Catalytic Conspiracies

Is it correct that, although lean burn technology offers better fuel economy and lower emissions, the EU compels manufacturers to fit catalytic converters instead, using up such rare and valuable metals...

Cats 22

I have just had the unfortunate experience of being landed with an unexpected bill of £1,262 for a replacement catalytic converter at 72,000miles in my Ford Focus 1.6 diesel. On checking with some Ford...

Does my Citroen C5 have a mass air flow meter fault?

I'm told I may have a mass air flow meter problem on my Citroen C5, but don't want to go to unnecessary expense. The car is very flat, especially down at the bottom. It feels like something is holding...

Would a BMW 530i with over 100,000 miles be unreliable?

I'm looking to buy a secondhand BMW 530i of about seven to ten years old, and I've found some really cheap ones. One obvious reason for this is they have over 100,000 on the clock! I've always heard that...

Our Ford Focus was diagnosed with a slipping clutch, so why won't the Ford warranty cover it?

Whilst climbing a moderate gradient in a queue with a driver and four passengers in our Ford Focus, suddenly a horrible gassy smell filled the car. The smell remained for the next two weeks. We are the...

Does my Ford Mondeo have a blocked catalytic converter?

I have the 2.0-litre petrol 2001 Ford Mondeo Duratec. It has suddenly started to misfire and bring out an awful eggy smell, then the engine light came on and it started to run roughly. I've replaced the...

How can I get my Peugeot 307 through its MoT? It's failed on emissions.

My Peugeot 307 1.6 diesel has just failed the MoT on emissions. There are no warnings on the dash and my mechanic is unsure of where to start to fix the problem. The average smoke reading is 3.28 (pass...

Why is my Mercedes-Benz E220 accelerating slowly?

My Mercedes-Benz E220 is very slow when under acceleration.

Is a broken-up catalyst preventing my Vauxhall Astra from starting?

Can a totally blocked catalyst shred a timing belt? I had my Vauxhall Astra 16v's timing belt replaced and new valves and guides fitted, and on completion, the car wouldn't start due to the catalyst being...

My four-year-old Volkswagen Golf's catalytic converter is disintegrating - will Volkswagen help with repairs?

We have a four-year-old Volkswagen Golf MkV 1.6 FSI petrol. I'm told today by my local non-franchised Volkswagen specialist that the rattling that developed two days ago is the inside of the catalytic...