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View Full Version : Plugged catalytic conerter



DChristie
10-11-2003, 05:37
A friend of mine with a 2003 dudge 2500 HO cummapart got a tankful or three of bad fuel and his truck started spewing copius clouds of black smoke at all speeds.
The truck problem has been covered by warranty, and other than incredibly slow service that experience seems to have been ok.
The only issue now is fuel consumption, he had been getting 18 or so mpg now he gets a steady 10.
The question is after several hundred miles of driving this way, would it plug a catalytic converter and would a choked out cat kill his mileage? And if so, how would you go about cleaning it? I know there are products available for gassers... just run it thru the carb with the engine up at temp and the crud burns off. But I wouldn't try that on a diesel.
Should he replace the exhaust?
I think there is about 46k or 47k miles on it (he's had it just over a year).

richard7
10-11-2003, 11:38
Why not talking about it with the dealer? The converter is a warranty item, and is likely to have been plugged by soot overload from the bad running engine.

If it is the case, they should replace it.

tom.mcinerney
10-12-2003, 18:22
If particles got into injectors they won't seat properly, and may leak.
In mines they routinely service cats by removing and flushing out in fresh liquid diesel fuel[according to a web site], alternating with a steam-clean flush.