Help! Catalytic converter question

hadook

Long story - the spark plugs weren't changed by the dealer garage at the last service & the car broke down the day before the next service as a result (I had called to tell them it was misfiring & they told me I'd probably used dirty petrol). AA towed us to the garage & they were changed as part of the service the next day & given the all clear. 2 weeks later the engine warning light came on - the code given was either the cat or the sensors on the cat. The garage sent me home with the car & said that it was "probably just the sensors" 4 days later it was misfiring so I brought it in & they sent me home saying the car was fit to drive & that they'd order the part. A few days later the car cut out at 40kph, no power assisted steering/ no power assisted brakes etc all of a sudden. Car left in garage, part on order afaik. 10 days later they ordered the part after an "expert" came to look at the car. There's a whole lot more to the story & involves much to-ing & fro-ing but that's the basics...

Now - the cat is gone. That's a given. But I don't want to use the garage in question to fix it cos I simply don't trust them now. There's an exhaust & tyre place that will replace the cat with a generic part for about €250 (tomorrow if I want it done then). Or I can get it replaced in the dealer garage for €900 at some point in the next two weeks (whenever the part arrives).

Are generic parts ok? I'd normally go for the dealer garage no questions asked but my faith has been shaken... I'm assuming someone who replaces exhausts for a living will know what they're doing? I'm tempted to see if I can get the part myself from a breakers yard & get the exhausts guy to fit it...

It's a 03 skoda fabia & has been brought to the dealer garage for everything since it was bought. I'm guilty of assuming that if I dealt with the bare basics & brought it in for services etc that it'd look after itself - obviously I was wrong :rolleyes:

Any advice?

Hazel
-numpty car owner

crosstownk

If the spark plugs weren't changed then it could be that one of them stopped firing and as a result raw petrol got into the cat. Enough raw petrol in a cat and its kaput. Usually the catalytic convertor surface comes adrift from the casing. When this happens it is possible that it deteriorates and shifts sideways in the casing blocking the exhaust gasses which prevents the engine from breathing and then it cuts out. It knda sounds like thats what happened to your Fabia. If it is what happened, you should bring it to the dealer and point out that the cat may have failed as the plugs weren't changed.

A good few years ago all VW group cars gave problems with the cat and as a result VW extended the warranty on cats. I don't know if this is still the case. It might be a worthwhile excercise to ask your Skoda dealer if there will be any 'goodwill' from Skoda. You never know they may pay for half of the repair.

How many miles on your Fabia?

And go on, fill us in on the rest of the story...........the more you tell the better the advice, usually!