Table of Contents
What are the symptoms of bad catalytic converter?
Driving with a Bad Catalytic Converter (and other Bad Catalytic Converter Symptoms)
- Your Check Engine Light is On.
- A Rattling Noise In the Engine.
- You’re Getting Fewer Miles Per Gallon.
- Your Car Jerks Forward, Loses Fuel During Acceleration, Or Stalls Out.
- Engine Misfires.
How do I know my catalytic converter needs to be changed?
Here are five signs that your catalytic converter might need to be checked out:
- Rattling sounds under the vehicle. This happens when a catalytic converter has been damaged.
- Check engine light comes on.
- Diminished engine performance.
- Smell of sulfur from the exhaust.
- Car doesn’t pass emissions test.
What is the first sign of a bad catalytic converter?
Usually, an illuminated check engine light is the first and only sign of a bad catalytic converter. When the light pops on, your car’s engine control module (ECM) will also store a diagnostic trouble code (often a P0420 code) in its memory.
Where does the catalytic converter go in a car?
Every gas engine car in the United States of America is required to have an adequate catalytic converter on its exhaust system. The catalytic converter is connected to the exhaust pipes that are coming from the headers. Then it is connected by another exhaust pipe to the muffler, where the exhaust gases are released.
Why does a bad catalytic converter smell like rotten egg?
A properly working catalytic converter will convert hydrogen sulfide into odorless sulfur dioxide. When failing, you may notice a sulfuric, rotten egg-like smell coming from the exhaust. Unburnt fuel left in the exhaust by the bad catalytic converter produces the odor, and may even cause dark exhaust smoke.
Why does my catalytic converter keep overheating?
You see, the thing with catalytic converters is that they often experience overheating and premature failure due to engine performance problems, such as a misfire. The moral of the story is: Don’t ignore engine performance problems the way I did when I was younger. If you do, you may end up destroying your catalytic converters.