The catalytic converter (not the “Cadillac converter”) plays an essential role in reducing air pollution. It lowers the levels of nitrogen oxide, hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide emitted by your car. Without a catalytic converter, your vehicle would spew large amounts of these three chemicals.
The smog in heavily congested cities is dense enough as it is without adding to this complication. Not only that, but the three gases can have severe effects on the environment if emitted indefinitely.
Carbon monoxide can poison us. Nitrogen oxide and hydrocarbons, once released, combine with moisture to form acid rain. Our converters are essential for keeping our home free of pollutants and keeping us safe on the road.
How a Catalytic Converter Works
The mechanism is simple. It’s a large metal box that manufacturers place under your car. Two tubes come out of it: the input and the output.
The input connects to your engine. The fumes created by the engine feed into the input, then the vapors pass over a catalyst in the main tank. When this happens, a chemical reaction occurs to bind the harmful compounds and clean the air.
The output is used once the fumes have passed through the catalyst. The fumes are no longer dangerous, so they are routed through the output to the exhaust.
Over time, the catalyst becomes less effective or even breaks, and you will need to replace the entire system.
The 5 Main Symptoms of a Catalytic Converter
The catalytic converter is an essential part of your vehicle’s exhaust system. You need to watch for signs of a failing or clogged catalytic converter. Here are five of the most common signs of a bad catalytic converter:
1) Sluggish Engine Performance
Unless the converter is blocked, it’s not a fatal error. Your car won’t stall, but it also won’t run at maximum efficiency. If you continue to ignore the problem, your car will eventually fail.
When the converter is not working optimally, gases do not exit the engine efficiently. It’s harder for the engine to operate at maximum efficiency. You will still be able to accelerate, but the responses will be slow.
The first step should be to use a good catalytic converter cleaner to see if it helps clean and unclog the partial blockage. You should always start with the quickest and cheapest solution.
2) Rattling from Under the Vehicle
If you start hearing a rattling noise coming from under your car, it’s possible that part of the honeycomb material inside the catalytic converter has broken off. This would cause it to hit the inside of the converter while the car is moving or simply from the exhaust flow.
The noise is often loudest when first starting your car and can worsen as additional pieces come loose. Have the catalytic converter replaced as soon as possible before any of these pieces travel down to the muffler where they can cause a complete blockage.
3) Dark Smoke from the Exhaust
A sure sign that something is wrong, it will also alert road authorities to the condition of your car. If there is black smoke coming from the exhaust, it’s safer not to drive the vehicle until your mechanic has repaired it.
4) Distinctive Sulfur Smell
You know that smell when an egg has gone rotten? That’s the smell we’re talking about here.
With a properly functioning converter, the foul-smelling sulfide is converted into odorless sulfur dioxide. If the catalytic converter is not working correctly, this chemical conversion does not take place.
5) Heat Buildup Under the Car
The gases exiting the engine are extremely hot. If you don’t remove them, they will accumulate under the car and the entire area will become too hot. You may feel the extra heat just outside one of the doors or even inside the cabin after a long drive.
The only way to know for sure if something is wrong with your cat is to take your vehicle to the mechanic. A standard cat system should last at least eight years or about 80,000 miles. If you take good care of your vehicle, you can easily extend it to over ten years or more.
Taking Care of Your Vehicle is Simple:
Do not ignore any minor or major service.
Regularly scan codes whenever you see a check engine light to quickly detect problems.
A clogged fuel or air filter can cause you major problems here, so keep it clear.
Catalytic Converter Replacement Cost
Here, costs are hard to pin down. It all depends on the make and model of your cat converter.
A two-way cat converter costs between $100 and $600, depending on the vehicle’s make and model