Q: My car sounds like a go cart upon acceleration and the Check Engine Light is on - possible problem with the catalytic converter
My car just began sounding like a little go cart upon acceleration and it seemed to have less power in the gas pedal. A few minutes later the check engine light came on. Autozone diagnostic said read the catalytic converter had a problem. My question is, how easy is this to fix. Is it drivable for a period of time then will it leave me stranded if it becomes too bad? Is it actually the converter or something worse?
My car has 137000 miles.
My car has a manual transmission.
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| Check Engine Light is on Inspection | $94.99 - $114.99 | Get a Quote |
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As you may know, the catalytic converter converts toxic unburnt fuel gases into less harmful gases that are released into the environment. When this is not working properly, these gases tend to back up in the exhaust system of your car, causing it not to be able to expel the exhaust properly.
This will cause your car to run very poorly as you have experienced. You may also experience very poor fuel mileage as a result. I would recommend having this looked at very soon by an expert, such as one from YourMechanic, who can determine why the Check Engine Light is on and replace the catalytic converter if needed.
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