Just had some work done on the 2014 Alhambra at the Seat Dealer and as part of the work they carried out a "Free Health Check".

They reckon there is a rattle coming from the Catalytic converter and it should be replaced at a cost of over £3000. 

I have noticed no rattle from the car but they showed me a video of it rattling if you tap it with your hand.

I can't find any online place that has accurate prices for cats for this car.

Anyone else had any cat experience with the Alahambra or Sharan?

Thanks.

"Free Health Check".

There's no such thing as a free lunch, my friend.

"They reckon there is a rattle coming from the Catalytic converter and it should be replaced at a cost of over £3000."

Fancy that.

Does it pass the emissions test? If so, why does it need replacing (other than to hear that lovely KER-CHING! noise that so many car dealers are fond of)?

 

Quote from: SirDavidAlhambra on January 20, 2023, 12:09:25 PM"Free Health Check".

There's no such thing as a free lunch, my friend.


 

Yep, am aware of that.

Dealer didn't do an emission test, just warned me that it could possibly fail the mot in 6 months time so were just preparing me for the worst.

I was just interested to know if anyone else had had any catalytic converter experiences.

Thanks.

I changed the cat in my ford focus, it wasn't difficult tbh, it's just a bit of the exhaust pipe which happens to be quite expensive. Plus a few sensors that screw into it. The new cat for my focus was £250 and that is what's known as a "Twin Cat" and it was brand new. I hear that some unscrupulous garages change cats and then sell the removed part on to the next customer as a second hand one, probably a nice little earner. You can get a second hand Cat from eBays for 150 bucks or so, then maybe take it down to the exhausts and tyre place and give them half an hour's labour to fit it. I wouldn't go spending £3000+ on an 8 year old motor tbh, it's not exactly a brand new ferrari and is probably more than the car itself is worth (lovely as those Alhambs are). Just imagine what you could spend that money on instead, maybe a nice holiday in the sun or a new boiler. Why waste it on a piece of exhaust.

Cats. Cat Deeley. Cat Converter. Cash Converter.

If it's just a little rattle I would leave well alone and see how the emissions are, if it wasn't functioning that well you would have had an EML on anyway with a catalyst below efficiency fault code p0420 springs to mind.

I have seen people bend the cat housing inwards very slightly to stop the core rattling. Personally I wouldn't bother unless it starts rattling so you can hear it.

I'd leave well alone as well - I've only known cats to be a problem after misfire incidents though not on your particular vehicle. Worst one I had broke a chunk off the back of the cat which managed to plug the exhaust end of the cat some of the time. If its a smaller bit thats broken off it may pass further down where you can't hear it anyway if theres even anything there.

If you can't notice it, then I'd doubt there much to worry about at this point, you could always see if you could take it somewhere else for a second opinion if your concerned about it.

I'd also be leaving that alone!

If it's inaudible in the cabin then the only need to change it is if starts to cause mechanical issues. The 'hit it with your palm' method can unveil when the ceramic inside is breaking apart but it can also transfer noise from heat shields and the flexi pipe so it shouldn't be a 'if it rattles, replace it' test.

Finally 3k?? Cats are expensive but not THAT expensive! Look for custom exhaust manufacturers near you. They'll make a stainless exhaust and weld in a generic cat for significantly less then that!