e39 M5 Cats - I'm sorry... How much?!?!

[dopamine]

OMG - Had a tinging sound coming from under the car while moving. Have taken it in to be told it is most likely one or both cats have given up the ghost. Ker-ching - thats £590+VAT (for each one) plus fitting please!
I am feeling faint!

My questions for you guys are: Does anyone know a place where I could get cats cheaper, and has anyone with a 5 series ever experienced a tinging sound (it sounds exactly like little stones hitting a bit of steel) and if so what cured it.

Any help would be hugely appreciated - I just dont think I could face another huge bill from what is turning out to be a money pit car!

Cheers

TC

[XM5ER]

This may or may not help but, my 328 had an identical sound coming from underneath which I also suspected to be the exhaust.

However, it turned out to be the handrake drums which rattle a bit when in need of maintenance.

Try driving along a shitty piece of road (anywhere in Stockport would do) with the window open and slowly apply the handrake. If the rattle stops then Roberts your auties husband.

Mine was cured by an inspection 1 service.

[woodytvr]

If this is the problem then it just needs cleaning and regreasing - I had the same thing on my old 325 and BMW said it was the exhaust.

Also check the heat sheild for the exhaust as these have a habit of corroding around the screws causing a similar rattle.

[Úbermensch]

isnt there a 'cat bypass section' available for the M5, try beastpower.com or someplace,
probably affects lambda sensor signals & emissions tests though..

[stone]

It does sound like your cat or cats may have gone! I tmay be worth contacting a company by the name of B & M who manufacture cats and used to offer a service whereby you send them your cat and they will manufacture the replacements using yours as a template. You get a cheaper cat and they can then add that reference to the range that they offer! May be worth a try!

[stone]

Cats are a good example of manufacturer rip offs! Four years ago ceramic core for cats used to cost up to £100 pounds and you then had to design and produce the pipework for each reference. Now the core can cost in the region of £ 15. The pipework is only stainless steel with a cat case welded in the middle and holes for the lambda sensor. How they can justify over £500 for a product that costs under £100 to manufacture is beyond me!

[dopamine]

Hi Stone,

I called B&M who were very helpful and said they would supply the trade at £531+VAT, or me as a private individual at £762.58 inc VAT.

Having called a few places £531+VAT is the cheapest I have found (Still incredibly expensive though). Thanks for the lead!

I found their details on google they are:

B & M Catalysts
Address: Reed Mill
Sheepbridge Lane
Mansfield
Notts
NG18 5DL
Tel No: 01623 654481
Fax No: 01623 621750

Ubermensch - I couldn't find any cat stuff on beastpower.com but did love the site mmmm £2000 for a tubi exhaust that would be nice! Cheers

TC

[Guy Humpage]

The Catco catalyst in my after market Saab exhaust comes from
Summit Racing The Most expensive one listed on their 'universal catalysts' page is $99!

It might be cheaper to buy one from somewhere like this and modify the rest of the exhaust to fit.

Cats seems to be cheap as chips in the States as they've been using them for much longer than we have over here.

[stone]

dopamine said:

Hi Stone, I called B&M who were very helpful and said they would supply the trade at £531+VAT, or me as a private individual at £762.58 inc VAT. Having called a few places £531+VAT is the cheapest I have found (Still incredibly expensive though). Thanks for the lead! I found their details on google they are: B & M Catalysts Address: Reed Mill Sheepbridge Lane Mansfield Notts NG18 5DL Tel No: 01623 654481 Fax No: 01623 621750 Ubermensch - I couldn't find any cat stuff on beastpower.com but did love the site mmmm £2000 for a tubi exhaust that would be nice! Cheers TC

They'll go cheaper than that if you push them. There sales manager I think is Mark Blinston, try and speak to him and you may get it at a better price. That price still seems high to me! I'm sure they'll go at least another £100.

[sjc]

Or try a specialist like www.haywardandscott.com

[dopamine]

Quick update for anyone interested... Turns out the noise isn't from the Cats. The specialist I had taken the car too spent over a week trying to find the noise and failed. Have since ditched them and taken it to local main dealer. The service guy walked into the car park, I started her up and he said "drive shaft doughnut has too much play - quite common" (He then explained the doughnut was neither the jam or ring type, but the coupling between two parts of the drive shaft) £130 part and 1 hour labour. Lovely.
Thanks to everyone for their help re the cat problem, but I am so pleased it isn't the cats in the end

TC

[stone]

dopamine said:

I am so pleased it isn't the cats in the end TC

I'll bet!