Don't laugh.. VW Fox engine fault - catalytic converter?
Discussion
Don't know loads about cars so bear with me!
I have a 2009 VW Fox urban 1.4 with 40k miles on the clock. Bought three years ago with 9k and have mainly done urban driving in it bar a years worth of commuting up the motorway (70mile round trip). Haven't had any problems in the past and the only bits that have been changed are general wear and tear bits on a car that is used as often as mine (break pads etc). I'm really worried as an engine light came on this evening and the engine was running really fluttery and lumpy, struggling to pick up speed and couldn't really go over 30-40mph...if I tried to put it in a gear any higher than third it kept trying to cut out. I refered to my user guide and it said the fault has something to do with the catalytic converter. Is this going to cost me or could it be something as simple as a spark plug?
I have it booked into my usual garage for first thing Monday morning and I'm not going to drive it until then (it's only a mile down the road luckily!) but should I take it to VW for an expert opinion too?
Any help appreciated; being a ditzy blonde in her 20's I'm likely to be pied off if I don't know what I'm talking about!
Thanks, Rach
I have a 2009 VW Fox urban 1.4 with 40k miles on the clock. Bought three years ago with 9k and have mainly done urban driving in it bar a years worth of commuting up the motorway (70mile round trip). Haven't had any problems in the past and the only bits that have been changed are general wear and tear bits on a car that is used as often as mine (break pads etc). I'm really worried as an engine light came on this evening and the engine was running really fluttery and lumpy, struggling to pick up speed and couldn't really go over 30-40mph...if I tried to put it in a gear any higher than third it kept trying to cut out. I refered to my user guide and it said the fault has something to do with the catalytic converter. Is this going to cost me or could it be something as simple as a spark plug?
I have it booked into my usual garage for first thing Monday morning and I'm not going to drive it until then (it's only a mile down the road luckily!) but should I take it to VW for an expert opinion too?
Any help appreciated; being a ditzy blonde in her 20's I'm likely to be pied off if I don't know what I'm talking about!
Thanks, Rach
this would explain the awful performance 
but like already mentioned you need to get it diagnosed correctly 1st (not expensive) 
doctor without a patient scenario with problems like this I am afraid 
Had a similar sounding issue with a bm a few years ago it turned out to be the cat.
Somehow the internal honeycomb had come loose & over a peiod of time it had wiorn itself to the shape of the inside of it's casing in such a way that the remaining honeycomb could fall back in it's box & almost completely cover the outlet.
Result, no performance from a 2.5, it might as well have had only 1 working cylinder.
New cat.....sorted.
Somehow the internal honeycomb had come loose & over a peiod of time it had wiorn itself to the shape of the inside of it's casing in such a way that the remaining honeycomb could fall back in it's box & almost completely cover the outlet.
Result, no performance from a 2.5, it might as well have had only 1 working cylinder.
New cat.....sorted.
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