My 1990 2.2 Cvalier runs on 2 cylinders sometimes, and I saw the catalytic converter glowing orange.?

Question

Sometimes the car runs great. I think it must be incomplete ignition of the fuel in the non firing cylinders. I changed the plugs and plug wires and ran a couple of bottles of injector cleaner through it (out of desperation), but nothing's helped.

Has anyone else had this problem? What was it? HOw much did it cost to fix (or how tough was it to fix, and could a novice mechanic do it in the Autozone parking lot)?

Sometimes the car runs great.

Would a clogged catalytic converter cause problems intermittently? Or would it cause it to feel like it's running on two cylinders constantly?

Answer 1

When you rcar first cranks up..it runs good, but the longer it runs the engine looses power..If you have changed the plugs and wires, then go back to the ignition coil or distributor...which ever applies...but the reason the convertor is glowing might be due to gas not being burned in the cylinders and being expelled throught the exhaust valves into the exhaust and then building up in the convertor and ignitining...but the more that i think about it.. your whole problem may be in the cat. convertor..If the engine can't exhaust, then it bogs down...this may be the reason you feel like your running on two cylinders...1 Suggestions to you... remove the O2 sensor and see if the car runs better...If so then replace the convertor and you might have to replace the plugs also ...Good luck

Answer 2

Replace the Catalyctic Convertor as it is clogging up and may be causing the valves to get too hot and burning off the fuel prematurely due to the lack of exhaust not being discharged freely and the heat backing up into the cylinders.

Answer 3

Man catalatic converter is stopped up need to go to junk yard and get one or try to get a muffler shop to take it off and weld you a piece of pipe in its place (just point at it and say that thing..they not supposed to remove them so dont call them by name) I one time out of desperation took a screwdriver to my converter knocked holes in it was loud as heck but car started running again