What are the signs of a bad catylictic converter?

Answer 1

There are several signs that one is bad or going bad.
1.poor gas milege
2.poor engine performance....engine boggs down....will not sit at a steady idle.
3. car will back-fire.
4.newer cars with computers (eim)....cars computer will send out numerous sensors that could be faulty because of imissions that go through the converter aren't working accuarately.
5.some possibly won't start if one is bad.

Answer 2

Catalytic Converter = device that converts unburned hyrdocarbons to carbon dioxide and water vapor.

Improperly tuned engines can create excessive oxygen in the exhaust and can melt the converter core, plugging it and causing poor performance and poor mileage.

Old converters will wear out, passing unburned hydrocarbons out the exhaust and causing the vehicle to fail emissions test.

Answer 3

You fail your smog test, otherwise there aren't many signs. I once had a ford 4 cyl that started running crappy and blew lots of glowing beads out the tail pipe and ran great after. Usually there are no signs. If you think you have one crapping out, have a smog shop stuff the probe in, they can tell right away, the hydrocarbons will be a higher than usual value.

Answer 4

If the motor lacks power and the exhaust emits a harsh sulfur smell all the time. How old is your car? If you have less than 80,000 miles on it the dealer who sells your car is required to replace it under their emissions warranty. They don't advertise this but its fully mentioned in the book in your glove box.

Answer 5

Check engine light, probably with O² sensor errors, drop in power, poor fuel mileage, restricted exhaust.

When you step on the gas, it will feel like a giant hand has reached down and is holding it back...

Answer 6

No power when you floor it, but it will go if you just accelerate slowly and easily. The problem is backpressure. Smell is not necessarily an indicator, as it has more to do with the gas you are buying.

Answer 7

First tell tale sign is the smell your car puts out.Second if it gets bad enough it will run like crap til it won't run at all.