Photo by oakridgelabnews You’ll need to have the basic knowledge of how a catalytic converter works before being able to understand the cause of its failure.
As part of your car’s exhaust system, the catalytic converter does its job by converting those dangerous compounds in the exhaust into somewhat harmless compounds.
In most passenger car, the catalytic converter has the shape that resembles a muffler.
It’s usually located between the muffler and the engine. It’s usually placed underneath the passenger seat on the underside of the car.
If you drive your car for a long trip, those who sit on the passenger seat may feel the warmth penetrates through the floor.
In United States, catalytic converters have been made standard for automobiles since the mid-1970s.
When leaded gasoline was still available many cars that used this type of gas had problems with their catalytic converters.
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The leaded gasoline contaminated the converters and destroyed their usefulness by clogging them. This was one factor that encourages the usage of unleaded gasoline.
A Peek Into a Catalytic Converter
Depends on the automobile type, usually after the exhaust gases of the engine pass through the catalytic converter, they will go further to the muffler or mufflers.
There are also some cars that use pre-converter that performs similar function.
Today’s catalytic converter usually functions well through the rest of car’s life. It rarely has a problem with clogging or plugging during its lifetime.
There’s a honeycomb set of passageways that’s located inside the catalytic converter. These passageways are usually made of small ceramic beads that are coated with catalysts.
Inside the converter, the pollutants are made less harmful through a chemical reaction that occurs.
The many passages are provided to allow for the maximum amount of surface area for the hot gases to flow through.
The Components of Catalysts:
- Oxidation Catalysts : Very small amounts of platinum (Pt) and palladium (Pd) metals. They are used for converting monoxide and hydrocarbons that’s generated by unburned gasoline into water and carbon dioxide.
- Reduction Catalysts : Very small amounts of Rhodium (Rh) and Palladoum (Pd) metals. The job of these catalysts is to remove nitrogen oxide by converting it into oxygen and nitrogen.
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It is an important task that these catalysts perform, since one of the big contributors to smog is nitrogen oxide.
In many states and localities, emission tests that check the actual emissions content are being held annually.
The purpose of exhaust emissions test is to find out if a converter is absent or there’s a malfunction.
Sometimes, a mechanic may remove the converter temporarily and replace it with a test pipe.
In some states and localities, removing a factory-installed catalytic converter is an illegal action.
So you may want to check with your local authorities to confirm such rule.
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There are two main reasons why a converter fails :
- The converter is poisoned
- The converter is clogged
There’s actually no way for us consumers or mechanic to take a peek into the converter in order to see an actual clog inside it.
Most of the time the converter must be removed and checked for the change in engine performance.
This is the common way to find out if the catalytic converter is plugged(malfunctioning).
When there is an indication that the converter is clogged, the mechanics will temporarily remove the 02 sensor to see if there are any changes in performance.
The mechanism of the converter relies on processing the proper mix of exhaust gases at certain temperature.
When the mixture or temperature of the exhaust gases change, the effectiveness and life of the converter will be reduced.
This condition is usually caused by additives contamination or malfunctions.
Over usage of leaded gasoline and certain fuel additives are the main cause of such problem.
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There are two other things that are responsible for a catalytic converter failure, they are:
- Unburned fuel that overheats the converter. This can be caused by fouled plugs.
- Damaged exhaust valves on the engine.
If you feel like you don’t go any faster even when you already push the gas pedal, then the converter is probably clogged.
You may also notice a significant drop in gas mileage when you drive using a clogged catalytic converter.
A partially clogged converter may affect the RPM of the car by limiting it to a fast idle.
If the converter is totally clogged it may cause the engine to quit after a few minutes.
The engine may quit due to increased exhaust back pressure.
Similar to the rest of the emissions system, the catalytic converter usually provides a warranty that exceeds the term of the warranty for all other warranties of a typical U.S. Vehicle.
One thing you should keep in mind : Never park your vehicle over piles of dry leaves or tall grass.
Why ?
Because it can cause your running catalytic converter to become extremely hot which eventually may generate fires.
If you want to keep your catalytic converter in good condition, you will need to maintain the ignition system regularly in order to keep the converter running in top performance.
A good ignition system may prevent the contamination of unburnt fuel inside the catalytic converter.
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May 5th, 2011 at 3:55 am
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January 27th, 2012 at 12:20 pm
Whatever the cause of it’s failure I know for sure that there will be a remedy made to resolve it. It’s failure won’t last long or if you will just wish you can have it change according to your choice. Just think wisely which of these option would you rather choose.