What are the Symptoms of a Bad Catalytic Converter?

The catalytic converter is one of the main parts of the exhaust system. Its place in the vehicle is between the muffler and the engine. The main function is to control and convert pollutants that would come from your car's exhaust into non-polluted air that is then discharged from the muffler.

What are the Potential Issues of the Catalytic Converter?

While the catalytic converter is a part of the vehicle that is meant to last for about ten years, it can become clogged, overheated, damaged, and contaminated. This can lead to the engine beginning to whine and cause a slug to it. Ultimately, if the catalytic converter dies, your engine could fail altogether.

The contaminants that a catalytic converter may face are something of leaded gasoline. This type of gas is not found often in the US. So, in the United States what are the causes of catalytic converter contamination? The CC can become contaminated by coolant leaking, combustion, a faulty head-gasket, or even from engine oil. The vehicle's engine needs oxygen to continue working properly. So, if the catalytic converter becomes clogged, it can lead to the engine being sluggish.

A catalytic converter can also become faulty because it is overheating. That can happen because there is a faulty sparkplug in the vehicle. Also, there may be an oxygen sensor causing the catalytic converter to overheat.

The "cat" as many call it, can be damaged by running over a curb. It can also be damaged from road debris flying up into it.

Catalytic Converter Theft

Cat's are made of precious metals. This part of the car's exhaust system is usually stolen for those metals. Some of the metals included in a converter are platinum, rhodium, and palladium. All of these have value and are sought after by thieves.

Do you need your catalytic converter repaired? If you do, you should not hesitate to bring your car to our auto repair shop today. At our shop, we have licensed mechanics standing by waiting to diagnose your issues and to repair the necessary parts of the vehicle. Call us or stop by today!

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