Chevy Catalytic Converters

If you drive an older model Chevy, you may be faced with the issue of too much pollution coming out of your engine. Chevy exhaust systems, like those of any other car, have the tendency to produce more emissions as the engine gets older. Contributing factors to this problem can be a poorly tuned engine, a damaged muffler or a faulty catalytic converter.

Helping Your Chevy Pass the Test

The first step in getting your Chevy up to spec is to have the car tuned up. Old sparkplugs, timing belts and filters can lead to poor engine performance that will in turn lead to higher emissions. A good mechanic will be able to get your car running much better without having to invest too much in parts and labor--assuming your engine isn't suffering from more serious problems.

If you've already failed an emissions test, it would be a good idea to have your tune-up mechanic test the emissions before sending it back to be re-tested. Many states will only allow you to fail emissions tests twice, so it's best to be sure you've fixed the problem before going in for the second test. This is particularly true in California, where you're legally obliged to remove the car from the state if it keeps failing smog tests.

One of the most likely causes of high emissions is a bad exhaust system (which includes your catalytic converter). Since the catalytic converter does the bulk of the pollutant-removing work, it's the next place you should look if your older Chevy isn't up to par. Luckily, catalytic converters aren't too expensive for domestic cars, and can be replaced quite cheaply and easily.