I have a 2001 bugeye wrx. Over the last few months its been a 'mare! Would not boost past 5.5k at one point and eventually turned out it was a borked cat (explaining the hot exhaust gas ecu & misfire errors!). That was sorted a couple of months ago but noticed today it starting to splutter again at high boost; it will still make it to 7k but checked the ecu and getting hot gasses and misfires on all cyclinders again so I figure the other cat must be going the way of the first one (only one replaced last time). I'm thinking this would be the sensible time to just decat the lot eg put a full decat system in now, given the price of catted versions, may as well get a few bhp and really let the engine breath Does this sound like a sensible way forward?

 

You may as well, budget in a remap at the same time. Obviously you'll have issues come MOT time if you can't find a 'friendly' garage.

 

You don't happen to have an induction kit fitted do you?
What mods and has it been remapped yet?

 

Thanks for the replies. I don't have an induction fitted, just a k&n panel. Trying to figure out problem first time around i put in the filter, new sparks (gapped) and the garage tried allsorts before finally realising it was the cat (they even swapped turbos out!). Not mapped as yet.

 

Bit a n00b with this, but if I was to sort out uprated fuel pump and injectors (already have the panel filter & uprated sparks) that would be all set for the remap with a full decat?

 

You won't need uprated injectors unless you're upgrading the turbo.

 

Ah, thanks for that!

 

I guess it was the cat in the up pipe that collapsed then? Did you replace it with a new cat pipe or decat as this would explain why the CEL light has come on, as the ecu thinks the cat is still in place so exhaust gasses will be hotter due to not travelling through a cat.

 

The cat was replaced with another cat (new one from main dealer), should have made the jump then to decat, was just pleased to get the car back (garage had it for 2 months; long story...).