Being a car owner is not just a privilege but a responsibility as well. On the one hand, you get to be the commander of your own commute, get a much greater freedom of travel and enjoy prospects of going on a road trip. However, if you’re not careful enough and neglect the maintenance of the vehicle, you risk having this entire situation backfire. If you’re not paying a close attention to your car and its maintenance, you can end up paying more for repairs, ruining your car’s engine performance and, of course, boosting the carbon footprint of your car to the intolerable levels.
One of the ways you can make all of this worse is by neglecting your catalytic converter, which is a shame, seeing as how all it takes to keep it in optimal shape is the use of a catalytic converter cleaner. Here are some of the perks that this positive car maintenance practice brings.
Why they matter?
While a lot of people know the significance of their car’s exhaust system, they still fail to understand the role of a catalytic converter in the whole of this ordeal. Namely, as a result of its fossil-fuel-run system, cars emit gasses and pollutants that are harmful to both humans and the environment in general. This is where catalytic converters come in. What they do is convert some of these gasses into less-toxic pollutants making them somewhat less harmful to the environment, in general. Still, over the course of time, your converter might get clogged and start showing some signs of slowing down. Needless to say, this puts their primary function at risk, which is something you should definitely not allow.
How do they work?
Another concern that some people have with these converters is the way in which they are applied to the car. In fact, a lot of people don’t even know whether this is something they should attempt to do on their own, or is it something that they should entrust to a mechanic. Basically, all you have to do here is create an access to the intake pipe and start the engine. Next, you need to create a spray stream and clean the system while the engine is running. For the optimal effect, you need to do so with at least 2000 – 3000 rpm. Finally, it’s vital to apply this only to a working engine, seeing as how otherwise, you stand to make more harm than you can do good. Keep in mind that if you need a new catalytic converter in your car, this might not be able to cut it.
The benefits are numerous
The first benefit you stand to reap by cleaning your catalytic converter is the lowering of harmful emissions, which is the primary function of this car part, in the first place. Next, you need to be aware that not all of this carbon leaves your vehicle, which might sound like a good thing, although it’s actually not since it only stays in order to clog your engine. In turn, this lowers down the performance of your engine which means that A) you have to spend more on your car’s maintenance, B) it requires more fuel to run and C) it makes it incredibly hazardous.
This means that with the use of a catalytic converter cleaner, you stand to rejuvenate your vehicle, make it eco-friendlier and even more frugal to run. The cost of an average catalytic converter cleaner goes somewhere around $20 per 16-ounce package, which is a massive save when compared to the cost of getting a new car part or replacing your vehicle altogether. The performance of your vehicle alone means a reduced need for fuel, which is why your gas station bills alone will be more than able to justify this purchase. Still, the quality of the cleaner alone may make a huge difference, which is why you should probably go with a high-end catalytic converter cleaner instead of trying to save some money on this end.
In conclusion
At the end of the day, you need to understand that the frequency at which you use your car depends on so many variables. People who use their car on a daily basis and frequently go on road trips need to use it more frequently than those who just leave their vehicle in the garage most of the time. The type of gas your car runs on may have the impact on this, as well.
The trickiest thing is that when everything seems great, you probably feel no need to do anything, yet, once the moment finally arrives it might already be too late. So, it’s advisable to do this a few times a year, seeing as how it’s a simple and low-cost activity anyhow. In return, you get to save the environment, your vehicle and your budget at the same time.