Plugged-up catalytic converter unlikely to cause permanent damage
Dear Car Talk:
I have a 2012 Ford Fiesta five-speed. The check engine light is on, and the computers at AutoZone and Big O say it’s the catalytic converter and oxygen sensors. This will cost me about $850 to fix. I’m pretty middle class. Since I’d rather buy lottery tickets with my money, can I just have a guy take out the catalytic converter and put in a straight pipe? We don’t have emissions testing where I live, in Indiana. Please tell me how dangerous it is to drive with a “bad” catalytic converter. Will it destroy my engine? Thanks. -- Marlyce
At some point, if the converter gets completely plugged up, it’ll diminish your power. And eventually it’ll prevent the car from running at all. It’d be like having a potato in your tailpipe. Then you’ll have to remove the converter if you want the car to run again. The bad news, Marlyce, is that it’s illegal to remove your catalytic converter. Federal law sets baseline emissions requirements for all cars in the United States, and gasoline-powered cars can’t meet those emissions requirements without catalytic converters.
Now, in reality, since Indiana does not require emissions testing, it’s unclear to me how you would ever get caught. But you’d still have to wrestle with something known as your conscience.
So it’s your choice. You could save $850 but increase the chances that you, your kids and your neighbors will get asthma, brain tumors and mutated DNA. Or you could spend the $850, sleep well at night, but wake up every morning and wish you had an extra $850.
Actually, you don’t say how many miles are on your Fiesta. But emissions components -- including catalytic converters and oxygen sensors -- are all warranted for eight years or 80,000 miles. So if you’ve got 79,999 miles on the odometer, have it flat-bedded to the dealer and get that stuff replaced for free.
If you’re out of warranty, I can’t tell you what to do, Marlyce. But if I could, I’d tell you to be a good citizen and replace the converter.