My car failed an emissions test. The diagnostic indicated that the Cat. Converter needed replacing. So I had a converter that passed an etest 3 years ago, so I stuck it on, and will go for the retest tomorrow. Could the converter have gotten clogged after just sitting around for 3 years? I don't think the car was this sluggish before I stuck on the converter a few days ago. I sometimes need to use 4th gear on the hiway. 5th gear gets a bit sluggish. Any helpful comments would be appreciated.
2007-11-30 04:16:26 · 4 answers · asked by Vincent J 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
It shouldn't clog just by sitting.
Usually when a catalytic converter fails, it is a symptom of another problem. It is usually cause by a rich fuel air mixture causing the catalytic converter to overheat and fail. Replacing the catalytic converter without determining the underlying problem is a band-aid solution. The new catalytic converter will also fail in a short time.
It could be any number of things with a fuel injected engine. But the first thing I would check is the Oxygen Sensor and the Mass Airflow Sensor.
The Oxygen Sensor is located in the exhaust manifold and reads the temperature of the exhaust gasses. When these malfunction, they will usually, but not always, store a trouble code in the engine management computer. They can sometimes be cleaned with carburetor cleaner. When you re-install it is mandatory to use anti-seize or you will have a very difficult time removing it again.
The Mass Airflow Sensor is usually located between the throttle body and the air filter. These usually do not store a code unless they are really bad. These can usually be cleaned. CRC makes a cleaner for this. Make sure you follow the instructions on the can as you can damage the sensor, turning a $5 repair into a $50 repair.
While you are at the automotive parts store, see if they will plug a scanner into the computer diagnostic port. Most major stores will do this service for free. This will give you any diagnostic trouble codes stored in the engine management computer. You could use this information to determine your next steps.
2007-11-30 04:22:37 · answer #1 · answered by Mad Jack 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If your car feels sluggish it is possible the converter is bad. There are 15 codes for cat. problems so can't tell what's up without a code.
http://www.car-stuff.com/catalyticconverter.htm
If you ever need a cat. look here
2007-11-30 04:29:21 · answer #2 · answered by tronary 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it wont clog up by just setting but since that one is so old its possible it just went bad,and could have been going bad right before you parked it,you,ll have to replace it though other wise it wont pass inspection,here a site that should have those fairly cheap,good luck on it, http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/
2007-11-30 04:26:50 · answer #3 · answered by dodge man 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
cat should be ok but is your sensor hooked up? compuiter uses exaust gases to figgure fuel mix....no sensor car will never pass
2007-11-30 04:27:24 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋