Inefficient cat

[wellskint]

eml came on, garage read the code - was to do with a clogged up cat. they've cleared the fault - any ideas please on how to clear the cat out?

[Damoh89]

Could try bottle of Cataclean petrol into 15l of fuel and take it for a hood roasting and see but if it came with code it will more than likely come back and possibly not cat related but before cat,ie could be biting oil could be running rich but bottle cataclean to start as a home remedy is only like 10£ so all is not lost

[Lancee]

Model and year of car ?

More information required for members.

[wellskint]

sorry 2003 1.8l s40 129000

[ITSv40]

Originally Posted by wellskint

sorry 2003 1.8l s40 129000

Volvo or Mitsubishi GDi ?

[wellskint]

volvo petrol

[ITSv40]

'er indoors Mini Cooper threw a eml light, changed the lambda sensors, light back on after a while. Checked for manifold and exhaust leaks, threw two lots of Cataclean through it and light still came on intermittently. Read up on the net and consensus was: once the light starts to come on impossible to rectify. My son connected up the proper BMW diagnostics and immediately it said Cat f******* change cat. £1200 later the new genuine cat has solved the issue and car is now running better then before. When I removed the old one the core had come loose and clogged the outlet pipe. I suspect yours needs a new cat or a good secondhand.

[wellskint]

well thats a dilemma i only paid 1k for the car! how much is a cat?

[ITSv40]

Skandix list an aftermarket cat at 370 euros plus shipping and import tax, which can be considerable. You may be able to purchase cheaper in UK, but avoid a cheap one as they can be inefficient. My previous V40 cooked its cat and I fitted a cheap replacement, next mot the tester had to rev the engine at full throttle and get the block white hot to pass. I think he also boiled the oil!. I vowed there and then that I would change it before the next mot. Fitted a secondhand genuine cat and next mot it sailed through without any issues. Tester said, 'A bit different to last year'!.

Buy comparison the Mini cat was £1200 exchange from Mini with a good discount.

Just checked Parts for Volvo Online https://www.partsforvolvosonline.com...d46c3fc08b9e8a

They are a reputable company and although I haven't got any direct experience of their cat's I have dealt with them for many years and always good quality at reasonable prices.

[wellskint]

thanks ITSv40, very helpful.