For more information on a quieting your exhaust system, please see our article How to Quiet a Loud Exhaust. Because engines create power through an internal fuel combustion process, they release many pollutants into the air through the exhaust. These can include carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and hydrocarbons, all of which are bad for the environment.
The catalytic converter is a device that is part of your exhaust system. It uses catalysts such as platinum to create a chemical reaction that nullifies these harmful pollutants. Often called just a cat, the catalytic converter is made of three main parts.
The Heat Shield — Surrounds the cat to prevent the high temperatures from escaping and causing potentially harmful consequences. The Shell or Casing — The shell is the main body of the cat and it houses the internal components that perform the chemical reactions. The High Flow Honeycomb Catalyst — Inside the catalytic converter, a honeycomb web of pathways allows the exhaust to make its way through. The walls of these paths are lined with the catalysts that create the chemical reactions that reduce harmful pollutants.
When exhaust enters into the catalytic converter, it passes through the inner honeycomb. Here it will come into contact with catalysts that will ignite the chemical reaction needed to convert the harmful pollutants. Two main types of catalysts will control this reaction; oxidation catalysts and reduction catalysts.
To nullify carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons, the oxidation catalysts will convert them to simple carbon dioxide and water. Similarly, the reduction of catalysts will break the nitrogen oxide down into oxygen and nitrogen. Older style catalytic converters would first remove the nitrogen oxide from a rich fuel mixture.
Then, air would be introduced, which would lean out the mixture making it possible to break down the carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons. The catalysts inside the converter will continue to function almost indefinitely. However, physical wear on the exterior as well as damage inside caused by a buildup of oil or engine misfires can cause the catalytic converter to fail.
When this happens, you may be able to hear the results. Once the cat reaches temperature, you may not hear it anymore.
Some vehicles do make this type of sound at idle and it may not be something to be alarmed about. When you hear your catalytic converter rattling, it may be on its last leg. But what is causing it to rattle? Catalytic converter heat shield rattle is a pretty common occurrence that is caused by the heat shield becoming loose.
Often, one or more of the bolts that hold it in place has broken, loosened, or become overly corroded. This allows the heat shield room to move around, causing it to rattle.
It could also become a potential fire hazard if you drive over dry leaves or grass. This can be caused by normal wear over time, or it can be from physical damage such as a direct impact on the catalytic converter. The honeycomb itself may not be fixable, but there is a simple solution. Tap on the converter with a hammer until you can determine where the rattling is coming from. Then, insert a screw into the converter at that spot.
It will penetrate the honeycomb and hold it in place, hopefully, temporarily solving your rattling problem. When your catalytic converter starts to go bad, it will begin to show symptoms that can alert you of the impending failure.
One of the most telling signs of a failing or clogged catalytic converter is decreased performance. If the converter becomes clogged, the exhaust cannot flow freely through it. Any malfunction resulting from unusual high 02 and CO or HC levels entering the converter will significantly spike the temperatures. The oil-fouled substrate, also known as catalyst poisoning main occurs when the converter is exposed to emission containing compounds that coat the surfaces until it no longer functions well.
Below are methods to help you reactivate the old one and make it perform like new. You should check regularly the catalytic converter for carbon build-up and mild oil fouling and clean it.
Simply mix it with the gasoline, and it will remove those toxic deposits from the engine and converter as well. According to research soaking the converter in dilute citric acid will remove harmful deposits with affecting platinum inside the converter. Lacquer thinner is a highly effective tool for cleaning clogged catalytic converter before it loses efficiency. Likewise, you should then drive the car for approximately miles and keep the RPM at or higher for about 30 minutes.
Fuel additives are can also be great lifesavers- check out my guide on the best additives to the quiet engine and catalytic converters. Additionally, if everything else fails, you will have to dig deeper into your pockets and get a new cat.
You can install the converter yourself, but here is what you should do- purchase a direct fit converter and not a universal fit. This is because universal fit requires welding while a direct fit only requires bolts. Below is another video on how to DIY installation.
Above are the best methods on how to deal with catalytic converter rattles to achieve quieter rides. Lastly, fixing the cat helps reduce air pollution and sound pollution, achieving quiet rides and reducing possible distractions on the highway. As a work from home dad, I have a first hand experience of how noise can truly affect your well being. While this is better than melting in that it probably won't leave you stranded on the side of the road, your emission control system won't be doing its job properly, which may mean that you fail your local inspection or emissions test.
These are usually very effective in cleaning out catalytic converter deposits. The smell of rotten eggs is a sign of a compound called hydrogen sulfide, which can be traced back from the sulfur in your gasoline.
Immerse the catalytic converter in hot water and degreaser. Once you remove it, wash it. How to fix the issue: This sulfur changes into hydrogen sulfide during combustion. Do bad catalytic converters make noise? The best method is using water and lacquer thinner. One of the common symptoms of a bad catalytic converter is a foul smell that will get stronger over time. You can fix the rattling sound by drilling a hole at each location and placing a.
Another way people often fix a clogged catalytic converter is by changing fuel or using fuel additives. Reinstall the oxygen sensor s after the catalytic converter is back in its place. Here are some ways you can fix a bad catalytic converter without replacement: If a catalytic converter becomes old or damaged internally from excessively rich fuel mixtures, the catalyst coated honeycomb meshes on the inside of the converter can collapse or break apart, causing a rattle.
There are many symptoms when a catalytic converter is bad and some of them are as we mentioned, bad smell, running poorly, low power, etc.
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