Is It Time to Replace Your Car’s Catalytic Converter?

Your Maserati needs a fully functioning catalytic converter to turn the toxic emissions of your exhaust into relatively harmless gases and vapor. Without effective converters on our vehicles, the air in most cities would rapidly become unbearable. But these ingenious and rather complex exhaust accessories can occasionally break down. The following are five signs that you should visit your local Maserati dealer to have your converter repaired or replaced.

Reduced Fuel Economy

Using ceramic-coded beads, precious metals, and a chemical process, the converter underneath your Maserati cleans nitrogen oxide, hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide from your exhaust. This process requires an uninhibited airflow, which can become restricted if the converter develops a fault. A blocked outflow of the exhaust will slow down the inflow of oxygen into the engine itself, hindering the efficiency of the combustion chambers. As a result, you’ll reach fewer miles for each gallon of fuel burned.

So if you ever notice your mileage dropping, meaning you have to visit the gas station more often, then your converter might be to blame. Have a trusted technician inspect and repair the problem right away.

Misfiring Engine

If airflow into the engine’s combustion chambers becomes restricted, the fuel-air mixture becomes unbalanced. This leads to various problems, including the spark plugs getting coated in a sooty residue.

Spark plugs coated in this way can no longer ignite the unbalanced fuel-air mixture as effectively. You’ll experience this as frequent misfiring, rough idling, reduced engine power, excessive revving, and perhaps even difficulty starting your car.

Thick Smoke From Your Tailpipe

The excess fuel in your combustion chambers will eventually force its way through your converter and escape in the form of black smoke from your tailpipe. As there is unburned fuel in the mixture, it might even ignite on the way out, in which case you’ll see flames in the smoke. This is a surefire sign it’s time to take your car along to a technician.

Rattling Sounds From Below

As the converter rests on the underside of your car, between the muffler and the engine, it can occasionally be damaged by a severe bump over a curb or pothole. In this case, delicate meshes inside the converter can become dislodged, or the converter itself can be loosened. In either case, you’re likely to hear strange rattling and knocking sounds from under your car.

Blinking”Check Engine” Light

Every part of your Maserati is jam-packed with state-of-the-art computer chips and sensors. Any engine trouble as a result of a faulty converter will be picked up quickly and you’ll see the “check engine” light come to life on your dashboard. This light might indicate converter trouble, or ir might point to another problem altogether, and it should never be ignored.

To have your converter inspected, repaired, or replaced by certified professionals today, visit Performance Maserati. We’re the region’s one-stop-shop for all your Maserati purchasing or servicing needs, whatever they may be.