I have a 99 Millenia S...my check engine light has been on for a little while now, and the code says that my cat is bad. I've been doing some research to replace it and it looks like I have a front and rear cat...how do I know which one is bad? or should i just get a whole new exhaust system?

Anyone have any suggestions on where to get an exhaust system with the cat?

Thanks!

 

The code will tell you which it is.

 

I'm in the same boat. Took my 99 milly to the dealership and they said my right front Cat Converter is going bad. Quoted me $1400 to fix. That's $1100 for the part and 3 for labor. That's ridiculous.

 

KJ02-20-55XA, mazda SUGGESTED list price, 561.25. tasca mazda online discount price, 387.18. 3 hrs labor is not bad. a lot of stuff has to come off. also, there are a lot of gaskets that need to be changed, too.

 

Yep, I'm getting the bad cat code as well. And my mechanic, who I trust for his expertise, says "ignore it." Isn't there a work around, to kill this code?

 

ignore it? what a tool. so, he will be happy to repair it at your cost when it breaks? what sound advice. let me guess. this "mechanic" is a 1 man shop, no lifts, dirt floor, and has never worked on a millenia in his life. probably the cheapest in town. in more ways than 1

 

Keninn, you you say Tasca Mazda online huh? If the part's roughly $390, I'd much rather go that route. Is this something a regular mechanic can fix or do I need to take it to the dealership? Also, they said I need 2 bypass valves at around $200 a pop. Are these parts that need to be OEM or can I go anywhere for these??

I'm really at a crossroads right now with my milly. I've got 128K on it and still owe about $3000, these repairs are starting to add up(just had a belt tensioner and drive belt replaced-$700 parts & labor) I love the car and it drives nice when it works, but I can't keep pouring money into it.

 

dunno what you mean by bypass valves. solenoids? there are 2 that are always a problem. do a search on abv vacuum and vent solenoids. they both list price for 74 bucks and change, about 55 bucks discount tasca mazda price. the vast majority of parts for the 2.3 are ONLY available from the dealer. also, your chance of success at a dealer is only marginally better then at an independent; that is, both have no experience on this car. the dealer will have access to more information, but will cost more. however, if you do really need abv solenoids, 200 each is uber ripoff, imho. they take about 20 min to change. another caveat is that the dealer is NOT bound to sell parts at mazda usa suggested list price, most local dealers greatly inflate over the counter pricing, sometimes double suggested list. online dealers always seem to go by mazda suggested list, and discount off of that. BOTH online and local dealer will rarely have the part in stock, they will have to source it to a stocking warehouse. so, the only advantage to go local is that the part will get to you sooner, but you will pay a huge premium.

 

I'm really at a crossroads right now with my milly. I've got 128K on it and still owe about $3000, these repairs are starting to add up(just had a belt tensioner and drive belt replaced-$700 parts & labor) Plus the right front catalytic converter needs replacing. I really like the car and it drives nice when it works, but I can't keep pouring money into it. Would you hold onto the car or cut your losses, trade it in, and get something else??

 

if you cannot do a lot of the work yourself, get rid of the car. it will eat your lunch. i have replaced tensioners and belts, the tensioners are like 352 each new, and the belts are about 30 bucks. 700 for one belt and a tensioner is ripoff. takes about an hour. resale on a millenia sucks, so dont expect to get much for the car. you can actually take your old tensioner and replace just the bearing for about 10 bucks. unless the spring is shot, then you gotta get a new one. i got 2 good used ones for 25 bucks for both. i am always looking for spare parts, but if i had to pay someone to install them, i would have dumped the cars a very long time ago. and we still very much enjoy the cars. they will both be 10 years old this year.