The catalytic converter is one of the most important emission inventions for the automobile. It cleans pollutants from engine exhaust by filtering hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide, greatly reducing a vehicle's environmental impact and ensuring that automobiles run as cleanly as possible. When a catalytic converter fails, it can have a serious impact on a vehicle's engine performance and is often a symptom of other problems happening with the vehicle.
A plugged catalytic converter will begin to overheat the vehicle's engine. The plug usually results from spark plugs that are misfiring or a burned-up exhaust valve that has lost containment and is leaking unburned engine fuel into the exhaust and combustion chamber. The exhaust manifold will appear red or glowing as a result of the heat-related issues, and the engine's temperature will spike quickly, making the vehicle inoperable.
An engine that burns oil may be contributing to catalytic converter failure by causing a buildup of harmful chemicals. Phosphorus will begin to build up in the converter because of the improperly burned motor oil, which will contaminate the catalyst and keep it from firing properly. The driver will notice sluggish acceleration and low exhaust emissions resulting from the chemical buildup in the converter.
Fouled or plugged converters will affect the way the engine handles processed fuel from combustion. As a result, when the engine is called upon by the driver to give more power (pressing on the gas pedal), it will struggle to gain speed, often sputtering and stalling. The excess waste not able to be processed through the converter will contribute to other engine problems, such as spark plug fouling. This will also impact fuel economy as the converter is unable to manage emissions effectively and will often draw unspent fuel through its filters.
