Galaxy Exhaust ... Cat Conv

[Guest Eric Simpson]

What do you think of after market parts, esp. cat conv. I THINK mine is bad and am looking at options. Any way to confirm a bad conv or not?

[Ivor_E_Tower]

Exhaust gas analysis (as per MoT)??

[seatkid]

Phone around a few independent MOT test centres and ask for cost of an emission check - say you are checking if the car is OK for MOT. I got one done on Golf for

[Ivor_E_Tower]

Ah, the great misnomer of a catalyst - I remember from school days that a catalyst does not get "used up" by the process which it aids, so a true cat will not need replacing during the lifetime of the vehicle (and pigs may fly).

[Richmond]

Ah, the great misnomer of a catalyst - I remember from school days that a catalyst does not get "used up" by the process which it aids, so a true cat will not need replacing during the lifetime of the vehicle (and pigs may fly).

A catalyst can have a finite life.

 

A catalyst is not consumed by the reaction which it catalyses and so may carry on indefinitely. However it can be 'poisoned' (for example by gaining a coating of oxidised catalyst material) either by a product of the reaction or by other materials with which it comes into contact as it is catalysing away. Car cats also get clogged with solid combustion products so that the exhaust gases do not contact the catalyst adequately. Poor running will accelerate this process.

 

Poisoning is inevitable in some applications of catalysts; I don't know whether this is so for car cats. Poor running of the engine is likely to contribute to poisoning of the catalyst; the cat's running temp may increase, accelerating poisoning reactions, and unburnt fuel is likely to cause poisoning or clogging.