Will a Faulty Catalytic Converter Affect Fuel Consumption?
1 Answers
A faulty catalytic converter will affect fuel consumption. Its primary impact is on vehicle emissions. Lower emissions indicate more complete fuel combustion and better fuel efficiency. When the catalytic converter fails, emissions increase, and gasoline cannot be fully combusted and utilized, naturally leading to higher fuel consumption. Specific manifestations of a damaged catalytic converter: 1. Increased Tailpipe Pollution: Without the catalytic converter's ability to reduce harmful emissions, vehicle exhaust pollution will worsen. 2. Illuminated Engine Warning Light: When the engine's electronic control unit (ECU) fails to detect or detects abnormal signals from the oxygen sensor, the engine warning light will illuminate. 3. Increased Fuel Consumption and Reduced Power: A damaged catalytic converter affects the oxygen sensor's signal accuracy, preventing the engine from precisely controlling fuel injection. This results in increased fuel consumption and reduced power. 4. Poor Exhaust Flow and Engine Overheating: Catalytic converter failure is often caused by clogging, which leads to the accumulation of high-temperature exhaust gases, increasing the risk of engine overheating. 5. Carbon Buildup: As the air-fuel ratio in the combustion chamber becomes severely imbalanced, incomplete combustion generates excessive carbon deposits, accumulating in the cylinder and exacerbating chronic engine issues.
