The average lifespan announced by the manufacturers for a catalytic converter is 150,000 km. However, depending on the use of the vehicle, this time can be more or less shortened. This is because various reasons can cause the catalyst to malfunction.
The most obvious is a physical defect caused by interactions with the external environment, such as rust, friction with the ground, etc. In these cases, the pot will need to be repaired or replaced. Apart from this case, you should know that catalysis only occurs when the pot’s temperature reaches 400 ° C.
The pot is composed of a ceramic filter; when the chemical reaction does not occur, the filtered particles mixed with unburned oil will form a deposit and clog the pot. This phenomenon is irreversible, which is why, when the catalytic converter is blocked, it will have to be replaced.
What Is The Catalytic Converter?
The catalytic converter is an element that makes up the exhaust line. Its purpose is to reduce vehicle pollution by filtering exhaust gases. Its particularity lies in using a chemical reaction called catalysis to clean up exhaust gases. Since it works most efficiently at high temperatures, it is usually placed immediately after the exhaust manifold.
On vehicles fitted with a particulate filter, it may or may not be used. If the vehicle is still equipped with it, the catalyst is usually placed before the particulate filter. This device is used both on vehicles gasoline than diesel.
An investigation has been launched to track down metal thieves after 15 exhaust parts were found in the boot of a vehicle parked on a street in the Merridale area of Wolverhampton on Tuesday.
It is suspected the car has been used to commit offences across the city after at least eight converter thefts were recorded from Monday night into Tuesday.
Officers are carrying out CCTV enquiries in a bid to establish the car’s movements and identify suspects.
Pc Adam Davenport from the Wolverhampton Police Taskforce, said: “This is a significant recovery. We believe people linked to the car have committed dozens of cat converter thefts in recent weeks and we’re following up several lines of enquiry.
“We appreciate that catalytic converter thefts are a real pain for motorists: they cause lots of inconvenience and are also expensive to replace.
“We’re targeting groups who we suspect are behind a large number of these thefts and hope to bring more good news soon.”