What does a car catalyst affect and what is its service life?

Car exhaust gases in their initial form contain a large number of substances harmful to the health of living organisms and the environment. Neutralizers have been developed to protect against toxic and hazardous elements of car emissions. Chemical reactions occur in them, during which nitrogen oxide, gasoline vapors, hydrocarbons and other harmful substances are converted into water, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide that are safe for humans. If you want to sell your old spare part or just find out its cost, you can do this on the website https://autocatalystmarket.com/en/products/ford.

Working process

The neutralizer, passing toxic substances through the cellular structure of a ceramic or metal block, cleans the emissions and removes the final result of its work through the exhaust pipe. The exhaust is not completely cleaned, but it becomes noticeably cleaner.

Stages:

• entry of emissions into the unit
• chemical reaction of converting toxic elements into less harmful substances;
• the output of processed emissions, the degree of purification of which is monitored by the sensor and transmitted to the on-board computer of the car.

Immediately after starting the internal combustion engine, emissions are not purified. The device does not work at first, since the neutralizer has an operating temperature of 300° C.

The ideal temperature range for comfortable operation is 400-800 degrees Celsius. In case of heating to temperatures above 800, the cells of the neutralizer melt, as a result of which the cells begin to clog, and the service life is reduced.

What does this component affect?

A faulty neutralizer does not cope with the task of cleaning exhaust gases and has an adverse effect on the atmosphere. Unpurified emissions greatly pollute the air. The behavior of the car depends on the correct operation of the neutralizer.

If the neutralizer fails, the car loses power, it can hardly accelerate. The loss of power is accompanied by increased fuel consumption. The car consumes a lot of fuel, but drives poorly and over time may begin to stall while driving and stop starting at all. A clogged element also threatens to overheat the engine, since the air exchange in the internal combustion engine will be disrupted.

The on-board computer notifies about the malfunction with the check engine signal. The error lights up if the lambda probe transmits information to the on-board computer about the ineffective operation of the neutralizer. During diagnostics, the error code P0420, P043 appears.

Consequences of operating a car with a clogged element

It is not recommended to operate the car in such a case. This is an extremely unfavorable malfunction for the correct operation of the car, the untimely elimination of which can have serious consequences.

Failure of the filter unit is accompanied by:

• an increase in the amount of harmful emissions in the exhaust gases;
• a decrease in engine power;
• an increase in fuel consumption;
• difficulty starting the engine.

Long-term operation with a faulty neutralizer can lead to serious engine failure. If the part that fills the neutralizer is destroyed, filler particles can get into the engine cylinder. This can cause scoring on the pistons and cylinder walls.

You can independently determine the operability and malfunction of the part using the following method: bring your gloved hand to the exhaust pipe with the engine idling. If the shocks in your hand from the exhaust gases are barely noticeable, it is clogged. If the neutralizer is destroyed, a blue acrid smoke appears.