Sl 500 Exhaust Life

[Mic]

My 2003 SL 500 sounds like a bag of nails after only 50000miles and I have been advised that it is the rear near side catalytic converter breaking up, not an emissions problem. Replacement is very expensive and I believe an exhaust system should be made sufficiently robust to at least outlast the emissions life of the catalytic converter. Any views or experiences please.

 

[television]

As in your other post,,it will be the lower CATs,,just cut open the box with an angle grinder, remove the CATs and weld shut, it will pass the MOT, many including my self have done this.

 

[drmw]

Been there, have the T-shirt (at 45k miles) - totally agree with you.

However, not all is bad news - go to http://www.longlife.co.uk/ & find the nearest - £180 for a lifetime guaranteed stainless steel cat. That's for one - it has two midway down the system - it will be one of them & not either of the two on the downpipes

 

[kth286]

they would not stand for that in the USA.

I belive that cats are guaranteed for a certain minimum miles and life OR they will be replaced free of charge, under their emissions laws.

 

[47p2]

I've removed the cat on several of my cars over the years and never had a problem with the emissions test

 

[Mic]

Thank you all. On Wednesday the mechanic who maintains my BMW and Volvo will hopefully remove the Cat as suggested. In the event of problems and for the future I now have the web address from drmw of Longlife. It would seem that I am severing my relationship with the MB main dealer who wanted £120 to confirm the diagnosis and did not want to support a good will claim. Reading between the lines and learning that the exhaust systems are on back order I think MB know that they have a problem but are not prepared to easily accept responsibility. What does anyone else think?
Mic

 

[television]

My CATs on the same engine failed some 4 years ago,,and this has been on going for year,, the price for two boxes for the V6 at £1700 is sick

 

[turbopete]

I've removed the cat on several of my cars over the years and never had a problem with the emissions test

if the cars were diesel, its never a problem.

 

[47p2]

Both diesel and petrol

 

[turbopete]

had some petrols that were fine, others wont. diesels ive never had a problem. i put this up more for info than anything to be honest. someone may ask the question one day :roll::roll:

 

[Mic]

I did not do exactly as I had said I would in my last posting. I have not been a DIY motor mechanic since the early 1970's when I rebuilt, chassis up, my 1951 MG TD registration TTW 411. Sold it in 1976 because we needed money for soft furniture. The soft furniture has long since been replaced with more soft furniture which now needs re-upholstering or replacing. I have little doubt that the car is still going strongly and with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight we should have kept the car and continued with bean bags.
Anyway, I would not have appreciated that the mid box Cats are superfluous so far as the MOT emissions test is concerned without the advises of Television, 47p2 and Tubopete. Hope you chaps are right because I have acted as follows:
Rather than cut open the boxes and remove the Cats I have had the boxes removed comletely and replaced with stainless steel pipe with 2mm. wall thickness courtesy of ''Longlife'' thanks to the introduction by drmw. My nearest franchise turned out to be only 6 miles away. Incidentally did you know that the near side pipe entering the mid boxes is of a larger diameter than the one entering off side which is the same diameter as the pipes leaving the boxes? Over complicated design?
The result is ''bag of nails'' gone and an exhaust note which is slightly more hollow on light acceleration, rasping and raucous on enthusiastic acceleration (a little bit boy racerish) and no discernable difference at constant speed.
The other result is that I spent £185 including VAT instead of a figure closer to £2000 or more had I been daft enough to use the MB main dealer.
Good result......thank you again gentlemen.

 

[television]

Loads of these lovely post today

 

[kth286]

with the boxes gone you will be drawing attention to the fact nil cats - hum ?

 

[teabag]

with the boxes gone you will be drawing attention to the fact nil cats - hum ?

It should not matter, as long as the car passes the emissions test and the exhaust is sound and secure, it will pass the MOT test.

 

[47p2]

I'm sure you won't have a problem with the emissions

 

[kth286]

does this model have 'before' and 'after' cat lambda probes ?

If so, what affect does this have on the fault code indicators and fueling of the engine ?

I am thinking the 'after' probe will be measuring the effectiveness of the cats which will now be indicating not effective.

How will that alter the fuel injection ?

Will it enrichen or weaken it ?

Will there be any long term affect/decline in engine life ?

 

[Mic]

I do not now have ''nil Cats'' but two fewer Cats. The two primary Cats, there were four, are in the front boxes low down in the engine bay either side of which are the before and after Lamda probes and consequently I am not expecting fuelling nor long term engine problems......unless anyone knows differently?

Mic

 

[television]

I do not now have ''nil Cats'' but two fewer Cats. The two primary Cats, there were four, are in the front boxes low down in the engine bay either side of which are the before and after Lamda probes and consequently I am not expecting fuelling nor long term engine problems......unless anyone knows differently?

Mic

Many have done this over the last 4 years since I have been a member including me with no comeback in all that time

 

[kth286]

I do not now have ''nil Cats'' but two fewer Cats. The two primary Cats, there were four, are in the front boxes low down in the engine bay either side of which are the before and after Lamda probes and consequently I am not expecting fuelling nor long term engine problems......unless anyone knows differently?

Mic

I think those front "boxes" are just insulated sections of pipe to maintain exhaust heat so that when the gasses reach the actual cats (the ones you have now removed), the cats will become effective more quickly.

You have nil cats now.

 

[television]

I think those front "boxes" are just insulated sections of pipe to maintain exhaust heat so that when the gasses reach the actual cats (the ones you have now removed), the cats will become effective more quickly.

You have nil cats now.

These cars do have 4 CATs as do the 6 cylinder engines, one O2 sensor before, and one after the CAT

You can see the O2 holes on 60 in the link on 70

http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb2.as...GA=722.633&CT=F&cat=65P&SID=49&SGR=030&SGN=01