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To look at its outer steel casing, a catalytic converter might seem like a pretty simple car component. But its inner workings are remarkably sophisticated. The delicate internal honeycomb mesh is coated in precious metal particles, including rhodium, platinum, and palladium, which clean the noxious fumes your engine emits. If you ever notice the following signs of trouble, visit your nearest Jeep dealer promptly to have your converter inspected, repaired, or replaced.
Engine Problems
When a catalytic converter breaks down, emissions and air can no longer escape through the exhaust system as easily. These emissions start to build up around the converter, causing a great deal of additional heat under your car.
The backed-up flow of gas starts to inhibit the inflow of air into the engine. This starves the combustion chambers of the oxygen required for an efficient combustion process. As a result, your cylinders will start misfiring, and you’ll lose acceleration power, and might even begin to stall.
Black Exhaust Smoke
When leaking, various fluids such as motor oil or coolant can sometimes drip and flow back into the catalytic converter. This messes up the meshwork. But the worst thing to leak back into the converter is unburned gasoline.
This sometimes happens when airflow is restricted, and fuel isn’t burned as efficiently inside the engine. The unburned fuel begins to escape through the exhaust system. When this fuel reaches the intense heat of the catalytic converter, it can sometimes ignite, melting the meshwork and causing thick black smoke to billow from your tailpipe.
Rotten Egg Smell
One of the toxic emissions a healthy catalytic converter cleans is hydrogen sulfide. When the converter is operating properly, you’ll never smell this sulfury gas.
But as soon as a catalytic converter fails, hydrogen sulfide begins to escape the exhaust system. This dangerous gas has a strong rotten egg smell. It should never be breathed or ignored for long.
Metallic Rattling
When the meshwork in a converter starts to fall apart, you’ll often hear the loose bits rattling around below you. You’ll also hear rattling or knocking sounds if the converter itself comes loose in its brackets.
How Your Dodge Dealer Verifies Catalytic Converter Issues
Apart from an external examination, the key to verifying converter problems is by measuring heat. Any blockage inside a catalytic converter always creates an excessive buildup of heat. A technician can detect this using an infrared thermometer or pyrometer.
In the case of engine issues, they can also detach a portion of the exhaust piping upstream of the converter and run the engine to see if it really was the catalytic converter causing the problem. If it’s discovered that your converter is malfunctioning, most of the time, it will need to be replaced.
Have your catalytic converter repaired or replaced today at Hutch Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM. We’re a well-established local dealership with great vehicle purchasing, servicing, and financing options.
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