Your Ford’s catalytic converter is responsible for reducing pollution caused by combustion. The combustion process generates large amounts of dangerous chemicals, including carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide. The converter uses heat, pressure, and chemical reactions to convert these chemicals into less harmful ones. As your Ford dealer, we’d like you to know some signs that your converter could be failing.
Black Exhaust Smoke
Ordinary exhaust smoke is thin and white-gray. If your
exhaust starts to produce thick black smoke, this is usually a sign that your
converter is damaged. The black smoke has an acrid smell like fuel combined
with the rotten egg scent of hydrogen sulfide. The presence of these chemicals
means that fuel residue is passing through the converter without being changed.
Our technicians will need to examine your converter to find the cause of the
damage. The converter may have failed due to age, or it could have been damaged
by the side effects of engine problems. Depending on the cause of the problem,
we may be able to repair your converter, or we may have to replace it.
You’re Using Too Much Fuel
Increased fuel consumption can be a sign of a converter
problem. Your engine depends on a mixture of air and fuel to produce
combustion, and these elements have to mix in a precise ratio. Combustion
requires fourteen times more air than fuel for the mixture to ignite correctly
inside the cylinders. One of the functions of the converter is to ensure that
sufficient air enters the engine for combustion to take place.
Oxygen sensors connected to the converter monitor the level of air inside your
engine. If one of these sensors is damaged, it will provide the wrong
information to your computer. If your engine doesn’t receive enough air, much
of the fuel in the engine won’t ignite and will be dumped into the exhaust
system. This unburnt fuel is wasted and will cause your fuel efficiency to
drop.
Starting Problems
Most starting problems are caused by a failure with the battery, the alternator, or the starter motor. A blocked converter can also cause starting problems, as it prevents exhaust gases from leaving your engine. If your engine starts and then dies almost immediately, you probably have a blocked converter.
The combustion process will start as soon as your engine turns over, and the cylinders will produce fuel residue when their contents ignite. Due to the blockage in the converter, these exhaust gases will stay in the engine instead of being forced out. The large amount of unburnt fuel in the engine will quickly cause your engine to cut out. We can remove the blockage to fix this problem.
If you suspect you have a converter problem, call us right away at Crain Ford of Little Rock.
Image via Ford.
