Hi all,

My '97 A4 Quattro Turbo 1.8's cat has broken a 2nd time (was re-welded at Midas once about 3 months ago, but the weld came off again and now they're telling me I have to replace it.) Of course they estimate $530+ for the part and $250 for the labor.

I've seen so many MUCH cheaper cats on the internet (even as cheap as like $60 for a magnaflow), but I found out that there arelaws in Calif that prevent you from using EVERY caton the market. (I checked the officialgovernment catalogand found nothing for Audi).I cannot even findone singlewebsite that sells anything I can legally use! (Midas must be getting it SOMEWHERE...)

I don't have any welding skills or any specialized car tools, so I assume I can't change this myself. Can anyone point me to somewhere that has ~$300+ (or less) cats that are legal in CA? Or if I can use an "illegal" cat or pipe, how can I get it installed and what would be the consequences/dangers?

Also, is it better to get direct fit or universal?

Thanks,

Augie (carless )

 

same thing happened to me ... my cat broke and my mecanic wanted to charge me 600 for part 210 for labor .. hes crazy .... since im selling my car i bought a cat at Autozone lol .. the universal one paid 65 dollars .. and he welded .. dont worry about it who cares if its illegal its not like they going to check your motor and see what kind of cat you have ... and if i were you i would try to get the direct fit one .... you can buy on ebay for 125 i think ...

 

I believe that you can get a DEC converter which is CARB compliant and a direct fit (complete with the oxygen sensor bungs for 195.