The catalytic converter is a vital part of your vehicle's exhaust system. It's necessary for cleaning the exhaust gases from your vehicle before they hit the environment.
When the catalytic converter is clogged, it can lead to performance issues. Instead of worrying about an expensive repair, we will show you how to unclog a catalytic converter and how to tell if a catalytic converter is bad.
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What Is A Catalytic Converter & Why Are They Important?
How does a catalytic converter work? Your car engine makes pollutant gases that can be harmful to the environment. To reduce pollution, the catalytic converter uses a catalyst to produce a chemical reaction and change the gas's molecular structure before it hits the air.
The catalytic converter itself is just a large metal box that is bolted under your vehicle. It contains two pipes that come out, one for input and the other for output.
There are two stages that occur within the catalytic converter, the reduction catalyst and oxidation catalyst. First, the reduction catalyst removes nitrogen oxide by breaking it down to nitrogen and oxygen. After that, the oxidation catalyst oxidizes the carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide.
Most Common Types Of Catalytic Converters
How Can You Tell If Your Catalytic Converter Is Clogged? (Symptoms)
Do you know how to tell if the catalytic converter is clogged? We review some of the most common symptoms that show you how to tell if your catalytic converter is clogged.
Checking & Diagnosing A Clogged Catalytic Converter
Before you learn how to unclog a catalytic converter without removing it, you must be sure there is a problem. Here are some steps to diagnosing your catalytic converter.
Vacuum test
To perform a vacuum test, you will require a vacuum gauge. Most people don't have these, but shops do. Set the car to Park and apply the parking brake. A friend can attach the vacuum to the direct intake manifold port. Let the vehicle idle until it reaches operating temperature.
You want to see a reading of 18 and 22 in-Hg. When you step on the accelerator and reach 2500 to 3000 rpm, any drop in pressure that doesn't immediately return means there is a blocked catalytic converter.
Back Pressure test
For this test, you must get a back pressure gauge. Take off the front oxygen sensors and put the gauge on in their place. Start the car and watch the gauge. If it is between 0-3 psi, it is normal. However, readings beyond 8 psi indicate a clogged catalytic converter.
Temperature test
Grab your kitchen or infrared thermometer for a simple test. Start your car and let it warm up. With the vehicle in Park on a flat surface, check the temperature coming out of the inlet pipe. Do the same test on the outlet pipe. If the front is the same temperature as the outlet, there could be a problem.
Use Of An OBD Scanner
When there are issues with the exhaust system, including with the catalytic converter, the computer might set a diagnostic trouble code. You can use the OBDII scanner to determine what the DTC is and how to resolve it.
How To Unclog A Catalytic Converter Without Removing It
Unclogging a catalytic converter without removing it isn't as difficult as you might think. Plus, learning how to clean a catalytic converter doesn't require any special skills. Instead of learning how to remove a catalytic converter, use these steps to figure out how to fix a catalytic converter without replacing it.
At the end of the drive, the car should be accelerating better. If it doesn't work, you will need to learn how to unclog a bad catalytic converter, which might require removing it.
Unfortunately, using a cat cleaner only helps you learn how to fix a clogged catalytic converter when the issue isn't severe. Thankfully, when you examine how much to unclog a catalytic converter, you see that there wasn't a lot of money spent trying.
How To Unclog A Catalytic Converter By Removing It
If the clog is severe, you will need to take additional steps when learning how to clean a catalytic converter. In this case, you will need to understand how to clean out a catalytic converter by removing it. Basically, you are learning how to gut a catalytic converter.
- 1Make sure the exhaust is completely cool.
- 2Use a floor jack to lift up the car and secure it with jack stands.
- 3Remove the oxygen sensors.
- 4Loosen the bolts on the catalytic converter and remove it.
- 5If the converter is making a rattling sound, there's nothing more you can do.
- 6Otherwise, use a pressure washer to clean the converter at lower pressure.
- 7Use a degreaser and hot water to clean it.
- 8Rinse it off with the pressure washer on low.
- 9Install the converter once it has dried completely.
- 10Install the oxygen sensors.
- 11Test drive the car.
Replacing Your Cars Catalytic Converter
If you learned how to clean a clogged catalytic converter and nothing seems to help, you might need to replace it. How long does it take to replace a catalytic converter? It depends on your vehicle type. How much does it cost to replace a catalytic converter? The part alone can run you more than $1,000.
To replace it yourself, simply follow the same steps we outlined for removing it to clean it. Learning how to take off a catalytic converter requires you to remove a few bolts that could be tight.
Then, instead of cleaning it, reinstall your new catalytic converter. You should notice an immediate difference in performance and responsiveness.
People Also Ask (FAQs)
How much is a catalytic converter worth scrap?
Catalytic converter scrap prices range from $100 to $350, depending on what type of model you have. The precious metals in the catalytic converter make it valuable, which is why this part is commonly stolen from vehicles.
Can a car run without a catalytic converter? How long can you drive with a bad catalytic converter?
The car doesn't need a catalytic converter to run. However, your vehicle will fail its emissions testing and it is polluting the air unnecessarily, so you should fix it immediately.
What happens if I don't replace/fix a catalytic converter?
Eventually, the bad catalytic converter can cause the exhaust to become plugged, which will affect the engine performance of your vehicle. When the engine isn't optimized, its life is severely diminished.
What is the best catalytic converter cleaner?
Many people recommend Cataclean when learning how to unclog a catalytic converter. However, there are also enthusiasts that recommend Sea Foam as an all-around good cleaner, so you will need to decide which is better for your vehicle.
How does a car sound without a catalytic converter?
After you remove the catalytic converter, you will notice a deeper exhaust note than when it was installed. Some people prefer this, which is why they remove it, but you can get a better tone by simply upgrading your vehicle's exhaust system.
What is the cheapest way to clean a catalytic converter?
How much does it cost to unclog a catalytic converter? If you use one of the cleaners we recommended, it won't cost much. However, if that doesn't work, you will be forced to replace it, which can be costly.
Conclusion
We have taught you how to check for a clogged catalytic converter and looked at some methods to fixing it. With our steps, you can get your catalytic converter running its best so you can avoid costly repair bills.