You might not have heard of the catalytic converter before but it’s one of the most important pieces in your car’s exhaust. When your catalytic converter fails, the engine itself can fail, too. Here’s what Clark’s Professional Car Care wants you to know about what it looks like when you’ve got a problem with your catalytic converter.
Engine Performance Is Getting Worse
You’re used to hitting the accelerator and your car responding, but when the catalytic converter is failing that performance falls off significantly. You might notice that your engine is sputtering or that the acceleration lags significantly. This happens because the catalytic converter is responsible for keeping exhaust out of the engine. When it fails, the exhaust is not funneled out of the engine properly.
You’re Smelling Rotten Eggs
Part of what happens when the catalytic converter fails is that carbon monoxide and other gases aren’t being converted to less harmful gases. That often comes with some pretty funky smells. You might notice that you start smelling sulfur, or a rotten egg smell. This is not a good sign and means you really shouldn’t be driving your car until the problem is fixed.
There’s a Lot of Exhaust Smoke
Normally there shouldn’t be a ton of exhaust coming from the tailpipe of your car. So, if you’re seeing a lot of exhaust, especially dark black smoke, that’s a big sign that you’ve got a problem with your exhaust system. Coupled with some of these other signs, you may quickly narrow it down to your catalytic converter failing.
The Car Is Overheating
Is your car overheating? You might have even checked to make sure you’ve got coolant and that your oil is okay. Assuming both of those issues are fine, a problem with overheating is likely to do with the catalytic converter. This happens because remember that the catalytic converter is supposed to convert toxic gases. When it doesn’t do that and the gases stick around in the engine, everything keeps heating up. Your car’s engine is also more likely to misfire because there’s not enough oxygen in the mix.
Your catalytic converter is a crucial part of your car’s exhaust system. If it’s failing, you need reliable help to fix the problem. Give us a call at Clark’s Professional Car Care in Pascagoula, and D’Iberville MS. We’ll set up an appointment for you and get the problem diagnosed and corrected properly.
