Catalytic converters or just catalysts (cats) are used to clean exhaust gases from carbon monoxide (CO), unburned hydrocarbons (CH), and nitrogen oxides (NOx). A catalyst is installed in a vehicle’s exhaust system. Using this component is mandatory for any vehicle starting with the Euro-2 environmental standard.
The average service life of a catalyst depends on how often and intensive you use the vehicle. In general, a catalyst needs to be replaced or at least maintained every 80,000-100,000 kilometers (approximately 50,000-62,000 miles) driven.
But technically a vehicle can be operated without a cat at all. That is why some car owners decide to cut out this component in order to replace it with just a flame arrester. If you are thinking about doing the same, please, don’t be hasty. This procedure has its own nuances and disadvantages which are not always obvious. Let’s look at some reasons why leaving your catalyst is a better idea.
Profitable Advantages Of Operating A Car With A Catalyst
The word “profitable” refers not only to money here. Using a catalyst makes operation of a vehicle safer for the environment and your health. There are several catalyst-pros arguments worth considering:
• The toxicity of exhaust gases is minimal.
• Your vehicle produces almost no smoke.
• The exhaust sound is quiet.
• You don’t risk to be fined for operating a car without a catalyst.
The major reason for soon clogging a new converter is using fuel of dubious quality. If the mixture does not have enough time to burn in the cylinders completely, the afterburning process ends in the catalyst’s manifold. And this leads to melting the internal structure of the device resulting in the problematic flowing of exhaust gases through it. Other reasons include mechanical damage, aggressive conditions, such as temperature fluctuations or road reagents, ignition problems, low quality of the converter itself.
If your cat now needs to be replaced after much less than 80,000-100,000 km (50,000-62,000 mi) driven, consider changing fuel. And a new component you can easily find on autocatalystmarket.com in USA. This online market has gathered more than 24,000 catalytic converters for every vehicle’s brand, make, and model. Besides, prices are lower than in physical stores.
How To Identify That The Catalyst Is Clogged
As a rule, it is almost impossible not to notice that there is a problem with your catalyst. A clogged converter usually causes the following symptoms:
• The Check light goes on.
• When reaching a certain mark on the speedometer a car can’t speed up more for a couple of minutes. Then it gets a second wind, but after some time starts slowing down without any participation of a driver.
• A car may have problems with starting the engine when a catalyst is too clogged.
If you do care about your car, the environment, and your health, pay more attention to the catalytic converter of your vehicle, use well-tried fuel, and don’t forget about the planned maintenance of your cat.
