You are recommending/condoning illegal behavior with this post, and I’ve flagged it for the moderators. Catalytic converters are not some “leftie propaganda” tool to get in your way; they are responsible for saving more than 100,000 lives due to improved air quality (https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/john-mooney-a-father-of-the-catalytic-converter-dies-at-90/2020/06/26/afbd87da-b7b4-11ea-aca5-ebb63d27e1ff_story.html)
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I have to doubt the claim of catalytic converters increase mileage especially if other “facts” in the article are questionable. How do these increase mileage?
A quote from the linked obituary.
“In 2002, 51 countries in sub-Saharan Africa were still using leaded gasoline. In part because of Mr. Mooney’s efforts, 50 of those 51 nations had banned leaded gasoline by the end of 2006.”
With only 46 sub Saharan countries how could 50 ban anything.
I realize this is an obit not an investigative report, but come on it took me all of 30 seconds to find the number of countries.
Just a thought.
I would use the above technique to measure the oil level more frequently so that you know how much to top off
Back in the early 1970s car makers were meeting emission standards by retarding ignition timing, running rich air/fuel mixtures, restrictive exhaust manifolds that were kept extra hot and injecting air into the exhaust stream to get an afterburner effect, and wimpy cam profiles.
All this played havoc on driveability and efficiency.
Big V8s that put out 150hp and averaged 12 mpg in a midsize car.
Then, with the introduction of converters they could dial back a lot of this stuff.
https://bioage.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c4fbe53ef0240a4d88bbd200b-600wi
I worked in a dealership during those years. The driveability and MPG complaints were very common. It got to a point where we developed a “to do” list of fixups for every new car prep we did. In some cases we went as far as drilling out the carburetor jets to get back to the previous years air-fuel ratios to restore power and fuel economy. We either had to do it then or when the now-unhappy customer would come back a month later demanding us to fix it. The car manufacturer’s regional technical reps knew and quietly supported this behavior.
Cars are so much cleaner than they were 40-50 years ago, and so are the previously heavily smogged cities.
I have not hesitated on this forum from explaining how to use spark plug nonfoulers to clear a CEL for a faulty catalytic converter, and I do include the legality of doing it.
The market for those wanting to add nonfoulers is not the millions of cars on the road. Is the very small number of DYI’ers who are trying to nurse an old car for a few more miles. Many are driven to that choice because they can’t afford otherwise. Helping them understand their options is not a crime.
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I should have said lean air/fuel mixtures.
My bad.
We have the same issue and I have taken it to Volvo corporate, etc. etc. They will NOT help and say that a recall hasn’t been issued for this situation “YET”. I am hugely disappointed in Volvo.