Your car’s exhaust system is key to the dissipation of gases that are created by the engine’s operation. These gasses are potentially extremely harmful to both the environment and the car’s occupants. Exhaust gasses leaking into the car can cause drowsiness and travel sickness, whilst a damaged or corroded exhaust system is likely to increase fuel consumption and can sometimes damage other components.
We stock and fit a wide range of aftermarket exhausts from all leading manufacturers, including Walker, Timax and EuroFlo.
A catalytic converter is a device that converts three harmful compounds in vehicle exhaust gasses into harmless compounds.
These harmful compounds are:
- Hydrocarbons (in the form of unburned fuel)
- Carbon monoxide (formed by the combustion of fuel)
- Nitrogen oxides (created when the heat in the engine forces nitrogen in the air to combine with oxygen)
Carbon monoxide is a highly toxic gas, whilst Nitrogen oxides lead to smog and acid rain and hydrocarbons produce smog.
In a catalytic converter, the catalyst (in the form of platinum and palladium) is coated onto a ceramic honeycomb or ceramic beads that are housed in an silencer-like package attached to the exhaust pipe. The catalyst helps to convert carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide. It converts the hydrocarbons into carbon dioxide and water. It also converts the nitrogen oxides back into nitrogen and oxygen.
It is a requirement of the current MoT test that exhaust emissions are measured and your car is likely to fail if either the exhaust or (if fitted) your catalytic converter is damaged or not functioning properly.