There are four ways where a catalytic converter can fail, depending on the different conditions with which it is in. Here are the four basic problems that you may encounter:

-Your catalytic converter may become clogged

-Your catalytic converter may become poisoned

-Failure due to bad exhaust valves on the engine

-Failure due to fouled plugs causing some unburned fuel to overheat the converter

Detecting the possible cause of your catalytic converter’s failure may need the help of a professional mechanic since there is no “inspection port” for you to see the actual dilemma of your catcon. You will be able to tell that your catcon is malfunctioning when you try to remove it and then observe the change in the performance of the engine.

To tell if your catalytic converter is clogged up, professional mechanics usually remove the oxygen sensors for a while from the exhaust pipe and then observe if there will be a change in the performance. On other occasions, you can immediately tell that your catcon is clogged when you are not able to speed up while pushing the gas pedal. Check the gas mileage as well since it can drop evidently due to a clogged catcon. In other circumstances though, catcons can be partially clogged. This causes the engine to limit its RPM to a fast idle—a fully clogged catcon can cause the engine to quit after only a few minutes since it increases the exhaust back pressure.

Here is one big DON’T for your catcon: Do not park your car over tall grass or piles of dry leaves. Your car’s perfectly running catalytic converter gets very hot…enough to start fires! Keep your ignition system in mint condition to prevent any unburnt fuel from entering your catcon. These are the immediate and simple ways to treat your catcon and avoid any possible clogs or damage.

Not because you have failed an emission test, it does not mean that you would have to replace your catalytic converter. Make sure that you have checked the condition of the catalytic converter first, before actually performing the exam. Hence, here are a few tips on how to prepare for the very important emission test.

Make sure the engine and catalytic converter are at operating procedure. It is best advised to drive the vehicle around first for at least 15 minutes, leave it running while waiting for its turn to be tested while holding a box of donuts, and ask the tech to roll it on the “dyno” for 30 extra seconds before settling it into the proper test speed. Do not let the car sit for a while and then try to prepare it quickly for testing, because then the catalytic converter would not be ready for the first phase of the test yet.

Other preparations include changing the oil, renewing the air filter, and for more difficult cases, cleaning the combustion chamber. One must know that dirty motor oil contains a lot of combustion byproducts, and that the crankcase vapors scavenged by the ventilation system bring in the hydrocarbons to the combustion chambers. On the other hand, a dry air filter typically raises carbon monoxide more than hydrocarbons, but it’s still a good idea to check it frequently, especially to enhance fuel economy.

Constant cleaning of the combustion chamber or the exhaust system is highly advised since it has been proven to be effective in reducing hydrocarbons. Here is how to do it: Locate a small diameter vacuum hose that is active at idle/part throttle. Next, add a temporary two-foot extension to the hose and fill a drinking glass with tap water. With the engine at operating temperature, have a helper hold engine speed at 1,500-2,000 rpm, while allowing the hose to slowly drink the glass of water. It is important that the water be ingested slowly, taking about 30 seconds or more to consume the glass. Otherwise, engine damage could occur.

While the Catalytic Converter does a supreme job in keeping the car emissions clean, its performance can still be improved a lot—through your knowledge and help.

Among the noted liabilities of a catalytic converter is that it only works at a fairly high temperature. When the car starts cold, the catalytic converter will have a hard time in trying to reduce the pollution in the exhaust. A solution for this is to move the catalytic converter closer to the engine. This means that hotter exhaust gases will be able to reach the catalytic converter, making it heat up faster, although this may also reduce the life of the catalytic converter because it is being exposed to extremely high temperatures. You should know that most carmakers have positioned their catalytic converters under the front passenger seat, making it far enough from the engine to keep the temperature down to levels that will not harm it.

Another bright idea for the enhancement of the catalytic converter is to preheat it. Preheating the catalytic converter is a convenient way to reduce emissions, and in this case, the use of electric resistance heaters is highly suggested. Unfortunately, the 12-volt electrical systems on most cars do not provide enough energy or power to heat the catalytic converter fast enough. Most people do not have the patience to wait several minutes for the catalytic converter to heat up before starting their car. Hybrid cars that have big, high-voltage battery packs can provide enough power to heat up the catalytic converter very quickly, which is probably why their catalytic converters are often in premium performance.

Hence, it is not enough for you to take good care of your catalytic converter, but it is vital that you know where it is located as well, and how fast does it work in which temperature.

Why do catalytic converters fail? There are numerous reasons, one of them may be because of the fouled plugs that can cause unburned fuel to overheat the converter and melt the catalyst to a solid mass. When the oxygen sensor is not functioning properly, it can cause an excessively rich or excessively lean condition. If the mixture is too rich, the catalyst can melt down. If the mixture is too lean, the catalytic converter is unable to convert the hydrocarbons into safe elements.

Oil or antifreeze entering the exhaust system can block the air passages by creating heavy carbon soot that coats the catalyst. The carbon deposits can prevent the catalytic converter from reducing harmful emission in the exhaust flow. Also, the carbon deposits can clog the pores in the ceramic catalyst and block exhaust flow, increasing backpressure and causing heat and exhaust to back up into the engine compartment. Your engine may actually draw burnt exhaust gasses back into the combustion chamber and dilute the efficiency of the next burn cycle. The result is a loss of power and overheated engine components.

Catalytic converters can also have some physical damages The is a dense insulating mat protecting the catalyst inside the catalytic converter. His mat can break when the support hangers get broken. Rocks or other road debris can also hit the converter, causing the internal mat to break also. Off road vehicles often suffer this type of converter failure. Once this mat starts to break up, it will collect in the smaller passages and clog the converter.

Another safety reminder for all motorists is to never park your car over tall grass or piles of dry leaves. Your cars perfectly running catalytic converter gets very hot and is enough to start fires.

The catalytic converter is an integral part of the vehicle’s exhaust system. That is why proper care is needed to help maintain its performance.

According to one product manager of a catalytic converter maker,  “symptoms of a failing ‘cat’ include the infamous, rotten egg, smell lingering long after the engine has warmed up, difficulty in starting the car, sluggish acceleration, a loss of power from about 80 km/h, and higher petrol consumption. Problems with a catalytic converter can stem from a number of causes. It may have been physically damaged, perhaps by a speed bump or excessively rough terrain. It can be contaminated (usually if leaded fuel is used by mistake), or the monolith can literally melt down if it comes into contact with unburned fuel. This can occasionally happen when the car is run on empty, push or tow-started, or has a defect in the ignition or carburetor system. In addition, the lambda sensor may have failed, causing the catalytic converter to operate inefficiently”

Some advice he gave to in catalytic converter maintenance are:

* Never push or tow-starting the car
* Not running the car on empty
* Using unleaded fuel only
* Avoiding very short journeys - which result in exhaust gas condensation which corrodes the metal parts
* Slowing down when driving over speed bumps
* Carrying out a regular visual inspection for broken welds and air leakages in the manifold pipes into the cat
* Keeping the vehicle regularly serviced.