Ford Escort (1993 - 2000) - 94 1.6 LX 16v... is my cat choking?

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Tue 27 Jan 2009 16:46
94 1.6 LX 16v... is my cat choking? - Lud
My car has for a while now, but of course increasingly, suddenly failed to deliver correct power on heavy throttle when required, almost embarrassing on occasion. Usually it has recovered when revs pick up. I noticed though that when trying to rev under these circumstances there has been a hiss in the exhaust as if of escaping gas, accompanied by a strange drone from the engine, and there is sometimes a smell of exhaust being as it were forced out under the car. It always idles OK and is driveable in town until it gets really warm.

Is the cat breaking up? Is it worth buying a cat, available new for about a hundred quid, for such an elderly jalopy (still fairly good however if you know its little ways)? Or would an illegal but probably beneficial non-cat bit of pipe do until next MoT time? I'm afraid the car won't go more than another year even with care, so heavy expenditure seems foolish. My garage man seems to sympathise with all of this but is too canny to pronounce without taking a proper look, and is busy at present.

Edited by Dynamic Dave on 27/01/2009 at 18:29

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