Do You Need a New Catalytic Converter From Your Chrysler Dealer?

Find out if your car needs a catalytic converter and have it repaired at your local Cottonwood service department.

Catalytic converters have been a feature of every car in the US built since 1975. They are part of the exhaust system, and their purpose is to reduce harmful chemicals in exhaust smoke. The converter can reduce harmful emissions by up to 99%. Unfortunately, like all car parts, they can fail and need to be replaced. As your Chrysler dealer, we’d like you to know some signs that you will need a new converter.

Starting Issues

When you turn the key, your engine should start almost immediately. If your engine starts and dies after 2-3 seconds, the most likely cause is a blocked or damaged convertor. Your engine should receive fuel, air, and the spark from the plugs to ignite the mix. Your engine runs efficiently at a ratio of 14:1 of air to fuel. If the converter is damaged, more fuel than necessary will be dumped into your engine.

The excess fuel creates a fuel-rich environment that makes it difficult to burn fuel. This excess fuel will damage your spark plugs and create a back pressure that makes it difficult to get rid of the excess fuel fumes. This back pressure will choke off your engine.

Rattling Noises

Rattling noises underneath your car can come from several different sources. One of the causes, however, is a damaged converter. The converter has a honeycomb structure that provides a large surface area for absorbing dangerous chemicals pushed out of the engine. If this converter is damaged, parts of the honeycomb structure will break apart and rattle around in the system.

One cause of damage to the converter is a faulty engine cylinder. Each cylinder goes through a four-step process for combustion. If the cylinder is damaged and doesn’t close completely, the piston inside it won’t compress the fuel inside the cylinder correctly. When the compression cycle starts again, the damaged cylinder will dump the hot, unburnt fuel out, and it will enter the exhaust system and seriously damage the converter.

Check Engine Light

The check engine light covers a multitude of situations in your engine. Your car has numerous sensors attached to all of its vital components. These sensors monitor the components they’re attached to for signs of problems. If a problem is detected, the sensor will signal your car’s computer, and the check engine light will come on.

The converter has sensors attached to it. If the sensor becomes blocked, this will reduce the volume of exhaust fumes that pass out of the exhaust. Some of these fumes will blow back into your engine and create the fuel-rich environment we saw above. Any other damage to the converter will also cause the light to come on. We advise contacting us so our technicians can find the reason for the light coming on.

A damaged converter can cause damage to your engine, which will mean more repairs. If your converter is failing, call us at Oxendale Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram. Our expert technicians can repair or replace your converter in Cottonwood.

Image courtesy of Chrysler.com

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