Ideally, Chevrolet catalytic converters are made to last as long as the vehicle. To give you an idea, the average life of a vehicle is about 100,000 miles. However, there are unavoidable incidents that contribute to the deterioration of your catalytic converter. Here are some tips for prolonging the service life of your catalytic converter.

Avert external damage

The catalytic converter is at a disadvantage when it comes to its positioning. Being that it is found near the exhaust which is in a low position; the cat converter is prone to bumps, dings and dents. The best way to prevent this is to be extra careful when driving in the night or in a bad weather. The bumps and dents may not develop into a crack but the shock of the bumps can affect that cat converter's efficiency.

Prevent internal damage

If you can prevent exterior damage with proper driving and awareness, you can avoid interior damage by properly maintaining the engine. Internal damage is usually caused by rich fuel. So have your car regularly tuned up and have the Oxygen sensor checked.

No to leaded gas

Never use leaded gas. Called the catalyst poison, you only need a tank of lead to completely destroy your Chevrolet catalytic converter. Not only will you end up with smoke belching Chevy, the lead can also cause the converter to overheat and catch fire.

Never run out of fuel

With today's economy, it is not unusual to allow gas tanks to go on low. And most of the times, people don't gas up unless the gas line is below empty. When your Chevy runs out of gas, the fuel pressure drops and leads to lean engine operation. This means that raw (un-burnt) gas reaches the catalytic converter. The catalytic converter ends up burning the raw gas which causes it to overheat.

Pay attention to your sparks and plugs

Another common issue of the clogged catalytic converters is misfiring spark plugs. Routinely check the condition of the plugs and the fuses as they are the most overlooked. When one of the plugs are faulty, debris can get into the catalytic converter reaching the causing it to clog and the air fail to get out to the muffler.

Considered to be one of the greatest emission control invention in history, the catalytic converter prevents toxic fumes from your Chevy engine from reaching the air that we breathe. The exhaust gases that our vehicle produces makes its last stop in catalytic converter where some of the harmful emissions are retained and converted into less harmful elements like Nitrogen, Carbon Dioxide and water vapor. It is an acknowledged effective tool against air pollution that driving a vehicle without a working cat converter is considered illegal in most states in the US. So it very important to make sure you know how to troubleshoot simple cat converter issues not only because you need to abide by the law, but also, because you need to be environmentally responsible.

Power Loss

When driving or accelerating, you notice a sudden decrease in your engine power. This is a clear indication that the cat converter came in contact with an abnormal amount of unused fuel that burned in the converter instead. This is normally caused by a leak, which prevents the fuel from reaching the engine. The fuel ends up burning the ceramic monolith inside the cat converter.

Smells like rotten eggs

When driving, you smell sulfuric acid or rotten eggs. This is a sign that you have a catalytic converter failure due to improper fuel mixture. Although the most evident, it is the last symptom that comes up. This symptom means that the converter might already be damaged and either needs immediate repair or replacement.

Rough Idling and Stalling

When your Chevy's engine struggles or stalls while idling, then it may have a clogged catalytic converter. You can simply drive your car to test its performance and engine. If you feel the engine hesitating or struggling and showing abnormally rough exhaust back pressure then you might want to check the cat converter. More often than not, the issue is caused by something else, you can at least rule out the cat converter in the end.

Visible Damage

Roll your sleeves up and check the condition of your Chevrolet catalytic converter. Inspect its external housing and check for discolorations and melting signs. When rich fuel mixture enters the converter, it overheats and burns the converter itself. This causes the molten spots that could eventually cause clogging. Also check for visible dings and dents caused by debris hitting the converter. The dings and dents can develop into full-blown cracks and breaks which in turn will result in stronger exhaust system back-pressure.

The Chevy catalytic converter is a valuable exhaust component, designed to reduce the'amount of dangerous chemicals produced by your vehicle. The process of engine combustion produces a number of chemicals that are poisonous to both the environment and humans. There are smog-producing hydrocarbons expelled in vehicle exhaust, a byproduct of unburned fuel as it evaporates. Engine combustion produces carbon monoxide, which is an odorless and colorless gas and'is poisonous to humans. Nitrogen oxides are also produced as a waste product of engine operation, contributing to acid rain and irritating to mucus membranes. The Chevy catalytic converter is designed to sift a great deal of these chemicals from the vehicle exhaust fumes before they reach the open air, controlling the level of pollution produced by the vehicle. The Chevy catalytic converter uses a ceramic structure with a honeycomb design, coated with a catalyst metal to produce a chemical reaction with the molecules of these chemicals as they pass through. This chemical reaction causes some of the molecules of these pollutants to become trapped or burn away as they travel through the Chevy catalytic converter, greatly reducing the amount released into the environment. The Chevy catalytic converter is quite efficient, saving the environment and the air we breathe from much of the contamination that would otherwise be expelled directly into the air, causing dangerous levels of pollution for all of us. We carry a selection of quality Chevy catalytic converter replacements in our user-friendly online catalog. Our site is secure and efficient, making it fast and easy to order your Chevy catalytic converter replacement or our toll-free phone line can take your order just as conveniently.