Acura Catalytic Converters Make the Car More Environment-friendly

Vehicles today are fast becoming a necessity rather than a luxury. The increasing demand for automotive vehicles has greatly affected the environment and the amount of air pollution is steadily growing. To help solve this problem, car companies, like Acura, are tapping into their resources to produce environment-friendly cars. One of the earliest solutions that worked was the installation of catalytic converters into the vehicles.

The Acura catalytic converter has contributed a great deal in reducing toxic emissions in the atmosphere. It is the stainless steel box mounted in the exhaust system. A catalytic converter contains a catalyst made from a metal such as platinum, palladium or rhodium. A catalyst is defined as anything that induces or accelerates a change. The base of the Acura catalytic converter is protected from vibration and shock by a resilient ceramic or metallic mat. Catalytic converters have been used on cars since 1975. Back then only one catalytic converter was installed; today, cars may have two or more depending on the engine configuration and manufacturer. The Acura catalytic converter changes poisonous gases to harmless carbon dioxide, nitrogen, oxygen, and water. Most cars today are equipped with a three-way catalytic converter. This refers to the three emissions it helps to reduce, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons or volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and oxides of Nitrogen or NOx molecules. This type of catalytic converter uses two different types of catalysts, a reduction catalyst and an oxidization catalyst. Both consist of a base structure coated with a catalyst such as platinum, rhodium or palladium. The purpose is to create a structure that exposes the maximum surface area of the catalyst to the exhaust flow, while also minimizing the amount of catalyst required. Inside the catalytic converter is a honeycomb set of passageways or small ceramic beads coated with catalysts. A chemical reaction takes place within to make the pollutants less harmful.

An Acura catalytic converter operates in three stages. The first stage is the reduction catalyst. It uses platinum and rhodium to help reduce the nitrogen oxides emissions. Next, it reduces the unburned hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide by burning them over a platinum and palladium catalyst. This catalyst aids the reaction of the carbon oxides and hydrocarbons with the remaining oxygen in the exhaust gas. The final stage is a control system that monitors the exhaust stream. Produced results of this activity influences the way the fuel injection system is controlled. Still, unlike other cat-cons, high maintenance is not needed for an Acura catalytic converter. It just needs to be checked once in a while to ensure its efficiency. If vehicle performance begins to turn rough or if the car produces smoke from the tailpipe, it is recommended to have the vehicle check by a mechanic. Symptoms of a faulty or failing converter may include failing an emissions test, poor performance, increased engine temperature along with bucking of the car or hesitation. Neglecting these warning signs can cause expensive damage to the converter and may require a replacement.