- Thread starter AZB
- Start date
propane update and thanks to rocky.
Why Cat Converters are not DR friendly.
Here is a copy of the PM I sent to Vince, aka: Dominican Joe, pursuant to his post.
<TABLE class=tborder style="BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px" cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=6 width="100%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt1>Recipients: <!-- BEGIN TEMPLATE: pm_messagelistbit_user -->DOMINCAN JOE <!-- END TEMPLATE: pm_messagelistbit_user -->
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- BEGIN TEMPLATE: postbit_wrapper --><!-- post # --><!-- BEGIN TEMPLATE: postbit --><TABLE class=tborder id=post cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=6 width="100%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=thead>
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=alt2 style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px"><!-- user info --><!-- / user info --></TD></TR><TR><TD class=alt1 id=td_post_><!-- message, attachments, sig --><!-- icon and title -->Catalytic converters
<HR style="COLOR: #173f96; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #173f96" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->http://www.dr1.com/forums/living/779...tml#post662843
<!-- BEGIN TEMPLATE: bbcode_quote -->Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">Catalytic Converter are put in not to kill people </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- END TEMPLATE: bbcode_quote -->Of course, it only applies to vehicles using unleaded gas and unfortunately, despite the gas pumps saying unleaded, it is not always.
It can be either or.
The DR buys whatever is cheapest and/or the most available.
The leaded gas is what blocks up the catalytic converters.
Otherwise, they would easily last the life of a car, assuming they don't corrode or get damaged by something hard hitting the under carriage of the car.
So when the filter starts to block up, it blocks the exhaust to the point that it overheats the valves and eventually blows the whole engine.
Furthermore, it reduces the performance of the vehicle as it gets progressively blocked up, one has to use more fuel, and in actual fact, create more pollution than if there were no filter at all.
Until there are government controls on that level, nothing will be done about it, as it is the government itself that makes the petroleum deals, and the money they earn/save making the deals, goes into their pockets, so they could care less if it's leaded or unleaded, as long as it works.
I wouldn't dream of removing a catalytic converter in my home country.
Not only would it contribute to greater pollution, but it even hampers the performance of the vehicle to a small extent, as the modern cars have finely tuned computers that compensate for the back pressure caused by the filters and mufflers.
As the overheating happens at the level of the valves, it barely even raises the temperature of the coolant, so one does not get advised by a warning light or gauge, that the engine temp is high.
The main warning would be that the "check engine" light comes on, and that was what AZB was complaining about.
Regards, Marco.
PS: When I had my old Toyota truck's converter punched out, that was back in the days of leaded gas only, so one had no choice. You could blow your engine in 3 months if you left it on.
Nowadays, we get a mix of leaded and unleaded so I assume the converter would last a lot longer.
The last time I had to change one was on my Oldsmobile and I replaced it with another Cat. Converter, knowing full well that I'd have to keep an eye on it, so that I didn't burn the engine, but it was that or listening to a constant throaty rumble like a sports car.
One of the telltale signs of the converter getting blocked up, other than poor performance and the "check engine" light coming on, is a strange smell coming from the exhaust system, something similar to a sulfur odor.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Here is a copy of the PM I sent to Vince, aka: Dominican Joe, pursuant to his post.
<TABLE class=tborder style="BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px" cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=6 width="100%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt1>Recipients: <!-- BEGIN TEMPLATE: pm_messagelistbit_user -->DOMINCAN JOE <!-- END TEMPLATE: pm_messagelistbit_user -->
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- BEGIN TEMPLATE: postbit_wrapper --><!-- post # --><!-- BEGIN TEMPLATE: postbit --><TABLE class=tborder id=post cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=6 width="100%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=thead>
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=alt2 style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px"><!-- user info --><!-- / user info --></TD></TR><TR><TD class=alt1 id=td_post_><!-- message, attachments, sig --><!-- icon and title -->Catalytic converters
<HR style="COLOR: #173f96; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #173f96" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->http://www.dr1.com/forums/living/779...tml#post662843
<!-- BEGIN TEMPLATE: bbcode_quote -->Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">Catalytic Converter are put in not to kill people </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- END TEMPLATE: bbcode_quote -->Of course, it only applies to vehicles using unleaded gas and unfortunately, despite the gas pumps saying unleaded, it is not always.
It can be either or.
The DR buys whatever is cheapest and/or the most available.
The leaded gas is what blocks up the catalytic converters.
Otherwise, they would easily last the life of a car, assuming they don't corrode or get damaged by something hard hitting the under carriage of the car.
So when the filter starts to block up, it blocks the exhaust to the point that it overheats the valves and eventually blows the whole engine.
Furthermore, it reduces the performance of the vehicle as it gets progressively blocked up, one has to use more fuel, and in actual fact, create more pollution than if there were no filter at all.
Until there are government controls on that level, nothing will be done about it, as it is the government itself that makes the petroleum deals, and the money they earn/save making the deals, goes into their pockets, so they could care less if it's leaded or unleaded, as long as it works.
I wouldn't dream of removing a catalytic converter in my home country.
Not only would it contribute to greater pollution, but it even hampers the performance of the vehicle to a small extent, as the modern cars have finely tuned computers that compensate for the back pressure caused by the filters and mufflers.
As the overheating happens at the level of the valves, it barely even raises the temperature of the coolant, so one does not get advised by a warning light or gauge, that the engine temp is high.
The main warning would be that the "check engine" light comes on, and that was what AZB was complaining about.
Regards, Marco.
PS: When I had my old Toyota truck's converter punched out, that was back in the days of leaded gas only, so one had no choice. You could blow your engine in 3 months if you left it on.
Nowadays, we get a mix of leaded and unleaded so I assume the converter would last a lot longer.
The last time I had to change one was on my Oldsmobile and I replaced it with another Cat. Converter, knowing full well that I'd have to keep an eye on it, so that I didn't burn the engine, but it was that or listening to a constant throaty rumble like a sports car.
One of the telltale signs of the converter getting blocked up, other than poor performance and the "check engine" light coming on, is a strange smell coming from the exhaust system, something similar to a sulfur odor.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>