What you should Know before buying or installing a Catalytic Converter

• What is Catalytic converter?

Catalytic converter is the most important part of car exhaust emission control. . It oxidizes toxic CO, NO and HC through catalyst to produce non-toxic gases such as carbon dioxide, water and nitrogen. The components of catalytic converters mainly include Stainless Steel shield, Honeycomb Ceramic Substrate and catalyst ( Palladium, Platinum, Rhodium, Rare Earth) coated on the Substrate

• What should be paid attention to when selecting a catalytic converter?

1: Catalyst Content: The catalyst is the most critical part to eliminate p0420 code and pass the emission inspection. Due to the scarcity of precious metals, palladium, platinum and rhodium are almost as precious as gold, or even more expensive than gold. For a catalytic converter, the higher the content of precious metals, the higher catalytic performance, the longer the service life, and the higher the cost.

The Catalyst content can be preliminarily distinguished by the volume, size and color of ceramic substrate. The larger the volume of the bulged part of the stainless steel shell, the larger the volume of the internal ceramic core, which is coated with color to prove that its quality is better, However, This method is not completely accurate, advanced information needs to be obtained through emission inspection.

2: EPA Code: If you do not have the conditions and experience to test a good catalytic converter, Dont worry , The US EPA has selected for you. Pay attention to the Code on the catalytic Converter Body, There should to be an “EPA Code” on the good catalytic converter body. This means that its catalytic performance has passed the strict test of the testing agency designated by the US EPA. EPA codes are in the following format: N/XX/YYYY/ZZZZ,

N-indicates a new converter

XX-is the manufacturer’s code issued by EPA

YYYY-a numerical designation of the vehicle application or part number

ZZZZ-is the month and year of manufacture

If you buy a Catalytic Converter without EPA Code or CARB code, Only other formats of encoding, even no encoding. It is Fake one and illegal to vend and use it in the United States, Even though it may be cheap, it doesnt work and it wastes the money you pay for installing it.

You can find EPA Code on Every JT Catalytic Converter in the following Format: N/JIE/XXXXXXXX. That is evidence of excellent quality of JT catalytic converter

• What causes catalytic converter failure?

1. The car mileage is too long. The minimum design service life of the original catalytic converter is 8-16 miles. If your car has been driven for over 16 miles and you get a p0420 code, Thats because the catalytic converter have reached its service life, so you can replace and purchase the catalytic converter directly.

2. Inferior Gasoline is added. Some lower priced gasoline and engine oil contain lead or sulfur, which may Damages the catalyst coating. and block the catalytic converter.

3. leakage occurs in other parts of the exhaust system, such as engine exhaust manifold, exhaust pipe, muffler, etc.

4. Engine misfire, timing lag, engine coolant temperature (ECT) sensor fault and oxygen sensor fault. Engine and sensor faults may damage the catalytic converter. If this happened, it is recommended to Repair the engine and replace sensor together with the catalytic converter. Because the old catalytic converter has been damaged.

Even if the replacement of catalytic converter can solve 99% of the p0420 problem, it is still recommended to solve the above problems and check the car situation when after installation.

Resolve the cause of damage to the previous catalytic converter, This helps the new catalytic converter works better and last longer.