Really need some advice from some people who know stuff about cars..
This is a '99 Chevy S10. All dollar amounts listed below are US Dollars. The exhaust system in my car has been rattling for a couple months now. About 2 weeks ago my check engine light came on. It was almost immediately after that, that I noticed the car had less power. Like I had to hold the gas down further to get up to the same speed and I can feel that the engine is going to higher RPM's for the same speed. I took it to a place I trust who hooked it up to their computer and told me that it is a problem with the Catalytic converter... and to go to a muffler shop because it would be cheaper. So I wrote down the name of the muffler shop "that they use"... Took it in to that muffler shop today, they "fixed" it, but it was $200. $100 for the catalytic converter and $100 for labor. They also told me that there is something else broken with the exhaust system - the "flex joint", which would be another $90 to fix, but they didn't fix it today.
So after I drove it back to work today, I noticed that the car still has crap for power. I called them and told them that it still has crap power, and would this flex joint fix it... He couldn't give me a difinitive answer and basically gave me a runaround saying that it could also be something like: Spark plugs, timing belt, fuel filter, etc, & that I should also get a tune up. I don't think he was trying to sell me a tuneup though because this is a muffler shop.
My girlfriend thinks we got screwed, I am not so sure. I trust the guy at the original mechanic shop I took it to just to hook it up to the computer, because I work with his mom. So I was hoping that when they told me to go to a muffler shop because it would be cheaper, I thought I was getting a bit of inside information & that they would treat me right too... But now we just have an uneasy feeling about the whole thing.
So can I get an answer from anybody who knows about cars -- do you think I got screwed or not? I mean basically I feel like I paid them $200 to make my exhaust system stop rattling.
Did I get screwed at the auto mechanic???
Did I get screwed at the auto mechanic???
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Well, bad spark plugs and spark plug wires are one of the most common reasons for loss of power. Usually a tune-up will fix the problem. The catalytic convertor interfaces with the spark plug system when you burn fuel to reduce the amount of emissions your car generates. It also interfaces with your car's computer to control the fuel injection system...the system uses the data from the CC to regulate your fuel injection.
I'm not a car guy, but I'd expect that if you did have CC problems it could affect your performance, but that spark plugs and spark plug wires are usually the most likely culprit. I wouldn't say that that money is wasted either, especially since anywhere with emissions testing would insist you got it fixed anyway. The flex joint is another area where you could have emissions leaks, so that SHOULD be fixed, but it's not critical to your car's performance overall. Realistically, you could end up with CO leaks (carbon monoxide) in your cab if it's in just the wrong spot.
I'd say you're not getting screwed, but you should still get a tune-up. Couldn't hurt to replace the fuel filter either...should be cheap and easy, though the timing belt is a whole different issue and can be expensive.
Here's a couple of simple links:
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/catalytic-converter.htm
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/ignition-system2.htm
I'm not a car guy, but I'd expect that if you did have CC problems it could affect your performance, but that spark plugs and spark plug wires are usually the most likely culprit. I wouldn't say that that money is wasted either, especially since anywhere with emissions testing would insist you got it fixed anyway. The flex joint is another area where you could have emissions leaks, so that SHOULD be fixed, but it's not critical to your car's performance overall. Realistically, you could end up with CO leaks (carbon monoxide) in your cab if it's in just the wrong spot.
I'd say you're not getting screwed, but you should still get a tune-up. Couldn't hurt to replace the fuel filter either...should be cheap and easy, though the timing belt is a whole different issue and can be expensive.
Here's a couple of simple links:
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/catalytic-converter.htm
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/ignition-system2.htm
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The usual rate for a union mechanic these days (at least for domestic vehicles) is somewhere in the range of $100+ an hour to start with, so as far as the work he did, you weren't screwed. They likely marked up the price of your parts depending on where they get them, but that seems par for the course as far as what I've seen. Whether he fixed your problem or not...well, that's another story.
How far have you driven since the catalytic converter was replaced and is your check engine light now on or off?
Not much to go on here but your problem may be an exhaust leak or a bad oxygen sensor. Oxygen (O2) sensors are used by the fuel injection system to fine tune the fuel mixture. If the sensor is bad then that can throw off the whole works. Likewise, if there is an exhaust leak which allows outside air into the exhaust then the O2 sensor will get a faulty reading. These days, O2 sensors are located ahead of and behind the cat converter so they can be used to measure functionality of the cat (to some degree). So if your check engine light was on and they read the error code and it was something to do with the rear O2 sensor, then either the sensor, the cat, or an exhaust leak could conceivably have been the problem, depending on the error.
Not much to go on here but your problem may be an exhaust leak or a bad oxygen sensor. Oxygen (O2) sensors are used by the fuel injection system to fine tune the fuel mixture. If the sensor is bad then that can throw off the whole works. Likewise, if there is an exhaust leak which allows outside air into the exhaust then the O2 sensor will get a faulty reading. These days, O2 sensors are located ahead of and behind the cat converter so they can be used to measure functionality of the cat (to some degree). So if your check engine light was on and they read the error code and it was something to do with the rear O2 sensor, then either the sensor, the cat, or an exhaust leak could conceivably have been the problem, depending on the error.