320d replacement cat. converter

[egor110]

Just had the farther in law on the phone , he's taken his 320d into kwik fit and there saying it needs a new cat converter at a cost of £500.

What's the book time to replace one because they were saying it's a 5 hour job .

I've been online and it seems you can buy a new one for £83 from eurocarparts.

[iSore]

Depends what year it is. If it's an E46 they are a bit of a cow - the two catalyst to turbo nuts are indeed hard to access, but unless a stud breaks, it's two hours tops on a ramp. E90's are easier as they have a ring clamp. You're better off buying a decat pipe tbh but again, what year is the car?

£500 is a joke.

[egor110]

iSore said:

Depends what year it is. If it's an E46 they are a bit of a cow - the two catalyst to turbo nuts are indeed hard to access, but unless a stud breaks, it's two hours tops on a ramp. E90's are easier as they have a ring clamp. You're better off buying a decat pipe tbh but again, what year is the car?

£500 is a joke.

it's a 54 plate

[iSore]

E46 then although very early E90's were on a 54......


There are two cats on these, the big one next to the turbo in the downpipes and the second one halfway along the car. Which one is it?

[egor110]

iSore said:

E46 then although very early E90's were on a 54......


There are two cats on these, the big one next to the turbo in the downpipes and the second one halfway along the car. Which one is it?

Don't know , kwik fit are phoning him back tomorrow with a quote but he's going to ring a local bmw specialist and the bmw main dealer just to see if the book times tally up or if kwik fit are trying it on.

[iSore]

£83 is the secondary catalyst for an E46. An hour to change at the most. They must mean the front one. You can do without it tbh and fit a bypass pipe.

[iSore]

This is the one I fitted to mine:

https://ecotune-scotland.co.uk/product/bmw-e46-320...

[egor110]

Cheers , thanks for the advice .

[helix402]

Run away from KF, when I worked for a BMW main dealer a customer had KF fit a cat. It cost more than a gen one fitted at the dealer!

[egor110]

It won't be going to kwik fit for the work.

[SebringMan]

Personally I'd avoid ECP for the cat as well ; I've had issues in the past on other cars with pattern cats. That is in terms of emissions, fitment and other things. I'd rather get a genuine item even a secondhand one ; Cats IME rarely tend to go.

But as said by one poster I'd be tempted to get a decat pipe or a "dummy" cat.

[iSore]

The emissions thing is not really an issue on a diesel for the MOT, bad fitment is though. cats rarely fail - it's the flexy that breaks up.

Regarding the decat pipe - they are very easy to fit because there's no cat to get in the way of the two securing nuts. That's the way I'd go tbh.

[egor110]

Turns out it wasn't the cat it was a pipe that goes from the turbo to the cat.

They've got a quote of £300 but now there on about leasing a new car instead of fixing it.

Thanks for your help.

[helix402]

That's the first cat.

[helix402]

As others have suggested, you can bin the primary cat without probs, here one solution (I am not recommending this in particular, first one that appeared):

[iSore]

egor110 said:

Turns out it wasn't the cat it was a pipe that goes from the turbo to the cat.

They've got a quote of £300 but now there on about leasing a new car instead of fixing it.

Thanks for your help.

A 54 plate 320d in decent condition still has a value and is quite a pleasant old tram to drive.

£300 isn't a bad price to fix it. The Decat pipe would take 2 hours labour to fit (£120 with VAT?) plus £60 for that pipe Helix posted.