Midas Muffler International Destroyed my car, installed catalytic converter backwards. Blew me off when i complained. Corporate office offered me $67...to replace my car!! the business that doesn't give a dam Sante Fe New Mexico

FOR ONE TO TRY TO EXPLAIN HOW SOMETHING COULD GO WRONG WITH A CONVERTER ONE MUST FIRST NO HOW ONE WORKS AS WELL AS HOW IT'S MADE AND WHY IT'S MADE THIS WAY. FIRST IT'S IMPOSSABLE FOR A BACKWARDS CAT CONVERTER TO CAUSE ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE CAR TO NOT PASS A EMMISION TEST. WHY? A CAT CONVERTER IS SIMPLY A SEE THROUGH HONEYCOMB WITH 2 OR MORE CHEMICAL RAPS ON IT SUBSTRAIGHT THE REASON FOR THE DIRECTION IS FOR DIFFERENT CHEMICAL REACTION IN THE PROCESS OF REDUCING EMMISION.WHICH CAN ALSO BE VERIFIED BY THE E.P.A. OFFICE IN D.C.

To be able to give a correct statement you must also need to understand engines. Installing a Cat backwards can cause a fire. If you install the Cat backwards the amount of pressure in the exhaust is increased dramatically. This will cause a reverse flow effect which will pressurize the cylinder causing fuel to be sent out through the intake valve instead of pulled in. This inturn builds pressure in the intake manifold which if the vehicle was carburated will cause fuel to come up through the carburator.

On fuel-injected vehicles this may blow the seal on the injector. This will cause liquid and vaporized fuel to be released into the engine compartment causing the fire. In most cases the car will stall, but not in all cases. In a car that has a new or upgraded ignition you would have a greater chance of this happening. But as a side note a Cat installed backwards would cause a loss of power which should have been noticed as soon as you left the repair shop on most applications.

I have been in the muffler business since 1957, self employed since 1962. I feel I am qualified to make a statement about this fellows problem. There is no way installing a cat. converter backwards can cause the exhaust to enter the manifold. An exhaust system starts at the manifold, to front exhaust pipe, to converter, to short pipe, to muffler, to final tail pipe. The only way it could return to manifold is to install some sort of U bend to reverse the direction of the flow of exhaust gasses.

In my opinion Pep Boys employees are not Qualified to diagnose this problem. If a serious problem was detected they should have told the car owner and referred him to a reputable shop. Midas does have a reputation for high pressure selling people more than they need and high prices.

The best advice I could give anyone for getting honest auto repair is to ask several friends or other businesses for a referal for an honest shop, never go to a shop without getting a good referal first. Ron's Berkeley Muffler, Ron