Ok...I LOVE my Contour...

She's a 97 Contour SE with all the options. I still have the original window sticker, whereas she sold for $21745.

Here's the thing...I took her to a shop a few months ago because my CHECK ENGINE light was on. When I picked her up, they said that they didnt really know why the light was on, but suspected the catalytic converter. Then, they proceeded to tell me that my car has some kind of fandangled CC that will cost upwards of $1800 to fix!!! WHA? I've never heard of a catalytic converter costing that much. The mechanic said something about it being a two part issue. Now, when I look online, I see CC's ranging from as little as $150 to $450...not including the labor.

The question is, has anyone ever heard of this weird CC issue with their Contour? Or was this guy pulling my leg?

Aside from that, ever since I picked it up, I have discovered that there is a Howler Monkey living somewhere under the hood. It screams like a banshee every day...but its NOT a belt. I know what a belt sounds like...this sounds more like an air problem...possibly the air cleaner, but the thing is brand new! And then, if it screams, and you slow down, it dies...right in the middle of the road. Its like the Howler Monkey is disconnecting something...it tends to only happen when the car is cold.

Any help is GREATLY appreciated~