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Rant: My $900 Craigslist Miata failed emissions so I did the 'cheap fix' and made it way worse
So I picked up a 1997 Miata for $900 back in March, thinking I was the smartest guy in Phoenix. It ran rough but I figured a new O2 sensor and some Seafoam would get it through emissions no problem. Dropped $60 on parts, cleared the codes, drove it 80 miles to reset the monitors, and it failed on hydrocarbons at almost double the limit. The guy at the testing station said my cat was toast and quoted me $1,200 to fix it, which is more than I paid for the whole car. Against my better judgment I bought a $120 universal cat off eBay and tried to weld it in myself with a $90 flux core welder from Harbor Freight in my buddy's driveway. The welds looked like chewed gum, it leaked at the flange, and now the car throws a P0420 plus a new exhaust leak code and it sounds like a lawnmower having a bad day. I've got $1,170 into a car that still won't pass and I can't even drive it to work without getting pulled over for the noise. Has anyone actually passed emissions with one of these cheap universal cats or am I just going to have to register it in a county with no testing?
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rivera.jake28d ago
Heard those cheap eBay cats are hit or miss, mine lasted three months before throwing the same code.
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