Replacement cats: who is the cheapest/best

[rghnaish]

When my catalytic converter went on my 1996 E320, I tried a stealership first. At about £1200 I felt there must be something cheaper; does a cat really cost 4% of a brand new merc?

To help others out, this is what my subsequent shopping research found out:

Kwik-fit said it would fix a genuine MB cat for £795, or a non-genuine for £293. They must either be getting a great discount on genuine MB parts or someone is telling porkies, since MB charge £858 for just the cat alone, whether you are an individual or an independent merc specialist garage.

I ended up getting a non-genuine one from ECP (Eurocarparts) via www.partsgateway.co.uk which is like a broking web portal for merc parts (new and secondhand) for £276 incl VAT. And then my local merc specialist fitted it for me.

On driving it around, it sounds the same on cruising speed, but if you thrash it, it sounds more 'sporty' (or 'noisy', depending on how you look at it) than my old genunine MB part. How long it will last I don't know; crystal ball is still in the attic.

Overall Kwik fit seem to be offering a good deal on genuine MB cats, so if you want genuine that's the place to go. But if you want to save £500, you could try a non-genuine part. The choice, as they say, is yours!
Rich

 

[psmart]

Good to know. Weather permitting, I'll be taking out my Primary Catalytic converter this weekend, to replace the seal. There is always the slight possibility that the Cat or Turbo has 'burned' due to escaping gases, so I might just be in the market for a Cat/Turbo.

I certainly wouldnt trust Kwik-Fit though, if the job is too much for me, I'll just let my indie sort it out.

On a seperate side, just ordered a complete set of brake discs and pads, all round for my car from Europarts. OEM parts, so will verify how good Europarts are when they arrive.

 

[television]

I fitted non MB Cats to my SL, I have chosen to use mesh Cats as they do not break up like the ceramic's, at £600 compaired to MB at £1500 + fitting I am very happy with my choice.

malcolm

 

[psmart]

I fitted non MB Cats to my SL, I have chosen to use mesh Cats as they do not break up like the ceramic's, at £600 compaired to MB at £1500 + fitting I am very happy with my choice.

Do you have supplier details? I'm surely hoping that nothing more than the seal has burnt out, but after driving the car for at least 1000miles since I noticed it, could well be that the metal on the cat or turbo has had a channel in-burnt as well due to escaping gases.

 

[Richard Moakes]

Good to know. Weather permitting, I'll be taking out my Primary Catalytic converter this weekend, to replace the seal. There is always the slight possibility that the Cat or Turbo has 'burned' due to escaping gases, so I might just be in the market for a Cat/Turbo.

I certainly wouldnt trust Kwik-Fit though, if the job is too much for me, I'll just let my indie sort it out.

On a seperate side, just ordered a complete set of brake discs and pads, all round for my car from Europarts. OEM parts, so will verify how good Europarts are when they arrive.

Just fitted ATE discs and Textar pads from Eurocarparts to my old W124, good quality stuff, fitted nicely and no squealing from the brakes any more

Richard

 

[psmart]

I tried to look up Textar, which EuroCarParts swore blind were the ones Mercedes branded. Couldnt find any real info on the web, and never heard of the make. Are Textar suppliers to Merc, and if so, are the parts sold aside from Merc identical?

 

[television]

Do you have supplier details? I'm surely hoping that nothing more than the seal has burnt out, but after driving the car for at least 1000miles since I noticed it, could well be that the metal on the cat or turbo has had a channel in-burnt as well due to escaping gases.

I do have details somewhere, though not where they should be, will answer later.

malcolm

 

[Steve-O]

Good thing I have a old merc and dont require a Cat for an MOT ... when Mine goes Im just replacing it with a Non Cat pipe at around £40

 

[big x]

I tried to look up Textar, which EuroCarParts swore blind were the ones Mercedes branded. Couldnt find any real info on the web, and never heard of the make. Are Textar suppliers to Merc, and if so, are the parts sold aside from Merc identical?

Both ATE and Textar are or have been OE suppliers to MB.
Quality stuff.
I wonder if the OE cat quoted by Kwikfit was
direct from one of the OE suppliers.Eberspacher
made the cats on both my 94 E320 (still on the 1993
dated original) and the one I had to replace on my 97 E180.
It's amazing how cats seem to last forever on smooth running IL6's
and V8's (my 1992 BMW V8 was still running on it's twin Eberspacher's)
whilst MB 111 IL 4's break them up early.

adam

 

[psmart]

Eberspacher
made the cats

Go wash your mouth out, how dare you swear

I've had 2 years full of joy with Eberspaecher D4 Airtronic heaters ...not, and I've come to the conclusion that Eberspaecher cant design! Their older models, such as the D1LC are perfect, so must have had the 'boy designing the D4. Last November, I was upto my tolerance level with the product, so just to add to my misery, I bought a 2nd as my Motorhome was in one of the coldest winters fow quite a while and the unit kept on packing in. The new one failed after just 1 month!!!! Every two weeks, Ive been having to strip and dekoke the damn things!

Eberspaecher.... like putting a red cloth to a raging bull

 

[rghnaish]

I tried to look up Textar, which EuroCarParts swore blind were the ones Mercedes branded. Couldnt find any real info on the web, and never heard of the make. Are Textar suppliers to Merc, and if so, are the parts sold aside from Merc identical?

That's funny, since the non-MB cat that ECP (Eurocarparts) sold me, also swore blind that they were made by and OE supplier to merc: BM Cats of Sheffield. They promised BM Cats "supplies Merc, but we can't put these cats in a merc box". Well, all I can say is that the supplied cat looked a whole lot different to the old MB cat my mercman took off my 1996 E320. They could still be telling the truth, but they do seem to specialise in lots of promises about 'under the counter genuine merc products'!!

 

[big x]

That's funny, since the non-MB cat that ECP (Eurocarparts) sold me, also swore blind that they were made by and OE supplier to merc: BM Cats of Sheffield. They promised BM Cats "supplies Merc, but we can't put these cats in a merc box". Well, all I can say is that the supplied cat looked a whole lot different to the old MB cat my mercman took off my 1996 E320. They could still be telling the truth, but they do seem to specialise in lots of promises about 'under the counter genuine merc products'!!

They are pulling your leg...the only non-German parts I've seen an MB are Japanese Nippon Denso in the aircon,British Girling for the brake master cylinder and sometimes French glass (MB have a glass works)
Boysen and Eberspacher supply the exhausts and cats.
Any british made cat will be noisy and fail early.

adam

 

[rghnaish]

thanks Big X. I suspected as much. So that still leaves the question, when Kwik Fit says it will fix an MB replacement cat but at a 33% discount to an MB dealer, is that cat going to be an Eberspracher?

 

[ennio]

A related question: I have T210 E300 turbodiesel estate. Is the cat a separate item or is it included in the front section of the exhaust?

thanks
Andrew

 

[Bolide]

Just fitted ATE discs and Textar pads from Eurocarparts to my old W124, good quality stuff, fitted nicely and no squealing from the brakes any more

I fitted Textar pads to the rear of the first estate I sold. They squeaked so badly when reversing that we took them out & threw them away. Since then I've been an MB parts devotee

AFAIK Textar pads are the cheap range from Ferodo, supplied by factors and are in no way as good quality as original

It is surprisingly easy to tell the difference between cheap aftermarket pads and MB pads. I can tell the difference in just a couple of stops

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[Juddian]

subject textar pads. Daughters BMW(sorry) 320 compact needed rear pads, the stealership could teach mb a thing or two about overcharging. Anyway bought genuine from stealer to fit meself, pads were in bmw packing but were textar pads with no bmw branding at all for approx £45. went to europarts paid approx £21 for the identical pads. Guess which were returned. If you are reading this europarts or german & swedish hurry up and open a shop in east northamptonshire.

 

[big x]

I fitted Textar pads to the rear of the first estate I sold. They squeaked so badly when reversing that we took them out & threw them away. Since then I've been an MB parts devotee

AFAIK Textar pads are the cheap range from Ferodo, supplied by factors and are in no way as good quality as original


Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

... http://www.textar.com/index.jsp
As I said they are an OE supplier.Pads and discs to German makers.

adam

 

[ennio]

... don't know where people are getting prices like £1,200 for a 210-model cat. For the front section of my T210 E3003TD I have been quoted £350.30 by M-B, supported also by: http://www.mercedes-benz-parts.co.u...5+-+2002&Model=E300TD&Category=Exhaust+System

Compared with the scare stories the reality sounds bearable. Since current front section has lasted 8 years and almost 200,000 miles think I will buy genuine.

 

[Coulsdon Eagle]

try:
http://www.catman.co.uk

or

http://www.exhaustdirect.co.uk

got mine from the latter for the Vito, complete system downpipe, cat and backbox for £324 inc VAT and delivery, ATS fitted it for me for £40.00,

 

[rghnaish]

... don't know where people are getting prices like £1,200 for a 210-model cat. For the front section of my T210 E3003TD I have been quoted £350.30 by M-B, supported also by: http://www.mercedes-benz-parts.co.u...5+-+2002&Model=E300TD&Category=Exhaust+System

Compared with the scare stories the reality sounds bearable. Since current front section has lasted 8 years and almost 200,000 miles think I will buy genuine.

That would be a treat price. I am no expert on exhausts, but you may only need the front pipe. Some models require you to buy the whole exhaust system. And remember the £1200 from MB for a new 1996 E320 cat included fitting and VAT. But if you can get a new MB cat for £350, I would go for it!!
Rich