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Not typical, but Posted by Ari [Email] (#2847) [Profile/Gallery] (more from Ari) on Wed, 27 Jun 2001 09:08:21 In Reply to: Catalytic Converter Lifespans, Ricky J, Wed, 27 Jun 2001 02:50:17 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
Cats usually last much longer, but-
-First off, it could be due to a defect in that particular converter. Not everything comes from the factory perfect.
-It could be a design flaw. Somebody came up with a way to save a few cents, maybe a thinner substrate, a different internal mounting bracket, a different way to lay down the catalyst. The problem only shows up many thousands of miles later.
-It could be contamination. A bad tank of gas can quickly kill a cat. Some impurities from the refinery, or in the transport truck, or in the bottom of the tank at the gas station. The actual working part of the cat is the catalyst layer only a few molecules thick, and it doesn't take much to screw it up. As an example, one reason lead was removed from gas is that it will render a cat useless in almost no time at all.
Lastly, it could be a problem in the engine. Running too rich or lean for exended periods of time can kill a cat.
So, it's not normal. But there are a bunch of reasons why it could die early. That's the one certainty in cars - things will die, things will break. Entropy rules!
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