Technical Catalytic Converter Issue!

[Puntoprobz]

Hi gang

I hope I’m posting in the right place! Hoping the punto hive mind can help me.

I’ve got a 2006 punto dynamic

I had it MOTd 2 weeks ago and it passed with no issues on the emissions

Since it passed, it’s suddenly been losing power and struggling up hills, and drinking fuel. Yesterday I was on the motorway and it couldn’t get over 60mph and then I could feel banging from the engine

Roadside technician diagnosed a blocked catalytic converter and said it’s a goner. It still drives but was told of it gets too hot it will catch fire.

Is there anything I can do? There’s no engine light on, neither the MOT garage or the fixing mechanic noticed anything when it was in.

I’m wondering if a bottle of cataclean will help? Or a service!

if you have any ideas let me know!

Thanks

 

[AndyRKett]

You have two options 1. Replace it. Or 2. Knock the insides out of the catalytic converter, drive it till the next mot, if it won’t pass the next mot replace it.

It’s not something anyone checks when servicing the car or doing a mot so no one would have noticed anything. The inside of the catalytic converter is like a honey comb of channels to let the gases through if that honeycomb breaks up it blocks the whole exhaust

 

[Puntoprobz]

You have two options 1. Replace it. Or 2. Knock the insides out of the catalytic converter, drive it till the next mot, if it won’t pass the next mot replace it.

It’s not something anyone checks when servicing the car or doing a mot so no one would have noticed anything. The inside of the catalytic converter is like a honey comb of channels to let the gases through if that honeycomb breaks up it blocks the whole exhaust

Hi Andy! Thanks for replying!

How would I knock the insides out? Is it something I can do myself?

 

[chaos]

A knackered cat sounds like a symptom rather than the cause. If it's been drinking (and smelling of) fuel, losing power and misfiring, then that would suggest something like a coil pack has failed first. Then raw fuel ends up in the exhaust, combusts over the cat, and causes thermal damage to it.

I would refit a new cat TBH - should be suitable aftermarket ones available. If you were to fix the fuelling issue that I suspect you have then remove the cat, knock out the insides then refit the empty can you'll get the check engine light on. The lambda sensor downstream of the cat will measure that there's an issue (i.e. no emissions conversion taking place). That stuff you would have knocked out is actually pretty valuable - there's a reason why people nick them! Plus hot end exhaust removal on old vehicles can be a challenge...

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

This car's quite old and Cats do fail simply because they get old. - what's the mileage on it? - however a blocked cat is likely to be either due to the honeycomb collapsing or blocking up. I guess it's quite likely an engine management problem exists which is causing over fueling, excess generation of carbon and thus blocking the cat.

By the way folks, avoid driving through any water that's deep enough to submerge, or semi submerge the cat. Thermal shock can cause internal damage to the honeycomb. It used to be that parking up in a field was a very dodgy thing to do as the hot cat could easily set fire to dry long grass! not such a risk now as most have the cat mounted directly to the exhaust manifold and not under the floor so the grass would have to be very long indeed to touch it.

 

[Puntoprobz]

Hi all, thanks for your replies! It’s a 2006 punto dynamic 8V 1.2 petrol 5 door manual and the mileage is 90100

At this stage I’d like it to last until I can buy a new vehicle (within a month). Do you think it’s safe for me to drive short journeys? I can’t afford to replace the cat and my mechanical skills are not good enough to hollow it out!

A second question; what would you sell it for in its current condition? Baring in mind everything else is fine and it’s got 12 months MOT …

Thanks guys!

 

[AndyRKett]

Hi Andy! Thanks for replying!

How would I knock the insides out? Is it something I can do myself?

You would need to unbolt the exhaust just behind the catalytic convertor and then with something like a pole or other long bit of metal poke it up into the Catalytic convertor and bash out the insides. There are no doubt some video's on YouTube of someone showing you how to do it.

The main issue would be very rusty bolts on the exhaust that might need to be cut off and replaced. Not beyond someone to do this at home, but depends how confident you are with tools and what you have in the tool box at home.