It sounds to me like you need to find a better shop.
Here’s the problem: The code that tells you that you need new oxygen sensors doesn’t really say you need new oxygen sensors; it tells you that one of your oxygen sensors is getting a reading that is out of the normal range. It says nothing about the cause of the reading.
You could have a bad oxygen sensor. You could have two bad oxygen sensors. You could also have another cause for the reading that is out of normal range, like a bad catalytic converter or a bad air/fuel mixture due to a dirty or malfunctioning mass airflow sensor, or one of three other unknown causes.
I’ve been there. I had the same code on my 1998 Civic. I paid for a new catalytic converter. I paid for two new oxygen sensors. Then I threw in the towel and decided to live with an illuminated “check engine” light for the next 240,000 miles.
The problem you have is that your mechanic’s diagnostic skills are limited to pulling the error codes from the computer and then guessing at what they mean. If you want to solve this problem, you need a real automotive diagnostician who will use the error code as a starting point, not the end point. You need someone who will dig deeper, and find the reason for the code, not just throw parts at the problem until the code goes away.
If you do resort to buying something without going to a shop again, I’d change that downstream oxygen sensor first. Maybe the code will go away. Cheaper than buying the converter first, then finding out it was the oxygen sensor…
Honestly I am unable to answer that question for you, however, what I said prior still stands. Also…when trying to diagnose and repair an issue like this, you want to start with the items that can be the cause of the problem…from inexpensive…to expensive… and in that order. If you know beyond a shadow of a doubt what component is the cause of the problem then this repair strategy no longer holds water and you can then purchase the component regardless of how expensive that part may be…if its the solution to the problem, then it needs to be purchased.
However until you have that information at your disposal… You should want to approach this using the inexpensive toward expensive mindset.
All the information I gave you prior is good useful info. Codes will often seem to blame the Cat when in reality it may be an exhaust leak and or a faulty sensor that is to blame. Like I mentioned prior the need for a new Cat, in my humble experience is somewhat of a rare occurrence in a vehicles lifetime.
Lol codes dissapeared Probly gonna show up again soon so got other things repaired thought I had an alignment issue only to find out I also had a bad u joint . Than gonna have them do a wheel bearing which I don’t mind taxes came in
I believe Florida is an open carry state. Problem solved although I never saw either when I was down there. I saw one alligator on the pool deck but I was punked, it was only plaster.
I watched a show one weekend on TV about 5 or 6 years ago about converter manufacturing. There are only a few companies that manufacture them and they do it for both the OEM car manufacturers and auto parts houses…
They had a huge wall of jigs marked for every application you can think of and turned out tens of thousands of converters to be shipped out to wherever.
Odds are the converter the car was born with was made by the same company that produces them for both NAPA and O’Reillys. Just like suspension components,steering. electrical, etc.
For those who aren’t familiar with the automotive aftermarket and want the best it would be difficult to do better than stick with the dealership or NAPA. In a $$$ to quality comparison the McParts stores often do stock parts of equal quality at substantially lower prices though. But why waste time investigating? The price savings can often result in a lot of repeat work plus the cost of break downs, wreckers, etc.
No argument from me. The plant manager did not state who all they built converters for., He only said they provided cats for multiple aftermarket and auto manufacturer applications without going into detail.
Same as with TRW. They provide AM parts to multiple vendors while providing the same one to car makers.
It’s near impossible to figure out whose hand is in what pie. SAAB used engines from Triumph and Ford, transmissions from Borg Warner, A4 air compressors from GM. Dodge and Plymouth used Volkswagen engines for a few years. My parents at one time owned a Chevy wagon with an Olds engine. The engine block in my Lincoln was cast in Italy and even the seats and door panels were made by God knows who but it wasn’t Ford.
