3 Signs Your Chevy Needs a New Catalytic Converter

Driving without a catalytic converter is a big legal no-no and for good reason. Those awful engine emissions wreak havoc on our lungs and health if left unfiltered. For the sake of yourself, your passengers, and your fellow drivers and pedestrians, keep an eye out for signs of cat trouble. And if your cat breaks down, it’s best to visit your local Chevy dealer at once for repairs.

3 Signs You Need a New Catalytic Converter From Your Chevy Dealer in Glenview, IL 

Engine Problems From Oxygen Deprivation

Strangely enough, the first sign of cat trouble will probably come from your engine’s performance. Even though the cat is way down underneath your car, far from the engine, a damaged cat hugely impacts the engine’s power.

This is because the engine needs a constant inflow of fresh air. This air rushes in, plays its part in the combustion process, and then needs to escape through the exhaust system alongside all the other emissions. But if your cat is clogged up, the escape route is blocked, and so the entire essential airflow slows down. Here are some of the resulting engine problems:

Plummeting Acceleration

You’ll quickly notice a loss in acceleration power. This will make it especially tricky to overtake other vehicles or cross busy intersections.

Rough Idling

The ordinarily smooth rumble of your engine in idle will be replaced by coughing and sputtering. Your engine might even stall.

Falling Gas Mileage

With a less efficient engine, you won’t be driving quite so far for each gallon of fuel. You’ll be stopping for gas more frequently.

Blinking Check Engine Light

Your instrument panel will try to alert you to the problems with the dreaded Check Engine light. It’s best not to ignore this warning.

Sulfury Rotten Egg Smell

Apart from engine problems, you might also detect a sulfury rotten egg smell if your cat breaks down. This is the smell of hydrogen sulfide, which should normally be converted into benign gases by a healthy cat. Beware of this rotten egg smell as hydrogen sulfide is toxic to breathe.

Rattling From Beneath Your Car

If the honeycomb meshwork inside your cat breaks down, the mesh often falls apart. It can also sometimes be broken apart by an impact or strong jolt from the outside. If this happens, you’ll hear the loose pieces rattling around inside. And you’ll know the cat is no longer functional.

How a Chevy Dealer Checks Your Cat

When your engine has problems, it’s not always immediately obvious if the cat is to blame or not. There are various tests a technician can run to check if the cat is at fault. One such test is to detach an area of exhaust piping and run the engine again to see if this resolves the problem.

They can also use special tools to measure the heat before and after the cat. When a malfunctioning cat blocks the outflow of air, the emissions build up inside the exhaust piping, creating a great deal of excessive heat.

Visit Jennings Chevrolet today to have an experienced technician repair or replace your cat. We’ve been helping out the region’s drivers since 1958.

Tags: 3 Signs You Need a New Catalytic Converter, Plummeting Acceleration, Rough Idling
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