Catalyctic converter damage

Hey ACHIRI,

With a cylinder misfiring for that long there is a good chance that unburnt fuel made its way into the catalytic converter.

This unburnt fuel then ignites on the catalyst material due to the very high temperatures and the temperatures increase even further.

This can get hot enough to melt the substrate/core in the catalytic converter.

I would advise you can remove the catalytic converter and visually check it for damage. You will need to look inside to see if there is any damage to the internal honeycomb structure. After that if it looks okay you can try running it after the engine repair. If it is damaged you will get the check engine light/reduced engine performance.

Hope that helps.

Regards, Joe

Hey ACHIRI,

Yes, it is possible. If you have other codes related to fuel control it may not have been able to calculate if the catalytic converter was working effectively. If it is melted and partially blocked you may not get a code.

The only way to check for sure is to remove it and check.

If the engine needs valve repairs they will have to disconnect the catalytic converter anyway in order to remove the cylinder head so they can check during the work.

Ask your mechanic if they can visually check inside the catalytic converter when they are doing the repairs.

Hope that helps, any further questions please don't hesitate to ask.

Regards, Joe

Hey ACHIRI,

It is possible that the scanner will not pick up the converter being damaged.

You will need to look inside the catalytic converter there will be a honeycomb structured metallic substrate inside the converter.

You are looking for if the honeycomb structure is in tact and not melted or fallen apart.

Unfortunately we are based in North America and I don't have information for parts suppliers in Zimbabwe.

If you can take a picture of the inside of the converter we can let you know if it is normal.

Regards, Joe