If you regularly drive short distances, your catalytic converter may not reach
temperatures high enough to properly burn the hydrocarbons that it collects – this
may result in soot and carbon build-up inside its honeycomb-shaped passages,
leading to soot buildup or carbon deposits inside its interior.
As soon as this occurs, you will experience reduced acceleration and an audible
rattle when starting up your car. Furthermore, your fuel efficiency could take a
significant hit.
Reduced Gas Mileage
An improperly functioning catalytic converter may prevent exhaust gas from
properly returning into your engine, distorting air-fuel ratio and leading to decreased
fuel efficiency and power. You may notice an unpleasant rotten egg smell as you
drive, as well as noises coming from under your car when driving.
Hydrocarbon deposits build up in your catalytic converter over time, but its heating
mechanism doesn’t reach high enough temperatures to burn them away. You can
avoid this situation by taking your vehicle on short highway drives periodically so the
device heats up sufficiently and burns away any hydrocarbon deposits accumulated
inside. This should clear away the deposits effectively.
If your fuel costs have increased, it would be prudent to have your catalytic
converter examined immediately. A damaged or clogged one will cause your engine
to work harder, decreasing efficiency and increasing expenses; to avoid this from
occurring again in the future it would be wiser to have it replaced on time or as it
begins deterioration.
Rattling Noises
Rattling noises that resemble half-empty boxes of puzzle pieces rattling can be an
indicator that your catalytic converter has malfunctioned. Without proper
temperature regulation, hydrocarbons and pollutants won’t burn off properly in your
engine – instead remaining there and giving off their characteristic “rotten egg
smell.”
An ineffective catalytic converter can cause significant reductions in performance.
Since it sits directly between your exhaust system and catalytic converters, clogging
them will prevent enough airflow for spark plug ignition and combustion chamber
gas burning, altering air to fuel ratio ratio and decreasing car efficiency – especially
sudden declines. Poor acceleration may also occur as a lack of airflow forces engines
to use more fuel to compensate; additionally this may attract thieves as these
converters contain valuable elements like platinum, rhodium, and palladium which
are valuable metal dealers.
Check Engine Light
If your check engine light illuminates, that’s a sure sign something is amiss with
your vehicle and should be addressed as quickly as possible. A fix may include
swapping out spark plugs or exhaust valves while more serious cases could involve
catalytic converter failure.
Clogged catalytic converters prevent necessary airflow through the exhaust system
and altering air-fuel ratio, leading to decreased fuel efficiency and creating
symptoms such as the smell of rotten eggs, black smoke and poor acceleration.
Catalytic converters are metal canisters filled with chemical catalysts that “convert”
gasses in your vehicle’s exhaust system to reduce or eliminate emissions, thus
increasing or eliminating them altogether. When this component malfunctions,
emissions may exceed what your state or country allows and you could fail an
emissions inspection test. Furthermore, excessive heat could cause its honeycomb
interior to disassemble, leading to rattle-inducing noise while driving as the parts
vibrate against each other and rattle as you go.
Poor Performance
If your tank seems to need filling more frequently than normal, a malfunctioning
catalytic converter could be to blame. A clogged converter keeps exhaust trapped
inside of your engine, making it less efficient. O2 sensors measure oxygen/fuel ratio;
when confused by a clogged catalytic converter it prompts ECM injection of
additional fuel resulting in increased engine work load reducing performance and
decreasing mileage.
Warning signs such as rattling sounds coming from beneath your vehicle or an
unpleasant rotten egg-smelling aroma could indicate that the catalytic converter is
failing. You should take these symptoms seriously, as driving without functioning
catalytic converter could damage engine components as well as pose environmental
threats; driving illegally with one can incur fines in most states; but don’t fret, since
your catalytic converter is easily repairable or replaceable when these symptoms
emerge.