And what do you think the "new" to you Ody which will cost you less than $10k will come with good cats or cats that will be good for more than a year or 2?

How much "newer" will the Ody that you can get for less than $10k will be?

I am not trying to put you down or anything, just wondering out loud.

IF I were you and really like the car and it is good everything else, especially if I have an EX model, then, I would just spend the $$ and replace the cats.
I would do it for MY car considering that I had the car since new so I KNOW the history. I can't say the same for yours though.

EDIT: That said, it does not hurt to get couple of quotes from guys that specializes in exhaust that has good reviews.

 

That seems ridiculous.

FWIW, I have used a local “cash only” exhaust shop to replace cats on my son’s Accord and on my Passat. They welded in very cheap aftermarket cats for about $200 each. Parts and labor.

I do not expect them to last long but they got me through emissions testing and there is no exhaust leak.

I recommend you seek out exhaust shops and get estimates from them. I bet you could get this all done for less than $2,000 if you were willing to go with aftermarket cats.

 

That seems ridiculous.

FWIW, I have used a local “cash only” exhaust shop to replace cats on my son’s Accord and on my Passat. They welded in very cheap aftermarket cats for about $200 each. Parts and labor.

I do not expect them to last long but they got me through emissions testing and there is no exhaust leak.

I recommend you seek out exhaust shops and get estimates from them. I bet you could get this all done for less than $2,000 if you were willing to go with aftermarket cats.

I second that approach. I replaced the Cat on my 2004 Volvo with a "factory fit" one from Rock Auto for about $600 (plus my no cost labor). It has lasted 6 years but is now toast and I will have to do it again before my next emmissions test this coming December. Assuming the volvo is still running, it'll be worth the investment to keep it available for family use.

 

That quote is very high. But I see that the parts are Honda originals. If your handy, have a good tool collection, a garage, and time, you can do the job for less than the shop's quote. All the best.

 

Depends on how long you expect to keep it. If you go aftermarket like walker expect maybe 3 years before failure and you have to do it again.

 

Are the cats plugged, thus causing the misfire? Or are you going to pay $6500 and end up with a van that still runs poorly (poisoning the new cats)?

 

Option #8? Maybe there's one at a junkyard that has all this for a reasonable price?
Those misfires may just be being caused by bad coils - they're inexpensive and you can replace them yourself.
You might also consider talking to another shop rather than Honda and getting parts from RockAuto.com.
If you're in the horrid bay area I'd call Auto Repair Garage. The owner, Fred, is a former Honda tech, he knows them inside and out and is VERY reasonable.
I have an '07 Odyssey that we've had for years and I wouldn't drop $6,000 into it, but I am in a position to spend more than that to buy a different vehicle.

 

Find different mechanics/shops to correctly diagnose your problem. Sound like this shop is only interested in your wallet with their inflated OE parts. You might end up in the exact scenario described by bbrages.

• Labor (Remove and replace both catalytic converters and components.) : $1,199.25

Do you realize how many hours they are quoting you here? that's $200/hr for 6 hours.

• NTK Air Fuel Ratio Sensor, Upstream x2: $604.74 (upstream sensors)

That is 5 times actual cost of NTK sensors on Rockauto. You could get them from Rockauto for $69.79 per sensor.

• NTK Oxygen Sensors (Left and Right) x2: $193.97 (downstream sensors)

That is more than 3 times the cost of the actual NTK sensors on Rockauto. You could get them from Rockauto for $31.79 ea.

and the list goes on.....


Go 3rd party parts if you must but run from this shop.

 

Do you realize how many hours they are quoting you here? that's $200/hr for 6 hours.

Might depend on where OP lives but that's about market rate for where I am. Not defending it or in favor of it.

Support local businesses that pay their employees a living wage, do good work and give back to their local communities.

 

Aside from the comments above, that’s a pretty high mark-up on the cats -almost 25% over Honda retail cost and almost 100% over online Honda dealer pricing.

 

First, you don't need Honda cats. Good aftermarket will do just fine, that is if you actually need them.

Second, your misfires may be causing cat clogging issues. What is your model, as EX-L and Touring have problems with oil burning.

I'd fix your misfires and the evap issue. Then drive for a while and see if your other codes come back. Once your clean, you can always try cat cleaner as they may be just carboned up

 

That's exactly what I would do too. Start with the cheaper stuff and go from there. How old are the spark plugs and the air filter?

 

Well, the Denso may not be junk compared to the OEM Hitachi- but you're throwing away money replacing parts unnecessarily. Did you test to verify if the coils were bad? On my two 2nd Gens I only replaced a total of 3 failed coils. And I replaced them with $10 used OEM coils from the u-pick yard! The other 9 coils were still good with 200k mileage on each of them.
Spark plugs on the other hand are a wear item. Hopefully they were not sourced at fleaBay or Amazoom! Risk of counterfeits.

 

A key big question, had you muzzled VCM on your 07-Exl yet?
As all these codes, Cat and Missfire, are 99% caused by the VCM.
How about the oil burning, do you need add in oil quite often inbetween OCI?

 

Pull your spark plugs and see if they are oil fouled. Remember, you have an EX-L with VCM, which is not a good thing. Search around for VCM issues.

 

I would buy all the parts from rockauto and go to an independent garage to get this done. You would pay about a third of that price.

 

That was my thought.

 

OP is from CA which has one of the most strictest smog inspections in the nation. All 3rd party CATs must be CA certified to be used in your vehicles, or you will fail smog inspection. Unless you know what you are doing, let the muffler shops handle that for you.

 

In the rockauto website the CA cats are labeled. They do cost a bit more though.

 

those quotes are highway robbery. Also I'm pretty sure the heat shields can be reused. No need for new ones if you re buying honda CATs.

 

I just had mine replaced for about $2,500 including taxes, at a local shop. I would've done it myself but couldn't figure out what was wrong with it.

 

I'm not familiar, but why would you need to replace these. What makes them go bad? I have an 08. Is this something I need to plan for?

 

That's CRAZY money. Here in Maine we can use aftermarket cats but I know you're in CA...but still. INSANE prices. I would definitely get multiple quotes and start with the cheaper stuff first. I'd happily buy your van and if you drive it out here to Portland, I'll even buy you a return airline ticket!😃

 

That's funny because I'm actually looking at a seasonal job in Maine right now. Will let you know!

 

• Honda Bolts x8: $203.20

Get the heck out of here with that. $25 per bolt? Not even your single-use TTY head bolts are that expensive.

• P0420: Catalytic converter system, bank 1 - efficiency below threshold
• P0430: Catalytic converter system, bank 2 - efficiency below threshold
• P0455: Evaporative emission (EVAP) system - large leak detected
• P0300: Random/multiple cylinder(s) - misfire detected
• P0306, P0305, P0304, P0302, P0301: Cylinders 6, 5, 4, 2, and 1 - misfire detected

All of these can be related to leaky gaskets. Before putting out any big fix-it money make sure you get a SMOKE TEST done and repair any leaks.

 

That one also seemed to irk me also. Two hundred dollars for 8 bolts is ridiculous.

 

They are 2x too high, 100% markup on the most expensive parts:

18190-RGL-A00 = $1,074.64
18290-RGL-A00 = $748.56

The part prices are from a reputable Honda dealer I've used many times for online orders:

OEM Honda Parts at Balise Honda | Honda Automotive Parts

Majestic Honda has great deals on genuine OEM Honda replacement parts and accessories. Get factory direct Honda parts shipped quickly to your door.

www.hondaautomotiveparts.com

 

All of those prices are above MSRP. They are 100% ripping you off. No question about it. Going to the stealership will be cheaper. At least the parts will.
That doesn't even include the 3rd cat which is likely what is clogged with either just the 1st car or possibly both cats guts.
Take a temperature reading at each cat. It should be hotter after each cat. If it is hottest before the 3rd cat, that is likely due to the one or more of the 2 cats falling apart. If it is hotter after each cat they are working as intended. If they are hotter before the cats, that is a clog. Must check temperature at operating temperature, and use a non-contact infrared thermometer. If it has the ability set it to capture the max temp, and move the temperature around before the cat. Make note of the temperature, and do the same after the cat. If it hotter after the cat, you are good. If it is hotter before it is bad, if it is the same temperature before and after it has fallen apart.
An easy way to see if the cats are clogged, but harder to determine if it is slightly clogged is to feel the air at the tailpipe. Careful as pieces of the cat can fly out and burn your bare hand. Use a paper towel or something, and have someone rev the engine. Feel if there is a lot or barely any air getting out. This is good test if the cats have fallen apart and are clogging the 3rd cat.

 

I have a 2007 ex with 220,000 on it and have never replaced the cats if i were you i would look for some used cats maybe from a junk yard or after market place. He's quoting you for brand new Honda parts that cost a fortune. If the engine and trans is good get a couple used cats for cheap and call it a day.

 

I would look for some used cats maybe from a junk yard

I wish junk yards would sell their cats. Legally they can't. At least none of the ones in my state. I have noticed that the bank 1 cat is usually left behind on the junkyard Honda/Acura v6's. Only way you are getting out the door with it is if you can convince them it is an exhaust manifold, and not a cat.

 

At 296,000 miles, my 2003 EX-L continues to pass California Smog Test with original catalytic converters. The only related repair was to change the oxygen sensor...

...have you replaced the oxygen sensors and rechecked your codes?

Did a Honda Certified Mechanic diagnose your issues and advise you to replace the cats?

Good luck & please let us know your progress with your Odyssey.

 

run away from that shop!!

You can't just replace the catalytic converters without fixing those misfires, in fact those misfires if ignored for a long time will cause your catalytic converters to fail. You are wasting money with a new cat because it will fail if the misfires are not fixed first.

Normally the oxygen sensors are fine, I don't see any codes for that (P0420 is not an oxygen sensor issue)

Fix the misfire codes first and deal with the p0420 codes later.

And what are those shields and bolts for?

 

I just did a valve job on my 05 Touring with 276k and both front cats looked like new inside. If you haven't muzzled your VCM, that should be the first thing. As others have stated, the misfires and an unmuzzled VCM system will kill your cats.

 

Also, one further point of reference: I am 60 years old, have been driving for 45 years, have owned over 40 vehicles, almost every one of which has been purchased used, and I have never replaced a catalytic converter. I'm not saying that they don't need replacement at some point, but I've had several vehicles over 300K and many over 200K...and never replaced a cat.