Aftermarket CatCon, Engine Family Number

[jsuebersax]

So the mechanic says to pass smog I need a new catalytic converter. There's an aftermarket cat that costs $600 less than the GM part.

- the part dealer says the aftermarket cat can only be used for 1 of 3 engine families of the 2001 LeSabre 3.8 v6.
- the engine family ID is printed on the Vehicle Emission Control Label, which is missing
- so I have to pay $32 to order a new label; only then, apparently, can we tell if the aftermarket cat will work. (we called the Buick dealer and they couldn't determine the engine family from the VIN.)

But never mind the $32. I don't want to waste $600 buying a factory part unnecessarily. Why would an aftermarket cat only work with one engine family, if the Buick part works for all engine families?

Are engine families based on emission standards? My car was bought in California, so, assuming the emission standards here are higher than average, would that suggest I have the engine family *least* likely to match the budget cat?

John

 

[HotZ28]

My car was bought in California, so, assuming the emission standards here are higher than average, would that suggest I have the engine family *least* likely to match the budget cat?

If you are still living in California, you will need to purchase a cat that is legal for use on California emission vehicles, otherwise you can not get an aftermarket non-compliant cat shipped there! You have very few options! An "engine family" is identified by the eight (8) digit of the VIN, which on you're car is K and may have the EMS: EMISSION SYSTEM FEDERAL, NLEV FEDERAL EMIS NLEV(NF7); EMISSION SYSTEM,CALIFORNIA, ULEV CALIF EMIS SYS(NC8); EMISSION SYSTEM,FEDERAL,TIER 1 FED EMIS SYS(NF2) attached on the SPID sticker on the spare tire cover. Stock Code 10371540 ; 25763981 I have no idea why an aftermarket cat would not pass emissions in Cali, unless they are looking for the ID stamp to identify it.

 

[G-25390]

where can i find the emissions label test group or engine family number on a 1973 buick century i cant find either on the emissions label.