Cadillac Escalade Catalytic Converter Scrap Price – Selling a Big Cat

If you are the happy owner of the Cadillac Escalade, most of the minor problems will not bother you much. This elite vehicle costs a lot, so this means you can have some money to let professionals care about all the possible headaches with the vehicle. What's more, the Escalade is a pretty reliable car and it doesn't bother you much with all possible problems.

But when it comes to catalytic converters, all cars may surprise you with their lack of reliability. Today, we'll tell you more about the catalytic converters in your Cadillac Escalade and will pay attention to selling the cat when it doesn't work anymore. We'll try to figure out whether these converters should be sold to scrapyards or to some other buyers.

Here's what exactly we'll tell you in the article:

• Cadillac Escalade catalytic converters' location and type.
• How long will your Escalade converters live?
• How much will you get for the cat converter from the Escalade?
• How can you sell the old catalytic converter at a higher price?
• Will you need a replacement converter for your vehicle?

Let's get started!

So, what types of converters are installed in the Cadillac Escalade?

The Escalade is a big car. And naturally, it has quite big engines under its hood to move it around American roads. The first generation was introduced back in 1998 and the model has changed five generations until now. The average sales figure in the US has been about 30,000 vehicles per year and the tendency remains stable, so we believe the Escalade will be there for a long time.

Throughout its production, the Escalade got different engines. It started with the 5.7L gasoline V8 engine in its first generation, then moved to 5.3, 6.0, and 6.2. The last generation is even available with the 3-liter Duramax diesel engine but it's not widely popular in America, anyway.

So, here's what you should know about Escalade converters:

• each engine may have its own type of catalytic converter assembly, so the cats differ from one vehicle to another;
• most likely, you are interested in the first generations, because their cats are old enough to start malfunctioning;
• most engines are V8, so they have two pre-cats near the exhaust manifolds but these pre-cats are not really big and valuable;
• also, the system obviously has one or two main catalytic converters depending on the model and the engine;
• the main cats are OEM General Motors parts, they are not the most valuable types of cats on the market, but you can sell them easily;
• these cats contain platinum, palladium, and also rhodium but the quantity of those metals may differ from year to year;
• each converter has a serial number on it, and you can easily understand how much it may cost just by looking at that number.

Well, it's still quite puzzling to find any relevant information about the scrap price of any catalytic converter online, so we decided to write this article and give you a couple of important manuals and guidelines. This will help you avoid losing your money when you are selling the old Escalade converter.

You should know that any GM OEM cat is valuable and can be sold at quite a good price. Never agree to any low price before you check some other options and make sure that no one is going to offer more money for that scrap part you have in your hands.

How long will an Escalade converter go?

Usually, converters should last approximately the same period of time as cars. But very often, these cats get bad much sooner than the engine or transmission start breaking. In this case, you will need a new cat or at least some metal pipe instead of the broken converter. This will allow you to drive the vehicle without letting it roar like a crazy lion.

Approximately, every OEM Cadillac Escalade converter should live about 10-12 years or up to 150,000 miles. These cats are made by GM and they are very long-lasting and reliable. But physical damage and overheating are the two things that may lead to the premature death of these parts.

You will feel such things happening to your Escalade if one of the converters is clogged or broken:

• the car literally can't breathe and may stall just because exhaust gases don't have a way out;
• the engine loses power - it seems it works in the limp mode, but everything else is OK;
• also, the check engine light may be on and the diagnosis shows the oxygen sensor codes;
• the vehicle may be working in an unusual range or RPMs just because it tries not to stall.

Also, the broken cat may show some bad smells, strange sounds, and other possible symptoms.

How much is the old cat from your Cadillac Escalade?

We've got used to the fact that any old car part can be sold to a scrapyard. But the problem is that these converters are sold to scrapyards at a very bad price. Scrapyards will only offer a fraction of what you can actually get if you sell those converters to other companies.

The average price for the main OEM catalytic converter from your Cadillac Escalade should be about $220 a piece. Also, the OEM pre-cat should cost about $70. Prices may vary because in each generation the company changed the type of converters. Also, within the same generation but in different years, you can see different converters.

So, the question of cat converter price is always individual. Here are the factors that may change the prices:

• current price for precious metals - it's one of the most important factors we should know about;
• the buyer you choose - you already know that scrapyards are bad buyers, but there are some good ones;
• the condition of the cat - it shouldn't be torn apart, so be careful when taking it off the vehicle and cutting off the pipe;
• the serial number - any professional converter buyer will first of all need this serial number to make a price offer.

It's quite important for you to find a fair buyer who will tell you the fair price for your converter. If you don't do that, you can just lose your money and let someone else earn using your catalytic converter.

Who will buy your Cadillac Escalade cat converters?

There are some people and companies that are interested in buying catalytic converters. But not all of them will offer a good price for your cat. The majority of buyers are just resellers and they will use your cat to earn money. We would avoid selling your cat to any private buyers, middlemen, exhaust mechanics, exhaust shop owners, etc. They are all resellers and will never offer a good price.

Here are some ways to sell your old Escalade cat legally and at a better price:

• eBay - if your Escalade catalytic converter can still work and pass the emission test, you can sell it at a better price using eBay advertising options;
• scrapyards - this is a decent option for those who have aftermarket cats or damaged OEM catalytic converters, but the prices won't be good;
• recycling companies - these are the businesses that are buying and then recycling cat converters to sell precious metals after that.

We would choose recycling companies because they are usually quite fair and easy to deal with. Find a couple of websites belonging to such companies and quote. They will offer a certain price and you'll be able to see which company you want to choose.

Usually, these recycling companies also pay for shipping, so you can get more money. Prices change every week, so you may want to check the current offers right before you want to sell the old Escalade cat converter.

Will you need the replacement catalytic converter?

In most states, it's illegal to drive without a cat converter. You can do it for some weeks but better avoid driving long without a properly installed converter. If you don't have it during the emission test, you may have to pay a big fine.

But in some states, it's not illegal to drive a car with a metal pipe instead of a converter. You should check which rules apply in your state and then use these rules when your cat converter is broken.

Unfortunately, the replacement catalytic converter will not be very cheap. The minimum price is about $200, but those cheap aftermarket cats are not reliable at all. The OEM cat will cost more than $2000 and the optimal aftermarket option will take over $500 from your pocket.

Final words

You should know that the scrap catalytic converter from your Cadillac Escalade costs some money and can be easily sold directly to a recycling company. If you want to sell your cat, just find some websites belonging to recycling companies and ask them how much they will pay for your cat. This is the easiest and most convenient option to sell your scrap converter and get some money for it.