QuestionHi, I have a chevy silverado 1500 and I am having trouble with my catalytic converter. My SES light came on and I took it to the dealer. He said it was because the Catalytic Converter was becoming blocked. He said it will run fine for a while and then begin getting poorer and poorer and finally not run. Does this all sound right? He quoted me between $900 and $1000. I would like to do it myself if I can. If I cant, I would at least like to get the SES light to quit showing. What are my options? Should I replace it? or can I just disconnect it? Will that shut the light off? Thanks for any help you can offer.
AnswerHi Kyle,
Catalytic Converters don't just become blocked. If it is truely getting blocked, there is a serious engine problem causing extremely rich exhaust, which can melt the converter internally, and plug it. If that is happening, you should have been wondering for a long time why the gas mileage was sorry. And I mean bad mileage. The converter would also be real hot. Have you had those problems?
Only other thing that will make the converter bad is running leaded fuel, which you can't even find any more.
Now, if you seem to be having pressure build up in the exhaust system, look in the tip of the tail pipe, and see if there is a screen up in there about six inches.
I have had them catch rust flakes from the muffler, and they would stack up against that screen, and completely cover it, blocking the exhaust, which would make the engine loose power, etc.
But after shutting the engine off, it would run fine again, till you were running it hard again, and then do it again. That was because the flakes would fall off, opening the screen.
One symptom of that happening, is you can hear the sound of the muffler pressurizing, and the exhaust trying to escape.
If you are having some operating problems like that, and are capable of removing the converter and muffler, I would pull it off, and go for a ride to see if it boggs down without it.
Van
