Hi,
I have a 2003 Chevy S10 pickup truck with about 68,000 miles on it. I’ve noticed the following problems and I’m two things - if they are related, and what the heck is going on?
1. The Check Gases light illuminates briefly when I’m accelerating, only to blink out after the RPMs have reached 4000 or so.
2. My mileage has taken a nosedive recently.
3. The floor under the pedals gets very hot.
4. There’s a whirring noise coming from the driver’s side of the engine compartment.
You’re probably going to tell me to get rid of the car now, but I’m in no position to do so as I depend on it for work.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
If cars were free, you could get rid of it. Wall-E would clean it up eventually. The problem would be E-mission related. I guess you have a blocked catalytic converter. This problem soon you must fix. The force is strong in your converter. Overheat and crack, more parts will.
I think you mean the Check Gages light? That comes on when one of them is reading out of range, such as oil pressure, engine temperature, etc. Is one of them in the red at any point?
The hot floor business could be caused by a plugged cat converter, I suppose.
“Check Gases light”???
The heat under your feet is a big clue. As pleasdodgevan said, it’s probably a clogged catalytic converter. You’ll also need to figure out why it got clogged. Running the engine with a severe misfire for an extended period of time will do this, or there could be physical damage to the cat.
Sounds expensive, Yoda. Ballpark figure, I ask.
Oops, I guess I do. I’ve had the vehicle since new and I always thought it was “Gases”.
It sounds like the converter is gone. If that is the only thing, you should be able to have it taken care of for not too much. Find an independent mechanic (not part of a chain or a dealer) and have them use an after market converter after they have checked to make sure it is the converter You should also have them check to see if they can determine why it died. It often is caused by a fuel problem resulting in an overly rich mix. That should take care of the CEL (Check Engine Light) the low mileage and the hot floor. I can’t guess about the whirring noise other than to suggest trying to locate it better. Use a length of garden hose like a stethoscope.
The hot catalytic converter is the end result of the problems; not the cause. The catalytic converter will glow red hot when that gasoline that didn’t burn in the cylinders, burns in it. You need to do repairs to reduce the amount of unburned fuel (in the cylinders).
I don’t know why so many people are saying, “Clogged catalytic converter”, when it’s doing such a fine job of burning that excess fuel. If the condition continues, it will coke up and burn out, and become plugged
If there are any check engine light codes, bring them here (just the codes).
See this article on catalytic converters and oxygen sensors: http://www.autotap.com/Articles/Catalytic_Converters_and_O2_Sensors.htm
Good point, hellokit. When cats get hot enough, the internal structure can start to break down, blocking the passages. However, the OP’s cat may not have reached that point yet.