Catlytic converters...do they truly help your car pass emissions?

Question

Obviously I'm not the most mechanically inclined person, but I've heard about 50/50 from people who say they know what they're talking about. I've heard that replacing it can cure all my emissions test problem, and I've also heard that it won't do a thing but cost money. Someone who really knows please clue me in! Thanks.

Answer 1

If you failed emissions because the cat is bad then yes you will pass. There alot of specifics missing that would help. If indeed your cat is starting to clog or deteriate then when it clogs completely your vehicle will push all the exhaust back into the engine and everytime you step on the accelerator it will bogg down and die. If you failed and have to pass emissions then it would be wise to take it to a shop with an emission certified technician that can diagnose why your vehicle failed and help with repairing the problem. That will save you money in the long run when you don't spend money on something you don't need in the first place. I work in washington and deal with emmission failures all the time. Sometimes that is the problem and sometimes it isn't. It depends on if you fail because of HC's or CO's and what caused the failure. A simple test you can do if you have a temp gun is to check the temperature at the start of the cat and the end of the cat. It should be hotter at the front of it. If it is close in temp or hotter in the rear then your cat is bad. If your cat is bad then something else may be bad too. Sometimes other failed parts will send raw fuel through the exhaust system and destroy your cat over time. Normally your check engine light will come on in that scenario. But not always... I just had a Nissan pickup in here that had a failed cat because the mass air flow failed but no check engine light. Good luck and I hope that helps.

Answer 2

I would check vaccum hoses. With engine running spray WD40 and if rpms pick up replace also spray silicon sealer. If it runs too lean you will flunk as that is the cause alot of times. And if that fails register the car in a county that does not have emissions or take it to a crooked third party tester.

Answer 3

Yes they do, but they start doing so after they heat up. Usually 5 minutes after startup on a normal day. It depends on the size of the engine on how much they reduce emissions, but they lose efficiency over time..

Answer 4

your catalytic converter is about the most common emissions related problem. most mechanics can do a test to check if its the cat.  if your car is newer than 1995 and there is no check engine light on than its most likely the cat, everything else is electronically monitored  and will let you know if theres a malfunction.  but like i said the cat is very important part of emissions control and if bad will absolutely fail your emissions inspection .