Signs of a Clogged Catalytic Converter

The average lifespan of a catalytic converter is 10 years. If you drive an older automobile and you notice any of the following signs listed below, Righteous Auto Care warns that you may have a clogged catalytic converter. Unfortunately, this problem is inevitable. The catalytic converter handles vehicle exhaust tirelessly and, eventually, carbon deposits from the exhaust will clog the converter. When this happens, you may need to replace your vehicle’s catalytic converter.

The most common sign of a clogged catalytic converter is a rotten egg smell. What you are actually smelling is burning sulfur, and you may smell this odor in the engine and in your vehicle’s exhaust. If you notice a rotten egg smell, it’s important to have the odor checked out as soon as possible because this may be the first sign that your catalytic converter is getting clogged and having problems.

A clogged catalytic converter will indirectly affect what’s going on in the combustion chamber. What goes on in the combustion chamber is air and fuel is ignited to create engine combustion. If the catalytic converter is clogged and the exhaust is not flowing out of the combustion chamber the way it should, you may end up with a rich fuel mixture and black exhaust smoke.

Another sign that your catalytic converter is clogged and having problems is excessive heat coming out from underneath your car, truck, or utility vehicle. This is a serious sign of catalytic converter problems or possibly an overheating transmission. Unfortunately, the hotter it gets underneath your automobile the hotter it will get in your engine, your engine will overheat, too.

Finally, your acceleration and engine performance will suffer if your catalytic converter is clogged. Specifically, your acceleration and engine performance will lag. This is because your vehicle’s exhaust is not being cleared out of the combustion chamber quickly. Rather, it’s being held up by the clogged catalytic converter and, consequently, your engine combustion is affected negatively. The excess exhaust will prevent the air and fuel from firing up correctly and you will end up with engine performance issues until such time as you have the catalytic converter cleaned or replaced.

We can help here at Righteous Auto Care in Racine, WI. Call us today if your automobile is suffering from any of the symptoms listed above. We will get to the bottom of the problem and repair it.