Author: Anthony Fontanelle
Gasoline-powered vehicles such as your Pontiac are among the major contributors to urban air pollution. This can be attributed to the high quantities of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons that are being produced by the normal combustion process of your car. If these burnt gases are left uncontrolled, they would eventually contribute to urban smog, as well as heart and respiratory heart problems. To protect the air quality and improve the quality of air, your Pontiac vehicle has been equipped with a group of emission-control components known as the exhaust system. This group of car parts serves the main function of conveying burnt gases from your internal combustion engine. The Pontiac catalytic converter is an indispensable part of your exhaust system. It looks very much like the muffler, and can be usually seen mounted under the vehicle. It was first used in cars three decades ago, and has evolved into a more complex and more reliable emission control component because of automotive technology.
The number of catalytic converters installed on your vehicle depends on your car’s configurations. Some have 1 while others have 2 catalytic converters. But no matter how many catalytic converters you may have on your car, they still serve the same purpose—that is, to significantly minimize the harmful poisonous gases in your exhaust gases. A typical Pontiac catalytic converter is made up of a honeycomb form catalyst that is protected by a stainless steel canister. The interior surface of your Pontiac catalytic converter within the honeycomb structure is coated with catalytic metals such as rhodium, palladium, and platinum. There are 2 catalysts present in every catalytic converter—an oxidation catalyst and a reduction catalyst. The oxidation catalyst burns all the byproducts of your fuel combustion such as the carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. On the other hand, the reduction catalyst ensures that the nitrogen oxides are turned into harmless emissions.
There are 2 types of catalytic converter: the two-way converter and the three-way converter. Also known as an oxidation catalytic converter, the two-way catalytic converter makes use of the oxidation process to transform the harmful pollutants into harmless gases. Through adsorption, the oxygen molecules, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbon are simplified into water vapor and carbon dioxide, which eventually goes out of the tailpipe. The three-way catalytic converter oxidizes the hydrocarbons and carbon monoxides and at the same time transforms the nitrogen oxides into less harmful nitrogen and oxygen. This type of catalytic converter is used in conjunction with the feedback engine management and fuel injection of the car. Your Pontiac catalytic converter can last for over 100,000 miles if properly maintained. A worn out catalytic converter can decrease the performance level and fuel economy of your engine, aside from contributing to urban pollution and health problems. You can easily determine if your Pontiac catalytic converter needs replacement when you hear some rattling noises from the catalyst, especially when your car is increasing speed. A defective oxygen sensor and poor maintenance are some of the leading causes of a worn out catalytic converter. So when this happens, do not think twice on replacing your defective Pontiac catalytic converter with a new one in order to maintain the emission control functions of your car.
About the Author:Anthony Fontanelle is a 35-year-old automotive buff who grew up in the Windy City. He does freelance work for an automotive magazine when he is not busy customizing cars in his shop.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/high-quality-pontiac-catalytic-converter-for-safer-and-cleaner-emissions-213283.html