Cat issue on 02 Jetta in new york state

[82cabby]

Hi gang-
My son's 2002 jetta needs a new flex pipe, and the cat is cracked. In looking for aftermarket parts everything says "not for CA emission cars licensed in New York State"... ok.... but will it make the car throw a code? I can get it through inspection if there are no codes.
The car is in good shape and only has 59,000 miles (yep, 59k), but i really don't want to drop over $1000 into the exhaust for OEM exhaust to install myself and Monroe Muffler wanted $1500 to do the downpipe on back. We only paid $2,800 for the car! I have never heard of a VW being totaled because it needed new a exhaust system!

Any suggestions ?

Dave
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71 Super, 82 Rabbit Convertible

[TDCTDI]

Do not install an aftermarket cat, their longevity does not have a good track record. It's not uncommon for the car to throw cat codes within a year or two after installing an aftermarket cat. The Monro muffler quote is quite high considering the quality that usually comes out of one of those places, find an independent muffler shop & get a quote from them & the subpar pipes & mufflers used there are just aluminized steel instead of the factory exhaust with some degree of stainless steel & they will usually rot off in 3 years, especially in the rust belt. Replacing a flex joint is usually around $100-$200 & that might be the reason that the car is throwing a cat code.

If your CEL persists after replacing the flex coupler, try this.
https://www.355nation.net/forum/#/topics/401
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Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[82cabby]

Cool. Thanks for the reply!
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71 Super, 82 Rabbit Convertible

[Butcher]

I agree with the quality of aftermarket catalysts but many have a 3 year warranty.

The question you have 'Would it turn on the light?', probably not.

[TDCTDI]

While the cat may have a three year warranty, I won't install them because I know that it'll be back in 9 months to a year with a check engine light again & I can't afford to keep warranting a crap part on my dime & I'm sure the customer doesn't either.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[Butcher]

[82cabby]

The guy i take it to will just connect it to the computer. No codes? You pass. Thats unusual in New York State.
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71 Super, 82 Rabbit Convertible

[volksworld]

kinda a good news bad news worse news situation...nys adopted the CARB standards for catalytic converters....so its now illegal to install the bad aftermarket cats that make the light come on...but so far by my research no one makes an aftermarket cat/ downpipe combo thats carb certified(except for the v6 which i doubt you have)....i dont know if a shop could even legally buy a non certified downpipe/cat and cut off the cat and weld on a certified one...they'd have a heck of a time convincing the nysdmv they threw the other cat in the dumpster... fines are 500 for the first offense and up to 26,000 for additional offenses(yes 26 grand thats not a misprint)...where is your cat cracked? is it a crack on the pipe that could just be welded up or is it broken up and rattling inside?....if the car isnt throwing a po420 code currently leave the original cat and fix the flex pipe....try to avoid "muffler chain " exhaust systems as they generally weld everything together and bend it up the easiest way possible so you can never install an off the shelf part again...even they would have to weld in a carb certified cat....the carb certified cats have a 5 yrwarranty as required by the state

[82cabby]

The only code right now is P0455 which is a evaporative emissions leak. That’s a whole different story! The cat crack I welded and I think it will be fine for awhile. But the problem is the stupid flex pipe. It is rotted at both ends and i feel like I’m welding tissue paper trying to fix it. I can’t find just the down pipe and / or flex pipe for a mk4 2.0 liter 4 cylinder. Everything I find includes the downpipe, flex pipe and cat as all one piece and costs a fortune. Double if it meets CARB.
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71 Super, 82 Rabbit Convertible