Can you hear a rattling sound from under your car? Have you noticed a rotten-egg smell in the cabin? These are just two of the signs that your catalytic converter is having trouble. If you notice a problem with your cat, visit your local Nissan dealer for repairs as soon as possible.
How a Faulty Cat Affects Your Car
Your converter’s job is to clean the toxic emissions of your engine, turning them into less harmful gases. When a cat malfunctions, it often becomes clogged up. This clogging immediately restricts the airflow into the front of the car, causing the engine performance to drop.
When the outflow of a vehicle’s exhaust is blocked for any length of time, it creates a massive buildup of heat and pressure. Eventually, a clogged cat will cause serious damage to the exhaust manifold, the vehicle’s underbody, and even the engine itself.
Five Signs of a Malfunctioning Cat
It’s unwise to drive for long with a faulty cat. Any of the following five indicators of trouble should prompt you to visit your local technician.
You Smell Rotten Eggs
The infamous rotten-egg smell that a broken cat creates is due to a toxic emission called hydrogen sulfide. When a converter stops doing its job, this gas escapes from the exhaust, and you’ll often smell it in your cabin.
You Hear Rattling Under Your Car
Converters are filled with a meshwork of complex materials and precious metals. When dented or jolted too hard, these innards can break up and come loose. You’ll then hear them rattling quietly around when you drive.
You’re Idling Roughly
As a broken cat blocks the vehicle’s essential airflow, the engine can no longer draw in as much oxygen. This starves the combustion chambers of air, unbalancing the delicate fuel-air mixture. You’ll probably first notice this when your car’s engine starts sputtering and juddering while you’re sitting idle.
You’re Accelerating Too Slowly
As your engine’s performance drops, you’ll also notice less powerful acceleration. This becomes worryingly apparent when you’re trying to overtake another vehicle or cross an intersection quickly.
Your Gas Mileage Is Dropping
When starved of oxygen, an engine burns fuel less efficiently. As a result, you’ll find the dial on your dashboard’s fuel gauge dropping surprisingly quickly. And you’ll need to refill your tank more often.
How a Nissan Dealer Inspects Your Cat
As it can be tricky to diagnose a malfunctioning cat, it’s often best to have a technician do it for you. An experienced technician can use special techniques and tools, such as a pyrometer, to check the heat and pressure unwind of the converter. They can also remove the brackets, sensors, covers, heat shield, and the cat itself, to examine everything inside and out.
Have your cat repaired or replaced today at Ed Martin Nissan of Fishers. We’re one of three Fishers area dealerships with over 600 Nissan models in stock.
Image courtesy of Andrea Piacquadio via Pexels
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