The hc's only have to be under 200 ppm & co under 0.20 % (more if not under BETs test) & I don't see having a punt at a cheap cat on a cheap car as wasting money. What's the alternative, spend hundreds diagnosing/fixing what is probably a knackered bore washed engine or telling customer to buy a new car ?

If you take mk3 fiestas with the ohv engine,these were heavy oil burners & were forever destroying their cats(again very cheap cats)you could pretty much be sure a new cat would see it through the mot.Again not exactly the right approach to diagnostics but it does the job on these cars with older style engines designed way before any cats were ever fitted to cars.

We're not talking about guessing at a £400 cat in the manifold set up here, it's a £30 in line cat about the size of a squashed baked bean can(in fact a can full of baked beans would probably do a better job than these things)You'd save more in wasted time than it would to buy it,fit & test it.

I'm not saying it's the technically the right thing to do but there are times and cars when it makes better sense to have a leap than waste customers money in lenghty tests to comfirm something thats pretty obvious, THE ENGINES SHOT & thats wrecked the cat.

I'm not trying to offend anyone but I certainly don't waste my customers money,if you explain to people your line of thought & give them the choice most would go with the cheap cat gamble."I know my car's a banger & I really need a new one but if you could just get it through this year".... etc etc......you know how it goes

Just my thoughts

Matt