Why Does A Catalytic Converter Become Scrap?

Posted: December 2, 2024


why catalytic converters become scrap

First, what does a catalytic converter do?

The catalytic converter is located under the car as part of the exhaust system. Because it sits under the car it will be exposed to all types of weather and road conditions thru its life span.

Catalytic converters are a part of the exhaust system, the job of the converter is to reduce the toxic gases and pollutants from engine exhaust.  The converter’s catalyst (honeycomb) is made up of palladium, rhodium, and palladium.

Typically, because of new regulations, the need for efficient and good catalytic converters are more of a focus for cat manufacturers.

*Keep In Mind* A catalytic converter oftentimes gets mistaken as a muffler. There is a big difference including the weight of the muffler is going to be much less than that of a catalytic converter.

Why Do Catalytic Converters Go Bad?

Catalytic converters have a life span of about 10+ years, but as they age they can get clogged, overheated, or damaged losing pieces of the honeycomb inside. When the catalytic converter starts to degrade this can affect the engine’s performance and will ultimately cause engine failure.

Suggested Reading: Rhodium: What Is It & How Does It Affect Scrap Prices?

A misfiring spark plug or a leaky exhaust valve can cause catalytic converters to overheat. This may be something that a car mechanic diagnoses.

Below Are the Symptoms of a Bad Catalytic Converter:

  • Sluggish performance of the engine
  • Loss of acceleration
  • Dark exhaust smoke
  • Excessive heat from under the vehicle
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Is My Catalytic Converter Going Bad?

If you are asking yourself that question, you may want to reach out to your local car mechanic and see if they can find out if there is an issue with your catalytic converter. If it is terrible and needs to be scrapped, ask the mechanic for the catalytic converter back. It’s rightfully yours to keep and scrap.

Alright, I have my Scrap Cat. Now What?

Get A Quote from RRCats!

When sending any catalytic converters to the team for a price quote, make sure that you take a picture of the whole catalytic converter from overhead (like this!) – so that we can see the shape and size of the converter.

The second picture you want to send is the serial number.

Lastly, you want to send a picture of both sides of the cat so we can see that it’s complete and not missing any material.

FAIR. CONSISTENT. RELIABLE.

Send your photos to receive a quote today!

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We at RRCats.com want to thank you for your patronage and for giving us the chance to earn your business & service your Catalytic Converter.

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