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Repair Topics / Catalytic
Converter-1 / Catalytic
Converter-2
Catalytic Converter Questions
and Answers This
category contains featured questions as
examples. They relate to most vehicles.

Question: 1999 Plymouth Voyager mileage:
63,094. I just had my car fixed because my
catalytic converter was clogged. The diagnostic
machine said everything was fine. Could this
happen from just normal wear? In addition, I now
hear this rubbing noise on the front driver
side, also, a lot of rattling. Someone said my
shocks were shot. Could this be?
Answer:
Catalytic converters plug usually because of
a rich fuel mixture. Have exhaust gases analyzed
to determine the correct mixture. Your
shocks need replacing anytime there is
excessive movement.
Question: 1990 SAAB mileage: 120,000. I
had a blown head gasket and drove with it for
quite some time. It got kind of bad and I was
forced to drive the car out quite some distance
to store it. Along the way, the engine was
overheating and I began to lose a lot of power.
I have since replaced the head gasket, and
checked the compression on the cylinders. They
were pretty even at about 130. The car still has
difficulty with a lack of power. I was wondering
if that lack of power could be caused by a
clogged catalytic converter due to all of the
fowled exhaust. I had never replaced the
catalytic converter on the car.
Answer: Yes, there is a good chance
that the
catalytic converter is plugged.
Question: 1990 Porsche 928s4 5.0
mileage: 129,999. Hard start - when started runs
rough and no power or intermittent power. Was
working fine before and after having Midas check
my catalytic converters. Verdict on cats was
bad. Temperature on engine side of catalytic,
300 degrees; temperature on muffler side, 210
degrees. Does this mean the engine could be
having troubles due to catalytic malfunction?
Answer: Could be! To test for a
plugged
converter, drill a small hole in the exhaust
pipe right before the catalytic converter.
Install a temporary hose fitting and attach a
long rubber hose and a 0 to 10 pound pressure
gauge. With the gauge inside the car, drive up a
hill or accelerate and read the pressure. Normal
is 2 to 3 pounds, restricted 4 pounds or higher.
The drawback to this method is the small hole
will need to be welded shut after the test; a
minor job if you have a welder.
Question: 1999 Ford F-150 mileage:
90,000. My truck has started to miss on
acceleration. I replaced the usual suspects,
plugs, wires, rotor and dist. cap, fuel and air
filter, PCV valve. This didn’t have any effect,
so I took it to the Chevy dealership for a
diagnostic. Their conclusion was that I had
carbon buildup and for 165.00 they would decarb
my engine. I knew that what they would do was
run some chemicals through it, so I said no
thanks, bought a carbon removal product, added
it to my gas and nothing. It still hesitates
upon acceleration. Maybe my catalytic converter
is partially plugged. How would I check it?
Answer: Try replacing the
Mass Air Flow Sensor. A weak signal from the
sensor may be causing your problem. To test for
a plugged
converter, drill a small hole in the exhaust
pipe right before the catalytic converter.
Install a temporary hose fitting and attach a
long rubber hose and a 0 to 10 pound pressure
gauge. With the gauge inside the car, drive up a
hill or accelerate and read the pressure. Normal
is 2 to 3 pounds, restricted 4 pounds or higher.
Question: 2004 Hyundai Accent mileage:
55,000. My sister had a cat. converter (front)
replaced on her car. She thought she was getting
a new one, but it turned out to be used, anyway
we have replaced 2 sets of plug wires in the
last 4 months, they keep melting, it seems as
though it is caused from the heat off the
converter. Is it possible it is the wrong
converter or installed wrong? The heat resistor
protectors (whatever you call them) are jammed
and it makes it very hard to change plugs. HELP
please.Answer: You may have had the
incorrect catalytic converter installed but it
sounds like the heat shields are not properly
placed. If the engine is running “rich”, it will
cause the catalytic converter to be hotter than
normal. Have the engine fuel system checked.
Question: 1998 Ford Mustang mileage:
139,000. I recently noticed that my catalytic
converter was glowing bright orange and it
started smoking very badly. What do I need to do
to fix the problem?
Answer: Your fuel injection is
malfunctioning causing an over-rich condition.
Scan your computer for fault codes, which should
pinpoint the problem.

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Converter-1 / Catalytic
Converter-2
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