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Had my 2000 NB for about a year and a half now; just recently the CEL came on (I forget what the codes were, scanned them & they were for the cat). I've also got the typical rattling sound, smell, and loss of HP that comes with a dead catalytic converter. I have already had it replaced once, now it's blown again 
I'm not 100% sure if the failure was caused by the engine (it drinks oil like there's no tomorrow) or trauma to the underside of the car (both times I've had the cat fail, shortly beforehand I had the underside of the car get really banged up ... first time I bottomed out in a 6" deep pothole, second time I ran over a tree branch I didn't see in the road until it was too late).
I'm going to put ONE LAST catalytic converter on this car, and if that one goes, so does the car. I don't have the time to screw with it right now, though. A few questions:
1. I've got a damn good mechanic with rock-bottom labor costs - where's the best website to find an affordable catalytic converter for a 2000 New Beetle GLS 2.0l gas engine? I know direct fit is best, and I'm trying to keep the cost SANE and REASONABLE.
2. What other parts should I look into at the same time? Last time I had it replaced (by a different, idiot mechanic) the thing rattled, so are there any mounts / bushings I should also tell my current mechanic to look at? Are there any O2 sensors I should buy at the same time? Anyone want to just point me to a website?
3. Like I said, I don't have the time for my daily driver to be up on a lift right now (just started a new job), so I wanted to know what is the possible harm of running on this thing as is for a while. I've noticed a loss of horsepower since it happened, not dramatic but enough to be noticed. The overheating light hasn't come on (even on the hottest days) so the backpressure doesn't seem to be affecting that - yet. Fuel economy has gone down, but not by much.
4. If there's a serious danger of engine damage, anybody want to post a good picture of the underside of a car like mine and show me exactly WHERE the catalytic converter is so I can hacksaw the pipe upstream of the cat? Not permanently, but just to relieve the backpressure for a week or so and only if I run the risk of engine damage otherwise. I don't live in an area with emissions testing, so the worst it'll do is make the car noisey in a different way (from rattling to loud engine sounds).
I'm not 100% sure if the failure was caused by the engine (it drinks oil like there's no tomorrow) or trauma to the underside of the car (both times I've had the cat fail, shortly beforehand I had the underside of the car get really banged up ... first time I bottomed out in a 6" deep pothole, second time I ran over a tree branch I didn't see in the road until it was too late).
I'm going to put ONE LAST catalytic converter on this car, and if that one goes, so does the car. I don't have the time to screw with it right now, though. A few questions:
1. I've got a damn good mechanic with rock-bottom labor costs - where's the best website to find an affordable catalytic converter for a 2000 New Beetle GLS 2.0l gas engine? I know direct fit is best, and I'm trying to keep the cost SANE and REASONABLE.
2. What other parts should I look into at the same time? Last time I had it replaced (by a different, idiot mechanic) the thing rattled, so are there any mounts / bushings I should also tell my current mechanic to look at? Are there any O2 sensors I should buy at the same time? Anyone want to just point me to a website?
3. Like I said, I don't have the time for my daily driver to be up on a lift right now (just started a new job), so I wanted to know what is the possible harm of running on this thing as is for a while. I've noticed a loss of horsepower since it happened, not dramatic but enough to be noticed. The overheating light hasn't come on (even on the hottest days) so the backpressure doesn't seem to be affecting that - yet. Fuel economy has gone down, but not by much.
4. If there's a serious danger of engine damage, anybody want to post a good picture of the underside of a car like mine and show me exactly WHERE the catalytic converter is so I can hacksaw the pipe upstream of the cat? Not permanently, but just to relieve the backpressure for a week or so and only if I run the risk of engine damage otherwise. I don't live in an area with emissions testing, so the worst it'll do is make the car noisey in a different way (from rattling to loud engine sounds).