{"id":3037,"date":"2016-04-27T12:00:27","date_gmt":"2016-04-27T17:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.farmandfleet.com\/blog\/?p=3037"},"modified":"2024-01-26T16:28:55","modified_gmt":"2024-01-26T22:28:55","slug":"what-is-a-catalytic-converter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.farmandfleet.com\/blog\/what-is-a-catalytic-converter\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a Catalytic Converter?"},"content":{"rendered":"

A\u00a0catalytic converter (or “cat”) is the part of your car or truck’s exhaust that takes\u00a0the pollutants out of\u00a0your exhaust. Some vehicles have more than one, and diesel cars and trucks has a type\u00a0of converter that uses diesel exhaust fluid (DEF)<\/a> to cut\u00a0emissions.<\/p>\n

How Does a Catalytic Converter Work?<\/h2>\n

When your engine burns fuel, it makes\u00a0a vapor that’s toxic to the environment. The raw exhaust that comes from your engine carries a mix of poisonous gasses. Your\u00a0cat uses a filter made of rare metals to\u00a0convert this pollution into CO\u00b2\u00a0and water. While some recent studies have linked CO\u00b2\u00a0to climate change, it’s still relatively harmless compared to the exhaust coming out of the engine. Like all filters, your cat\u00a0can get clogged over time, especially\u00a0if you have an engine that burns oil.<\/p>\n

Why is My Catalytic Converter Important?<\/h2>\n

Aside from keeping our air clean, your cat also provides back pressure to your engine that\u00a0makes it run more efficiently. This means that if you have a bad cat, you’re engine will lose power and fuel economy.<\/p>\n

Also, running a car or truck on the road without a cat is illegal. So\u00a0run straight pipe custom exhaust<\/a> on the street at your own risk.<\/p>\n

Catalytic Converter Maintenance<\/h2>\n

Cats are expensive\u2013some cost over $1000 to replace\u2013you should take care of yours as best you can. Since a catalytic converter has no moving parts, you won’t have to do much maintenance on it.<\/p>\n

The two things that kill most cats are clogging and impact damage.<\/p>\n

You can use a fuel additive to clean your converter and keep it from getting clogged. This may prolong its life. Mechanics recommend using these cleaners\u00a0about once per year to clean soot and other buildup from your exhaust. Acetone<\/a> and lacquer thinne<\/a>r are said to be able to clean your cat, too. However, our mechanics recommend that you don’t add them to your fuel.\u00a0They are not made for engine use, and could harm your engine or fuel system.\u00a0If you use acetone or lacquer thinner to clean your cat,\u00a0remove it\u00a0and soak it in acetone or lacquer thinner to break down thick buildup.<\/p>\n

Also, never remove the heat shield on your cat. This shield helps protect the converter from direct impacts while you drive.<\/p>\n

Blain’s Farm & Fleet\u00a0can inspect your catalytic converter<\/a> in our service centers for free. If it can’t be fixed, we can also replace. For more vehicle guides and how-to\u2019s, check out Blain\u2019s Farm & Fleet\u2019s Automotive blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Your catalytic converter reduces the pollutants in the exhaust that comes out of your car or truck. Learn how one works & why it’s important.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":3492,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[1464,1466,1468],"content_type":[1373],"class_list":["post-3037","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-automotive","tag-maintenance-repair","tag-auto-parts-tools","tag-all-automotive","content_type-article"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat is a Catalytic Converter? | Blain's Farm & Fleet<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Your catalytic converter reduces the pollutants in the exhaust that comes out of your car or truck. 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