Catalytic converter thefts
Gasoline-powered vehicles such as your Pontiac are among the major contributors to urban air pollution. This can be attributed to the high quantities of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons that are being produced by the normal combustion process of your car. If these burnt gases are left uncontrolled, they would eventually contribute to urban smog, as well as heart and respiratory heart problems. To protect the air quality and improve the quality of air, your Pontiac vehicle has been equipped with a group of emission-control components known as the exhaust system. This group of car parts serves the main function of conveying burnt gases from your internal combustion engine. The Pontiac catalytic converter is an indispensable part of your exhaust system. It looks very much like the muffler, and can be usually seen mounted under the vehicle. It was first used in cars three decades ago, and has evolved into a more complex and more reliable emission control component because of automotive technology.
The number of catalytic converters installed on your vehicle depends on your car’s configurations. Some have 1 while others have 2 catalytic converters. But no matter how many catalytic converters you may have on your car, they still serve the same purpose—that is, to significantly minimize the harmful poisonous gases in your exhaust gases. A typical Pontiac catalytic converter is made up of a honeycomb form catalyst that is protected by a stainless steel canister. The interior surface of your Pontiac catalytic converter within the honeycomb structure is coated with catalytic metals such as rhodium, palladium, and platinum. There are 2 catalysts present in every catalytic converter—an oxidation catalyst and a reduction catalyst. The oxidation catalyst burns all the byproducts of your fuel combustion such as the carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. On the other hand, the reduction catalyst ensures that the nitrogen oxides are turned into harmless emissions.
There are 2 types of catalytic converter: the two-way converter and the three-way converter. Also known as an oxidation catalytic converter, the two-way catalytic converter makes use of the oxidation process to transform the harmful pollutants into harmless gases. Through adsorption, the oxygen molecules, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbon are simplified into water vapor and carbon dioxide, which eventually goes out of the tailpipe. The three-way catalytic converter oxidizes the hydrocarbons and carbon monoxides and at the same time transforms the nitrogen oxides into less harmful nitrogen and oxygen. This type of catalytic converter is used in conjunction with the feedback engine management and fuel injection of the car. Your Pontiac catalytic converter can last for over 100,000 miles if properly maintained. A worn out catalytic converter can decrease the performance level and fuel economy of your engine, aside from contributing to urban pollution and health problems. You can easily determine if your Pontiac catalytic converter needs replacement when you hear some rattling noises from the catalyst, especially when your car is increasing speed. A defective oxygen sensor and poor maintenance are some of the leading causes of a worn out catalytic converter. So when this happens, do not think twice on replacing your defective Pontiac catalytic converter with a new one in order to maintain the emission control functions of your car.
Would a new catalytic converter produce more power?
I know that catalytic converters send a message back to the fuel injectors, to get the perfect amount. My catalytic converter is rusted from the inside(it is pretty much toast). But i drive and Audi and a new catalytic converter would cost 380 parts and then labor on top of that. The car sounds bad, but for that price I can deal with the noise. I just want to know if the bad catalytic converter is throwing off the performance of my car…. And if you know does it effect gas mileage?
Catalytic Converter
Anthony Fontanelle is a 35-year-old automotive buff who grew up in the Windy City. He does freelance work for an automotive magazine when he is not busy customizing cars in his shop.
i had mine sawed the other night when i left it at the mechanic shop where i had a repair job done during the day. cost a lot to fix it. dont leave your car at the mechanic shop if it has no indoor space. get the job done during the day and take it home right away. if i were there the night it was stolen i would have chopped the thief’s feet off while they are checking under the car.
I know. Some people are scumbags. It’s not even like you get the five hundred dollars for it. You take one to a scrap yard and they will give you like $25. I would rather tape $25 to the converter and have them leave.
It's just another piece of exhaust. There aren't any special installation instruction. If you're not comfortable doing it take it to a exhaust shop. Figure a couple hundred dollars at least depending on how much the convertor is and if you need to replace the rest of the exhaust with it.
It will affect your performance and gas mileage. Go ahead and invest on a new one.
I just got my catalytic converter stollen the other night! So ridiculous!!! I can’t believe how inhumane people are!! How do you sleep at night!!! Get a responsible job like everyone else
if you are not using factory catalysts , then they will prematurly wear out , but a major factor in taking out the catalyst prematurly is a rich running condition , and misfires , if a car is misfiring it allows raw fuel to go directly into the hot catalyst and melts the reducing beds inside the catalyst , also if this is a 96 or newer car , then have a technician do a duel scope on the upstream and downstream o2's , a lazy upstream o2 will trigger a false catalyst code , but this is not commen . also if you have any exhaust leaks before the catalytic converter , make sure these are taken care of , unmetered air entering the exhaust system will create lean condition in the catalyst thus raising the internal tempetures and melting the catalyst internally ,