This part is located between the muffler and the exhaust manifold and is installed on any engine – diesel or gasoline. It is important for every car owner to check the correct operation of the neutralizer, the malfunction or failure of which directly affects the power. In this material, we will try to talk about the main signs of a faulty element, the causes of breakdowns, testing options and the main features of malfunctions. If replacement is required, you can consider various options used Ford catalytic converters for sale through the Autocatalyst website.
The main signs of a malfunction
To identify the signs of a faulty neutralizer, it is necessary to diagnose the exhaust system of the car. This will help you prevent an increase in the load on the engine, because the exhaust system has a direct impact on the operation of the engine. An excessively contaminated and damaged component leads primarily to an increase in fuel consumption, and the dynamics of the car are also significantly lost.
Causes of failure
Problems arise due to excessive contamination or deformation, but the following reasons also lead to breakdowns:
- Low-quality fuel – if the fuel mixture does not completely burn in the engine, this occurs in the manifold, and can also pass into the neutralizer. In this way, the melting of the exhaust system elements occurs, which leads to contamination.
- Poor-quality spare part – a non-original part, an analogue, spare parts with defects can initially have small cells that are quite easy to clog. However, these can also be excellent-quality parts intended for the American market, where the fuel quality is higher, therefore, in other countries, the neutralizer cannot cope with the loads.
- Traveling on poor-quality roads – mechanical failures lead to serious consequences.
- In some cases, clogging of the part can occur after long-term operation of a faulty engine.
Failure is a fairly serious problem that is recommended to be corrected as soon as possible to avoid more expensive repairs to the engine and other systems. However, buying a new filter, which is also an expensive investment, can solve the problem, but many drivers try to avoid such expenses by removing it from the system.
If you still decide to remove the filter from the exhaust system, we would like to remind you that you should not throw away such an expensive part. You can make money on it – sell it through Autocatalyst. And with the proceeds you can buy a new one, buy a stronger one instead of a neutralizer, or buy a collector spark arrestor and install it instead of a neutralizer. Failure is a nuisance that is recommended to be fixed as soon as possible to avoid more expensive repairs to the engine and other systems.
How to check the condition?
It is better to entrust diagnostics to professional craftsmen who have experience in such work and will perform all operations quickly and efficiently. But if you really want, you can do everything yourself, removing the part and inspecting the appearance. This method is the most difficult and very labor-intensive, because the fastening bolts stick, which makes it impossible to unscrew the threaded connections.
If you still managed to unscrew and the powder immediately spilled out, this is the first sign that the part can be replaced, given the serious clogging. If this is not yet observed, you need to look further. Using a flashlight, you should illuminate the pipes even in the absence of light. It is quite clear that the pores are sufficiently clogged not only for light rays, but also for exhaust gases.