It’s a 2013 with a non-turbo engine. I’m looking at aftermarket options since the OEM is just too expensive for a car of this age. The goal is to pass inspection and get it registered. I’ve seen mixed reviews on fitment for some brands, so if you know any good ones around the same price range, let me know.
I haven’t tried that brand, but I replaced the cat on my 2012 twice. Both times the rear hanger pin was too long and rattled against the crossmember. A sawzall fixed it for me.
Zeek said:
I haven’t tried that brand, but I replaced the cat on my 2012 twice. Both times the rear hanger pin was too long and rattled against the crossmember. A sawzall fixed it for me.
Do you remember which brands you used?
@Avery
Pretty sure it was Eastern and Walker.
Here’s a guide I made using a Walker cat converter from RockAuto. I’ve done this a few times, and Ford Focus cars are known for bad catalytic converters.
Make sure there are no other error codes, especially misfire or fuel imbalance codes, as those can destroy your new cat. Even if you’re code-free, sometimes the OEM ones just fail on these cars. It’s a bit of work, but doing it yourself can save you a ton of money.
Why not try a bottle of seafoam? It’s way cheaper than replacing the cat.
Sam said:
Why not try a bottle of seafoam? It’s way cheaper than replacing the cat.
Seafoam doesn’t fix it for long. The code will come back, and the element can eventually break, clogging the exhaust. Focus cats are infamous for this.
@Peyton
I regret not doing enough research before buying this Ford.
Sam said:
@Peyton
I regret not doing enough research before buying this Ford.
Yeah, it’s not Ford’s finest work. But at least the engines are solid.
Sam said:
Why not try a bottle of seafoam? It’s way cheaper than replacing the cat.
This is my girlfriend’s car. Pretty sure she already tried cat cleaner.
Sam said:
Why not try a bottle of seafoam? It’s way cheaper than replacing the cat.
This is my girlfriend’s car. Pretty sure she already tried cat cleaner.
I tried Cataclean on my 2013 Focus SE. It worked for a tank of gas, but the code came back. Then I used seafoam, and it’s been fine since. Check and clean the mass airflow sensor and throttle body. Maybe pull the O2 sensors to clean or replace them. Something’s causing the issue in the first place.
@Sam
I replaced the O2 sensors, valve cover gasket, and spark plugs because she was burning oil. Cleared the code, but it came back in a week.
@Sam
Might give seafoam a try. Anything else worth trying?
Avery said:
@Sam
Might give seafoam a try. Anything else worth trying?
I whacked the cat with a hammer out of frustration once. It actually helped for a bit! Anything’s better than the $1,200 quote I got to replace mine.
How thorough is the inspection? Just a code scan or do they actually look under the car?
You could try an oxygen sensor extender with a bit of cat material. It’s worked for me to get rid of the P0420 code temporarily. Ours still throws the code on short trips sometimes, but I’m thinking about doubling up on the extender.
@Brook
In my experience, those are only temporary. Eventually, the cat will break apart and clog the exhaust, causing a big loss of power.
Peyton said:
@Brook
In my experience, those are only temporary. Eventually, the cat will break apart and clog the exhaust, causing a big loss of power.
This car has 300k miles and a failing DPS6 transmission. Temporary fixes are fine for its remaining days.
@Brook
Fair enough. Might as well go all out.
Peyton said:
@Brook
In my experience, those are only temporary. Eventually, the cat will break apart and clog the exhaust, causing a big loss of power.
When that happens, just pull the pieces out and slap it back on.
@Brook
I think it’s just a scan. It’s my girlfriend’s car, so I’m not 100% sure. Do you think an extender will keep the code off? Yours still comes back sometimes?