Catalytic converters admit been imperative on cars in the USA in that 1978, and are a cut of a motorcar's exhaust emission direction method. Catalytic converters burn off excess, unused hydrocarbons in a machine's exhaust using a chemical reaction. Otherwise, these highly polluting hydrocarbons would be released into the atmosphere, reducing air attribute all over the microcosm tremendously. They create not normally determinant problems for vehivle owners.
Function
Catalytic converters remove hydrocarbons from a motorcar's exhaust by working as triple-acting catalysts.
Symptoms
There are a couple of common symptoms of a plugged catalytic converter. The most typical symptom is a car that suddenly behaves sluggishly.The oxidation catalyst--comprised of platinum and palladium--then changes carbon monoxide and some of the oxygen created from the reduction catalyst into carbon dioxide. Through this process, the catalytic converter effectively removes hydrocarbons from a car's exhaust system.
Location
The catalytic converter is typically mounted on a car's exhaust pipe, near its engine. It is unremarkable in appearance, and seems to merely be a widened portion of the pipe. Its location near the engine is no accident; the chemical reactions that occur in the catalytic converter work better in warm environments.
A ceramic honeycomb in the catalytic converter contains palladium, rhodium and platinum, which donkeywork in two decisive ways during the course of removing hydrocarbons from a vehivle's exhaust. The rhodium and platinum occupation in sync as a reduction catalyst; the platinum and palladium work together as an oxidation catalyst.
Benefits
The reduction catalyst found in a catalytic converter--comprised of the rhodium and platinum components--changes nitrogen oxides into nitrogen gas and oxygen gas.When the gas pedal is applied, the car just does not seem to have any "oomph"; it reluctantly works its way up to normal speed. Any driver familiar with the car in question will immediately detect a change in its pick up when its catalytic converter is significantly clogged. Additionally, some people notice a rotten egg smell when their cars' catalytic converters are malfunctioning due to a clog.
Prevention/Solution
Using leaded gas in a car with a catalytic converter can cause it to fail. Otherwise, some catalytic converters simply begin to build up enough residue that they begin experiencing trouble. There is no real practical way to clean or otherwise repair a plugged catalytic converter. Repair shops will usually opt to replace the defective one with a new unit.
