Running on 3 cylinders

Hi,my Camry 99 w/ 180k is running on 3 cylinders, my mechanic will be back in town in 3 days, can i drive it about 20 miles per day for 2 days on only 3 cylinders, i found the offending cylinder and the injector connector on the back of the engine was oily dont know why. 4 cyl engine

Yes, you can drive it, assuming it continues to run, for this short distance, but don’t attempt anything more.

You can! But you run the risk of burning out the catalytic converter. One of the best ways to take out a catalytic converter is to have an engine cylinder misfire. But it’s up to you to decide if you’re willing to run that risk?

Tester

would the catalytic converter burn out if I run it while the fuel injector is disconnected for the cylinder that is non functional at the moment? can engine oil short out the electricals?
thx

JMHO, but I’d find another way to get around or take it to the closest shop. Converter burnout or not, I don’t think a car should be driven on 3 cylinders. The engine will be pumping unburned air into the exhaust system even with the injector unplugged and this could open up a can of worms.

My feeling is that the oiliness on the injector may be more related to oil leakage or vapors from a valve cover gasket, etc. rather than being caused by the injector itself. At 180k miles some signs of oil leakage can be expected.

Should have added that an engine missing one cylinder will probably have a tendency to overheat and the last thing you want to do is blow a head gasket or roast an entire engine.