Burnt out catalytic converter

But when this happens, can you actually clean or unclog the catalytic converter? In our many years of experience working with cars, we usually replace the catalyst if something goes wrong. But since a new unit will cost many hundreds or thousands of dollars, some people resort to other measures to unclog the catalyst.

And in some cases, it works! But if the catalyst is burnt out, no amount of cleaning will restore the efficiency of the converter. This is the hard part. But if you have a scan tool and you know how to use it, you can easily rule out a catalyst failure by interpreting the live OBD2 data. With that being said, the first symptom is an illuminated MIL or malfunction indicator lamp.

The most common trouble code for a failing catalytic converter is P Other codes associated with this problem are P, P, P, and P But if your vehicle has a check engine light and P trouble code, you are most likely dealing with a broken or burned-out catalytic converter. Better not get your hopes up. But in the absence of other problems or faults, unclogging a dirty catalytic converter may get rid of the check engine light in your vehicle.

Via Amazon. Depending on the vehicle type, there are times when it is impractical to unbolt the catalyst from the exhaust system. This also holds true for vehicles equipped with turbochargers or forced-induction. If this is the case, you can try cleaning the catalytic converter using a specialized cleaning product. Method 1: There many products you can use. But we found two that are better than the rest. You can try Oxicat to restore and clean oxygen sensors and the catalytic converter.

If the converters are all legitimately bad and this is not a misdiagnosis the converters could have been ruined by coolant entering the exhaust intake, head gasket leak, etc. Thanks for the info. I bought the car new in It has , miles on it. When we replaced the first CC we also had to replace the oxygen sensor. No other codes were seen, no coolant leaks.

Was just looking to see if anyone else had run into this problem and what the outcome was. Either too much fuel all at one time causing thermal shock, or too much fuel over an extended period of time causing overheating.

This happens because of piston rings that lose their ability to properly seal as the miles pile up, or because a valve becomes stuck. It can also be due to any number of small design issues or worn-out engine components.

Black smoke or signs that your car is using a significant amount of oil in between changes are indicators that you may end up reducing the efficiency of — or even permanently damaging — your converter. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Know How.

Having been bitten by the car bug at a young age, I spent my formative years surrounded by Studebakers at car shows across Quebec and the northeastern United States. Over ten years of racing, restoring, and obsessing over automobiles lead me to balance science writing and automotive journalism full time.

I currently contribute as an editor to several online and print automotive publications, and I also write and consult for the pharmaceutical and medical device industry.