where is a cheap place to buy a cat converter?
 

How bad should I get to be taken to get it installed?
Where is a good place to get one installed?

Or can I save this cat? Maybe some exhaust tape and or clamps?

http://photopile.com/viewalbum.htm?sesalbum=24709

I got one for my 535i BMW last week from Autopartsauthority.com
For a 190e 2.6L it is: 326.00 free S&H made by DEC (best fit and sound compared to OEM among all aftermarket cats.

http://www.autopartsauthority.com/catalytic/mercedes~190~parts.html

Meza

Thanks Mesa. who did you have install it? How much was labor?

I am doing it in my garage. No welding involved. Just bolts, nuts, and gaskets. I would assume no more than an hour at a muffler shop. Actually, on the 190e, It looks much easier than my BMW. I have air tools and compressor in case I need to cut rusted bolts. If you don't have a compressor, just take it to an exhaust shop and save yourself the headache that I am used to.
Good Luck,
Meza

I got 2 resaonable estimates. $290 Now I'm just hoping the cat is the cause of my weird idle and lack of power. Neither place really seemed to even check the cta. They just assumed it was bad. That worried me. I changed teh plugs but no change in the symptoms.
My car does have 155k miles on it.

How did you know your cat was bad?

Just disconnet the cat and start your engine...
 

it will be loud thought. If it is your cat, the symptoms will go away.
Good luck!

It is very unlikely that a car, that can drive 70mph, will have any idle problems caused by a bad cat.

We have installed many aftermarket cats and DEC does a decent job compared to others. I will say that there is no chance that I would place an aftermarket cat on a 1996 car or newer.

The main reason aftermarket cats cost significantly less is because they ARE significantly less. For the great bulk of auto owners a pipe to the rear is all they want and the aftermarket cat does a good job here.

With OBDII starting in 96 the car now will observe the efficiency of the cat (can you say post cat O2 sensor) and those aftermarket ones are lucky to keep the "check engine" light out for six months.

Steve I'm not sure if my car can get to 70. It might be able to. My problem is very minor but I tried to isolate it. all plugs and wires are firing. The cat is making a weird noise.
Also I did a temp test on the cat. I read several places after the cat is fully warm the outlett should be hotter than the inlet.
On my cat I burn my fingers on the inlet but I can grip the outlet fine with no burns its just warm not even hot.
Does that sound like a clogged cat to you or am I going in the wrong direction?

My car is a 1993. It pretty much idles fine just little low rpm power

The best simple test for cat restriction I have heard is to put a vacuum gauge on the intake. Look at the numbers at idle and then run the speed to 2000rpms and hold it there. The vacuum at 2000 (unloaded) should be greater than at idle. If it is restricted it won't be.

If you can barely get to 70 then you could have a cat problem, but check it with the vacuum gauge.

As to the temp means of testing. One must use a infrared temp tool to make such judgements. If you can touch and hold any part of the cat it isn't hot enough to work anyway. Drive it down the road for ten minutes and then do the test with the infrared gun.

steve I ran the test with the car hot. I ran 2000 rpms for 2-3 minutes like all the tests say to do. I will run it longer but even after driving the outlet is not anywhere close to the temp in the front. Just touching the front burns but UI can wrap my hand around the outlet. its just warm. I even touched the cat itself in front and back. Very noticable difference.
Thanks for the help. I dont have a vaccum gauge to check it with.
Hopefully it is the cat. I would hate to throw out $300.
I dont have an infrared gun so I have to use my hands but if after 10 minutes its still not cold back there?
Plus my exhaust pipes have very little pressure back there