Catalytic Converter Maintenance

Anyone using a Gas additive that cleans/maintains the catalytic converter? If so, what are you using and how often.

Thank you.

Robert

 

Snake oil.

You want to ensure that your truck does not run rich, so don't ignore injector/MAF/O2 Sensor issues. Other than that, you don't need to do anything else.

 

Welcome to the forum,

No maintenance issue required with the catalytic converter. Coincidentally some additives can actually damage the converter.

The main thing you would want to look out for is if/when the CEL begins flashing, That is an indicator of possible converter damage.

 

If it makes you feel good, you can put a can of this in every 5000 miles. Nothing for the cats, but takes care of injectors, etc.

 

Nah. Just drive.

 

When my 3rd Gen’s catalytic converter was dying after 200,000 miles I dumped in a bottle of Cataclean on the advice of my mechanic. I would get another 10,000 miles until the Cat light came on again. I repeated this a couple more times until I sold the vehicle.

But I would not use this as a preventative measure.

 

Yup this right here OP. I was a CA smog tech for a decade and I'll tell you that there is nothing required aside from maintaining your vehicle. Don't even use fuel additives or injector cleaners (which can damage the converter if used excessively), just use good fuel like Shell and Chevron and you'll be fine. If you have injector carbon build-up on a non-direct injection engine, you have other issues or a very old engine.

Fuel system cleaner is snake oil. Gasoline is already a very aggressive solvent and any sediment that gets past the filter isn't making it through the injector.

 

Nope.

 

No sir, I just use quality fuel.
OH, and drive it like you want to go places, don't baby it.

 

We have also successfully used Cataclean when our Ford Trucks had check engine light for catalytic convertor not performing up to par. One can got rid of the codes for about 7-10K miles, enough to pass smog inspection. We throw a can of this on any truck that has similar codes. Not a permanent fix-but saved us $7,000-cost to replace bot cats on that particular truck.