Carbon monoxide and other dangerous gasses produced by a car’s engine can reach the atmosphere if they aren’t filtered out by a catalytic converter.
While a damaged catalytic converter won’t stop your automobile from working, it can get you in trouble with the law if you drive it.
As a result, it is critical that you maintain the catalytic converter on your vehicle at all times. Is your car’s catalyst converter fractured and you’re unsure of what caused it? There are many reasons why your catalytic converter may be fractured, and we’ll discuss them in this post.
What causes a cracked catalytic converter?
Catalytic converters can fail for a variety of causes, including excessive age, defective spark plugs, damaged oxygen sensors, and an inappropriate air-to-fuel ratio.
Let’s take a look at each of these causes in turn.
1. Old age
A fractured catalytic converter might be caused by old age. A car’s catalytic converter is at greater risk of cracking after 100k miles if it is older. New cars almost seldom have this issue unless there was a manufacturing flaw in the vehicle in the first place.
When a car’s catalytic converter is old and worn, it is more prone to cracks when it is put to a lot of strain.
2. Oxygen sensor not functioning properly
The oxygen sensor serves a critical role in determining how many exhaust fumes are released from the engine. To help the engine’s computer decide the correct air-to-fuel ratio, this component delivers real-time data on the amount of unburned oxygen in the exhaust.
As a result of a malfunctioning oxygen sensor, your car’s engine may be running too lean or rich, both of which are detrimental to the vehicle’s performance.
Having a catalytic converter that is overly rich can lead to cracking and, in the worst-case scenario, a meltdown.
3. Bad spark plugs
Unburned fuel can enter the exhaust system and ignite inside the catalytic converter if the spark plugs malfunction or don’t fire at all. This can cause the converter to shatter or melt down completely.
If your catalytic converter is fractured and you have faulty spark plugs, the bad spark plug could be the cause.
4. Out of tune engine
The state of your catalytic converter is heavily dependent on the health of your engine. You may have a cracked catalytic converter if your engine is out of tune.
A cracked catalytic converter is a sign that your engine is overheating, which can lead to engine damage and even engine failure.
5. Excess fuel entering the exhaust
Your car’s combustion chamber is the only place where the gas that fuels it should be burned. Catalytic converter failure may occur when the exhaust gas hits the catalytic converter and ignites, causing it to burst into flames.
6. Road damage
The catalytic chamber might potentially be broken by road damage. This is particularly common among drivers of vehicles with minimal off-road clearance.
It is easy for the catalytic converter to break if it is dropped on its side or if it is handled roughly. Catalytic converters can be damaged if they come into contact with small pieces of debris when traveling off the beaten path.
Is it worth it to fix a cracked catalytic converter?
It’s common for people to wonder if they should repair or replace their catalytic converter if they discover that it’s cracked.
Steel putty can be used to repair a damaged catalytic converter. However, if it is fixed, it will only be temporary. If you want a long-term solution, you should replace the cracked catalytic converter with a new one.
This is the most effective and reliable method of resolving the issue. Mechanics use a wide range of experimental and short-lived repair techniques.
How to fix a cracked catalytic converter?
There are two ways to fix a fractured catalytic converter. Steel putty and foam of permanent seal can be used to seal fissures.
This is a less expensive approach, but the benefits are only short-lived… Once a crack appears in the catalytic converter, it will only widen with time.
If you use steel putty to fill in the cracks, your solution will only last a short time. A new catalytic converter is the best way to fix a damaged or fractured one.
Replacing a catalytic converter, on the other hand, is not cheap. In fact, the high expense of a new catalytic converter is one of the primary factors driving the widespread use of steel putty as a crack sealant.
Depending on your automobile model, replacing a fractured catalytic converter might cost anywhere from $945 to $2470 on average. The long-term benefits of replacing a damaged catalytic converter outweigh the costs.
What does a cracked catalytic converter sound like?
The rattling noises of a damaged catalytic converter will get worse over time. When you first turn the key in the ignition, the rattling is usually the loudest.
Rattling sounds are caused by the honeycomb pattern of the catalyst metal, palladium or platinum, which breaks off when the converter cracks.
There will be a rattling sound similar to a stone in a tin if the catalytic converter is fractured.
Final thoughts
There may be a number of possible causes for a catalytic converter to become fractured, and maybe this article has provided some answers.
If you suspect that your catalytic converter may be broken, have it inspected by a reputable mechanic as soon as possible.
To ensure that your replacement catalytic converter doesn’t crack, you’ll need to identify the root source of the problem.
