Your European automobile has a catalytic converter that is designed to treat the carbon monoxide found in the exhaust. It’s crucial that this poisonous gas be converted to carbon dioxide before it is released through the tailpipe. The catalytic converter will go bad, eventually. On average, you won’t need to worry about the catalytic converter for 10 years. If you drive an older important, however, you may notice the following symptoms of catalytic converter problems.
Acceleration Lag
One of the first things that will happen is your acceleration will begin to lag. Unfortunately, if the catalytic converter is clogged or malfunctioning, it may be indirectly pushing exhaust back into the combustion chamber. When this happens, new air and fuel cannot be ignited for engine combustion. Consequently, your acceleration will lag when you try to pick up speed.
Sluggish Engine
You will also notice that your engine performance gets sluggish. Your engine may sputter and seem as if it is going to stall at high speeds because, again, the combustion chamber is filled with exhaust. The faster you go, the more air and fuel the engine needs to maintain the speed. If the catalytic converter is malfunctioning, your engine performance will suffer because the combustion chamber is clogged.
Black Exhaust
Sometimes, a failing catalytic converter can indirectly create a rich fuel mixture in the combustion chamber. When this happens, your vehicle may release black exhaust out of the tailpipe. This is occurring because the excess fuel in the mixture is being burned in the combustion chamber. Unfortunately, you will continue to have black exhaust until you get the catalytic converter replaced.
Excessive Heat
Another sign that your catalytic converter is going out is excessive heat in the engine and underneath your automobile. The heat underneath your automobile is a result of where the catalytic converter is located in your European automobile. We cannot stress enough how important it is that you do not drive your import when it is overheating. Doing so will cause expensive engine damage.
Rotten Egg Odors
Finally, if the catalytic converter is clogged or going bad, you will notice the smell of burning sulfur. This translates into a rotten egg smell coming from your engine and also in your European automobile’s exhaust. It’s hard to miss this odor, so if you smell rotten eggs, bring your vehicle to our shop right away.
We are Eurotech Auto Service & Repair in Fort Myers, FL, and we’d be happy to inspect your catalytic converter and replace it if necessary. Give us a call today.