Your car’s catalytic converter use pressure, heat, and chemical reactions to convert dangerous chemicals produced by the engine into less harmful ones. In time, your converter may become blocked or damaged, and you’ll need a replacement. When this happens, your Buick dealer and GMC dealer can help you. These are a few of the signs that your converter could be wearing out.
3 Signs You Need a New Catalytic Converter From Your Buick Dealer and GMC Dealer
Rattling Noises
Anytime you hear rattling noises in a car, it’s automatically a sign that something is damaged or broken. If the sound is coming from your converter, the converter’s internal structure is likely breaking down. The inside of your converter consists of a honeycomb structure. Inside this honeycomb, noxious gases are converted into safer ones.
Damage and wear can produce cracks in the honeycomb over time. These cracks can lead to part of the structure breaking off. Any damage to part of a honeycomb reduces the strength of the remaining sections. The rattling sounds are made by broken sections of the internal structure moving around inside the converter as your car drives. We can’t fix the honeycomb, but we can replace your converter.
Clogged Converter
The converter is part of the exhaust system. Once it’s finished its conversion process, the newly-created chemicals are forced into the exhaust pipe. The conversion process generates byproducts, and these byproducts can clog the converter. Carbon and other chemicals can build up and block the exit to the exhaust system.
If the exit is blocked, the toxic engine chemicals will be forced back into your engine. Their presence increases the fuel-air ratio, as they contain burnt fuel, sulfur, and other compounds. The increasing fuel-air mix in your engine can cause misfiring and damage to other components. Our technicians can clean the converter and unblock it to fix this problem.
Sulfur Smell
A rotten egg smell from your car always signals the presence of hydrogen sulfide. This toxic chemical is created through the mixing of sulfur compounds from the fuel in your engine with hydrogen in the air. If you smell this from your exhaust, it’s a sign that your converter is damaged. Hydrogen sulfide is one of the chemicals the converter targets and changes into sulfur dioxide.
The presence of hydrogen sulfide means your car would fail an emissions test. It also means our technicians need to examine your converter to find the cause of the problem. Once we’ve found the cause, we’ll repair it. If your converter has been seriously damaged, we can install a new one for you.
If your converter is showing signs of trouble, call us right away at Crain Buick GMC of Springdale.
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