Almost all modern cars are produced with a catalyst that oxidizes harmful compounds in the exhaust. However, some car owners (especially those who sell their cars) believe that this expensive part can be dispensed with. Therefore, it is important to be able to recognize the first signs of catalyst failure in time.
Primary Symptoms of a Malfunctioning Automotive Catalyst
Most often, this part fails for two reasons: non-observance of the operating instructions (especially when using the wrong brand of fuel) and excessively long-term operation. In the latter case, the ceramic core melts, the honeycomb becomes clogged with soot, which leads to the complete destruction of the catalyst. The fact that it will have to be changed can be recognized by the loss of power: the car does not reach full speed, the acceleration dynamics drops, and in the future it becomes difficult to start the engine. It is quite difficult to identify incipient catalyst problems early on; the driver simply pushes the accelerator pedal deeper into the floor to compensate for the drop in power. Sometimes it is useful to pay attention to the appearance of a pungent smell of hydrogen sulfide, which indicates a poor-quality process of decomposition of exhaust gases.
How to check the catalyst
You can do this procedure yourself. To do this, park the car, start the engine and drown the accelerator to the floor, while observing the tachometer readings. If the arrow reaches the maximum (red zone), then the rev limiter is triggered, then the catalyst can be considered as serviceable. If the arrow cannot reach the red zone, then the catalyst honeycomb is considered clogged. However, this diagnostic method is trusted, provided that the ignition system and power supply are in good order.
A full check of the catalyst can only be carried out in a car service. Typically, the test begins with determining the performance of the sensor - the lambda probe. If it works, then a signal about a lack of oxygen or an excess of fuel is sent to the power management system from a special device; as a result, the combustible mixture is depleted or re-enriched. Further, the operability of the power supply and ignition systems is determined. Provided they are in good working order, you will have to change the catalyst. Also, the check can be associated with measuring the level of toxicity of the exhaust or checking the pressure of the exhaust gases (usually the last two methods are combined). An easier way is to dismantle the catalyst itself and check the combs for transmission, - the clogging level can be determined immediately. But there is a complication here; on cars that have been in operation for a long time, it is not so easy to remove the catalyst, because the nuts stick together over time, and an autogen is required to loosen them.
