Catalytic converter hazards

Government auto emissions control legislation mandates that virtually all cars built or sold in the U. Se equipped with a catalytic converter. A smart device, catalytic converters help to convert dangerous and polluting exhaust gases into less harmful carbon dioxide and water. As helpful of a device that it is, there are some hazards that come with the use of a catalytic converter. Read on to learn what you need to know about your vehicle’s catalytic converter. Many consider a catalytic converter to be a godsend. With pollution levels ever climbing, the U. S. government acted to reduce harmful pollutants in a step to clean up the environment. The Environmental Protection Agency was formed by the Nixon Administration and the agency was instrumental in passing the Clean Air Act to help America control pollution. Since 1975 virtually every passenger vehicle has come equipped with a catalytic converter. As helpful as catalytic converters can be, they can be problematic. Besides catalytic converter failure, which generally goes unnoticed until your vehicle flunks its next inspection, it is the intense heat of the unit that can cause problems. If you work on your own vehicle, you need to let your car cool down completely before working near the exhaust system. Catalytic converters get very hot, as hot as 1800 degrees, and any burn sustained from touching a hot converter can be very dangerous, even deadly. Motorists have also learned that a catalytic converter can be a fire hazard. For the past three decades police and fire department reports have indicated that many car fires have been started because a motorist parked their car over dry leaves. Even when the engine is off the hot converter can drop a spark which can ignite leaves underneath. If that happens, your car can be engulfed in mere minutes and destroyed by the conflagration. There are also hazards that occur to the catalytic converter itself. Because the unit burns at such hot temperatures, catalytic converters can suffer rapid thermal deactivation. Some experts suggest switching to synthetic engine oil to help reduce phosphorous contaminants a known contributor to catalytic converter failure. No, you cannot legally remove your catalytic converter as you may become subject to stiff fines and penalties. Yes, if your car was built before 1975, none of these concerns matter to ou so enjoy your classic and let her rip without pollution controls holding you back!

Car scratches go away

Much as you do take extra care so that your car’s paint would not get marred by dents, scratches could happen. Scratches on your car can small and would not even be noticeable. However, if these accumulate, you can say goodbye to a car that looks like it was just purchased from the dealership. These small scratches on your vehicle can be easily fixed using touch-up paint. However, if the scratch seems to be deep and large enough, then these may then need some professional assistance. If your car’s paint is enameled, then you can actually have to ask for professional help before you do anything or you just might mess up your car’s paint. However, if it is now, then you can go ahead and do the repairing yourself. Body compound and primer paint should help you do the job well. If you are going to purchase primer paint, find a primer paint that holds a light color. The very reason behind this is that when you use touch-up paint, you can cover it up easily. Before you do anything, it is important that you have the area around the scratch clean. You can wash the area using a mild laundry detergent so that any kind of coatings or wax would be removed. If there are coatings or wax on it, you might have trouble when you apply the new paint. When the area is clean, sand the scratch. You can use a fine grained sandpaper to do this. And if you notice any rust on it, sand it away. After this is done, remember to remove all the dust. Then start isolating the scratch using some masking tape and newspapers. Leave around a half inch around the scratch. This would be the space to work on the scratch. Apply the body compound to the scratch. Make sure you use a plastic tool to do this so that there would not be any additional scratches on your car’s paint. After applying, let it harden. And when it is already hard, sand the compound until it is level and blow away any of the dust. The primer paint would come in handy now as you spray it to the scratch. Let it dry through the night. Apply the right touch-up paint on it the following morning. If you are not sure what color it would be, you can check your vehicle’s vehicle identification number. After applying the touch-up paint, let it dry overnight and come morning, your vehicle looks like the scratch has never been there.