I found out why my 190e 2.3 has been lagging, especially up hills. The pre cats are clogged. How much will that pipe cost? The shop said around $125. Is that the same as a front pipe? Because I saw one at www.nopi.com for 65 bucks. Thanks

The pre-cats are part of the complete catylst system, removal is against law in most areas. "Don't pollute give a hoot"

Cats are definitely a touchy subject. The factory cat for a number of years lists at around $2330. I have never used one because of the price.

We have always used an aftermarket version and they run from about $400 on up. They are also obviously less of a cat than MB uses. While being warranteed for some long time they won't cover melt downs and they won't handle a car running improperly for a fraction of the time a MB cat will.

I can't imagine any shop would remove a cat these days with all the testing going on. Cars can not be sold in many locations with their emissions systems altered. In test areas the cost for repairs on failed vehicles are often capped to a yearly cost. None of these caps apply to missing parts.

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Steve Brotherton
Owner 24 bay BSC
Bosch Master, ASE master L1
26 years MB technician

[This message has been edited by stevebfl (edited 04-05-2000).]

I'm looking at an illustration in the Performance Products (IMPCO) catalog for the 190E exhaust systems. Part #1 is described as the "Front Exhaust Pipe" (comes right out of the exhaust header) -- it list for $500.00. Part #2 attaches to #1 and is described as the "Center Muffler" (its ass-end attaches to the Rear Muffler) -- it lists for around $135.00 (190E 2.3-8V).

Hope this helps.

Brian