Best catalytic converter cleaner
Discussion
I've got into the habit of using Catalan about a week before MOT; almost as a "why not" to try and mitigate any possible emissions led failure.
I've absolutely no idea if it works or not, but my 3 ancient sheds, (one of them a diesel), have not been anywhere near a fail on any of the categories since i started that.
Of course this may well have happened WITHOUT the Cataclean; I am diligent in the servicing of them and they all get a 30 mile run at highish revs before getting popped into the garage first thing.
Hopefully someone who can help a bit more will be along in a minute
I've absolutely no idea if it works or not, but my 3 ancient sheds, (one of them a diesel), have not been anywhere near a fail on any of the categories since i started that.
Of course this may well have happened WITHOUT the Cataclean; I am diligent in the servicing of them and they all get a 30 mile run at highish revs before getting popped into the garage first thing.
Hopefully someone who can help a bit more will be along in a minute
Depends a lot on why you need one. A bottle of cleaner can't fix a cat that has melted, broken up inside or been coated in oil or coolant, and those are the usual reasons they stop working. So it's worth finding out what's going on before you spend money.
What's the car, and is this for a fault code (P0420 or similar), a failed emissions test or just an advisory?
A few things worth knowing:
- If it's a code, check the lambda sensors and look for misfires first. A misfire or a lazy sensor can look like a bad cat, and a misfire left alone is a good way to cook a new one too.
- If it's burning oil or losing coolant, sort that first, or any cat will fail again.
- On the MOT, petrol cars with a cat get the basic emissions test with limits of 0.2% CO and 200 ppm HC at fast idle (2,500 to 3,000 rpm), lambda between 0.97 and 1.03, and 0.3% CO at normal idle. These come from the DVSA MOT inspection manual. If you have the readings from a failed test, post them up, because they show whether it's marginal or well over.
- If it's marginal, a proper hot run (20 minutes or so on a fast road) before the test often helps more than any additive, because the cat works best when fully hot.
What's the car, and is this for a fault code (P0420 or similar), a failed emissions test or just an advisory?
A few things worth knowing:
- If it's a code, check the lambda sensors and look for misfires first. A misfire or a lazy sensor can look like a bad cat, and a misfire left alone is a good way to cook a new one too.
- If it's burning oil or losing coolant, sort that first, or any cat will fail again.
- On the MOT, petrol cars with a cat get the basic emissions test with limits of 0.2% CO and 200 ppm HC at fast idle (2,500 to 3,000 rpm), lambda between 0.97 and 1.03, and 0.3% CO at normal idle. These come from the DVSA MOT inspection manual. If you have the readings from a failed test, post them up, because they show whether it's marginal or well over.
- If it's marginal, a proper hot run (20 minutes or so on a fast road) before the test often helps more than any additive, because the cat works best when fully hot.
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