Need help with cat and oxygen sensor...
 

Hey everyone! Here is the primary problem, my catalytic converter is making a loud growling noise. My car's (92 300E) 0-60 is about 10 seconds, and it tops out at around 100mph. Now, in order to remedy the situation, I have decided to replace my cat $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. However, before I order a new one, id like to make sure replacing the cat will fix the problem. To, this end, I was thinking about bolting up some pipes instead of the cat into the exhuast system and seeing if this fixed my problem. This brings up the secondary (now more pressing) problem.

If I change out the cat for a while with some straight pipes, this will throw my o2 sensor for a loop. What are my options? Would my car run fine if I just leave it in? Would it run fine with the sensor removed? What on earth are dummy sensors and where can one be purchased? Thanks!

help?

Here's something I copied from the Internet a long time ago. It may help. Does your car use oil? Let us know what happens...

"Your catalytic converter(s) are clogged- probably the small ones in the front pipe. This happens in a 300E from oil consumption over a long period of time. A quick cure (other than the obvious one of buying a new front pipe for $1,200 or so) is to take the pipe off the car, and have a shop glass-bead the front (engine) side of the mini-catalysts a couple of
millimeters. The clogging seldom goes deeper. Proper performance is restored without damaging the catalytic effects."

hey, thanks for the reply. My car does use about 2 quarts of oil between oil changes, but my car doesn't have the precats the quote refers to. They did away with those sometime around ?90?.

Maybe the cat itself can be rejuvinated. It's worth looking into since they are pretty expensive.

indeed this is true. But I want to make sure my cat is actually causing the peroformance drop and not just harmless noise. And I can't figure out my o2 sensor quandry, somebody please help!

I should have said that the symptoms of that clogged cat was loss of power and a top speed of 105.

I went to a local muffler shop and they installed a aftermarket catalytic converter which actually was a high flow model (the company that makes it is called "Perfection" but of course there are many brands out there). I paid $150 including installation and lifetime warranty.
No need to spend a load of money for a genuine MB converter.

Will an aftermarket cat meet the emission test standards of places like California and Arizona? Are they noisier?

anybody anybody? Info on the o2 sensor? Please?