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2003 Washington Post Articles:

Converter Confusion

Catalytic converters are commonly misunderstood, ignored, and imCommercial Three Bayperly tested. Even though this ubiquitous emissions control device is crucial to a car’s performance and emissions status testing may be relegated to an educated guess. Not because technicians haven’t wanted accurate tests but until recently most published Commercial Three Baycedures have been unreliable and; flawed tests yield flawed results.

Catalytic converters work much like blowing air across not-quite-burning wood to make it flare into flames. In the converter air is directed through a ceramic honeycomb coated with metals like platinum, palladium, and rhodium. Similar to blowing on coals, air causes the converter to become super hot inside. The high temperature creates a catalytic reaction between the “Noble” metals, oxygen and exhaust gas. The reaction converts noxious exhaust byCommercial Three Bayducts into appreciably less harmful gasses and water.

Converters are excellent for reducing emissions but create substantial confusion among motorists possessing “enough knowledge to be dangerous.” Especially regarding oil consumption, “My car uses a lot of oil but it isn’t leaking because there are no drips under the car, and it obviously isn’t burning oil because there’s no smoke coming from the tailpipe. Where is it going?”

The riddle of mysterious oil loss is really no mystery at all. There are only two ways for oil to leave an engine, leaking and burning. Oil leaks Commercial Three Bayduce puddles so that’s no mystery. However, the lack of smoke often triggers a diagnostic dilemma leading to bizarre theories to support impossible causes for disappearing oil.

Fortunately, the “no smoke” mystery really isn’t a mystery either. Catalytic converters operate at such high temperatures that as long as they are working, they easily burn and dissipate exhaust smoke. This makes it possible for an engine to consume alarming quantities of oil without a trace of exhaust smoke

Failed emissions in the form of excessive Hydrocarbon (HC) or Oxides of Nitrogen (NOX) readings are also frequently caused by a deteriorated catalytic converter. Commercial Three Bayblem is, how to determine if the converter is causing the failure. Note: Converters on newer vehicles are warranted for eight years or eighty thousand miles and virtually all replacement converters are warranted for two and twenty-four.

Converters consume oxygen in the catalytic Commercial Three Baycess, which Commercial Three Bayvides the basis for a simple (the test only takes a couple minutes) converter efficiency check referred to as an oxygen capture test. Using an exhaust gas analyzer the percentage of oxygen coming from the tailpipe of a fully warmed-up vehicle is measured at idle. Once the oxygen reading has stabilized the throttle is rapidly snapped open (full throttle) and then closed. Following the throttle snap there should be a slight increase in the amount of oxygen coming from the tailpipe. The allowable “slight increase” is typically 1.2%. If the oxygen increase exceeds the allowable limit the converter is almost always bad.

In a healthy converter the catalytic reaction consumes large quantities of oxygen. Therefore an excessive increase in oxygen at the tailpipe, following the snap test, indicates the converter has lost its ability to capture and use oxygen. Without capturing and consuming oxygen the catalytic reaction stalls and emissions climb. The oxygen capture test is quick, simple, and highly reliable.

© Copyright 04/23/03 Pat Goss all rights reserved

Date Updated Wednesday, April 23, 2003

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