2003 Escape Catalytic Converter

[ab_slack]

My daughter, now living across the country, is having a problem with her 2003 Ford Escape.

She has problems sometimes starting, sometimes idling. She says it runs fine on the highway. No check engine light.

She took it to a shop.

The shop is telling her all thee catalytic converters are bad.

And they are quoting something close to $3,000 to $3,500 to replace these.

I know this is sparse information. I can't listen or look at it myself.

The "diagnosis" as I understand it was made by the guy at the shop from listening to the vehicle.

Does the symptoms/diagnosis makes sense? And if they are bad, is that really the kind of cost involved.

Thanks in advance.

Andrea

 

[97RangerXLT]

If all three cats were bad I would think she would have drivabiliy issues on the highway..

And how the hell can you listen to a vehicle and make a diagnosis of a bad cat?

I would tell her to take it to another shop.

AJ

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 4 while sitting in my underwear

 

[shane96ranger]

Yeah... have her take it somewhere else. I call bolshevik on that diagnosis.

 

[ab_slack]

If all three cats were bad I would think she would have drivabiliy issues on the highway..

And how the hell can you listen to a vehicle and make a diagnosis of a bad cat?

My gut instincts agrees with you on all points. I would expect a clogged cat would show in in higher RPM and load, but I don't have that much experience.

I can suggest another shop, but I would like to understand as much as possible. The people at the shop said immediately it was a cat like they have seen this before. At the price they are quoting methinks it deserves a bit more definitive diagnosis... But you know a good ear and experience may be enough. I just dunno.

I suppose 12 years old and 140K miles might be old enough that these start going bad, but my expectation is better than that. I know engine can mess up a cat if not running right.

I also wonder, I have had suspicions that this vehicle got in salt water at some point based upon how fast it has rusted up underneath. Nothing to indicate such got inside, but if exhaust got flooded that could have done a job in it, but that is speculation.

 

[enjr44]

Not sure what a "bad" cat is. A clogged cat causes loss of power at high rpm. They start and idle fine.

An Escape is new enough to have three O2 sensors, so cats would/should be showing fault codes.

 

[97RangerXLT]

Not sure what a "bad" cat is.

Enjr44, let me enlighten you.

http://k945.com/30-naughty-cats-with-a-note-explaining-the-bad-behavior/

AJ

 

[Andy D]

Cats are funny people. Tell your daughter to find another shop.

 

[gandrimp]

Tell her to try some seafoam motor treatment. Pour it in the fuel tank.

I like to pour it in w/half a tank of fuel, then drive to the gas station and fillerup. Seafoam is the best fuel additive I have ever used. If it don't fix it she's only out 7 bucks.