine has always run perfectly (and honestly still does even with the codes thrown). The performance seems unaffected for the most part, although since the check engine light came on it just feels like it drives just the slightest bit differently, but that might be psychological. Hard to tell. But no obvious performance issues. It just threw the codes a week ago. The light went off after three days but then came back on two days after that (I.e. yesterday). I'm supposed to be leaving on a 3000 mile road trip tomorrow and even though there are no performance issues I'm a little nervous about taking the D cross-country with these codes showing. My tech kind of let me down because he didn't do any real diagnosis when I brought it to him. He just assumed I needed new cats and was going to charge me $2K when it might not even be the cats themselves but something upstream from them. Maybe it's the O2 sensors?
 
FYI I have been told by a friend who is a performance exhaust expert that you can more or less delete the cats. You just have to have bungs welded in for the appropriate sensors. The way the modern engines work they will still pass emissions. Unless you live in a state that still checks to see if they are there, you may want to consider that as an option.
 
AM:
All I can say is WOW! No diagnosis, engine running fine. It sounds like he either did not want to fool with it, or wants you to make his next couple of boat payments. At 106K, you could certainly have an o2 sensor getting lazy, or even gone bad. What codes were stored in the system? As long as your CE light is not flashing (which indicates a misfire), you should be safe to take your trip. I would look further into this yourself, or if that's not possible, get a second opinion.

Something is rotten in Denmark here............ Don
 
Discussion starter · #11 · (Edited)
HA! Yeah that's what I was thinking, that my (former) tech was just looking to make a little deeper dent in his mortgage payments or something. CE light isn't flashing but man is it unsettling having it on, just staring at you as you drive. Ugh. Codes were the dreaded pO420 and pO430. I've driven about 100 highway miles over the last 24 hours since the light came back on just to see how she drives and other than she doesn't move into ECO mode when I'm cruising, she runs absolutely fine. Also used a bottle of CataClean just for sh*ts and giggles to see if that might help. Light is still on tho. Thanks for the counsel Don Fox. I feel a lot better about heading out of town tomorrow.
 
AM:
Both of those codes seem to point to the downstream o2 sensor being flaky, or possibly the harness is damaged. Could also be that the connector attaching it to the main harness has come loose. In any case, it is an emission issue, and should not strand you.
On the 05 Grand Caravan my wife used to drive, both o2 sensors were replaced under warranty at less than 25K miles. Crap happens LOL!

Don
 
Those codes maybe the direct result of a fuel/oil additive. Both sides alerting at once does not sound like bad O2 sensor or bad Cats. Sounds like bad gas or additive. Bad may not be the right word as a an additive maybe working as intended, but until it all burns off be creating bad readings from your O2 sensors. Now that you added additional stuff to the tank will need to burn through a couple tanks before you can get a true reading again from the O2 sensors. If you had not added anything before the initial lights came on I would switch gas stations are if you went to one you normally do not go to do not go back.
 
Sure it should! When/if it goes out, its time to open the hood, and "check" to make sure it's still in there...................... :0)

Don
 
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