Under your car lies a catalytic converter which converts carbon monoxide,
hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides into harmless oxygen and water, helping your
vehicle pass smog inspection.
Poor catalytic converter performance can not only decrease your gas mileage but
can also generate excessive heat that damages other parts of the exhaust system.
1. Clogged Exhaust Pipe
An efficient catalytic converter is essential in filtering harmful emissions,
contributing to fuel economy and mileage. Unfortunately, when vehicles experience
significant clogs or excessive back pressure in their catalytic converter, its ability to
filter harmful gases becomes compromised, leading to engine-related symptoms or
conditions.
Clogged catalytic converters prevent hot exhaust fumes from leaving the engine and
they build up, eventually being burned by your engine and damaging both itself and
its catalytic converters. As a result, your engine must work harder than usual just to
reach normal operating speed, possibly producing white smoke as part of this
process.
Your vehicle’s muffler could become compromised depending on the severity of a
clog, leading to loud and rattling noises as it no longer manages to muffle engine
noises effectively. When this occurs, an indication should arise that replacement
should take place as its ability to muffle these noises has diminished substantially.
2. Oil or Coolant Leak
A catalytic converter is an expensive part that uses platinum and palladium to
convert pollutants into less harmful chemicals, but eventually wears out and must
be replaced. If you notice white smoke coming out of your tailpipe or have activated
a check engine light, chances are your catalytic converter has failed and needs
replacement.
Failing catalytic converters will allow unburned fuel, contaminants and coolant into
the combustion chamber and restrict exhaust flow, leaving your car’s engine without
sufficient oxygen and diminishing performance.
Another telltale sign of a defective catalytic converter is when your vehicle fails a
smog test. With an inadequately functioning catalytic converter, your engine won’t
be able to remove as much sulfur dioxide – an unpleasant gas with the smell of
rotten eggs – from emissions. A rattling noise under the hood may also indicate this
issue as broken material within it rattles around at start-up, especially with cold
starts-ups.
3. Overheating
If your catalytic converter becomes blocked and prevents exhaust gases from
moving freely to the muffler, it may overheat, leading to engine slowdown and
shutoff. Overheating may also indicate issues with fuel injectors such as leakage or
misfires which introduce unburnt fuel into your exhaust stream.
Rattling sounds from under the hood are another sure sign that your catalytic
converter has failed. A failing converter may allow loose ceramic pieces to
disassemble and rattle around inside its metal housing, which contain precious
metals like platinum, rhodium and palladium that thieves target for illegal sale on
black markets.
Noticing an increase in fuel expenditure could be another telltale sign of a failing
catalytic converter, since restricted airflow to combustion areas reduces efficiency of
your vehicle and affects its fuel consumption.
4. Damage
If your gas tank needs refilling more frequently than normal (especially over time),
there is a good chance your catalytic converter has become damaged. A clogged
converter restricts airflow into your engine, altering oxygen/fuel ratios and leading
to poor efficiency in fuel use.
Rattling noises coming from under your car could be an indicator that your catalytic
converter has reached the end of its useful life, usually caused by either excessive
heat or damage to its honeycomb mesh interior, causing pieces of honeycomb mesh
interior to fracture and rattle about.
The catalyst is an essential component of your exhaust system that lies toward its
end, just before the tailpipe. It plays an essential role in turning harmful gasses into
less dangerous ones through chemical reactions before exiting through your exhaust
pipe. A damaged catalytic converter can be problematic to your powerplant –
however it’s easy to know when it needs replacing!