# Should I refrain from driving cross country with an iffy catalytic converter?

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-refrain-from-driving-cross-country-with-an-iffy-catalytic-converter/163445>\
**Category:** General Discussion\
**Tags:** civic, honda\
**Created:** [April 27, 2020, 2:51am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-refrain-from-driving-cross-country-with-an-iffy-catalytic-converter/163445 "2020-04-27T02:51:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![pyrolord314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6a8cbe/32.png) [@pyrolord314](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pyrolord314)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 12:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-refrain-from-driving-cross-country-with-an-iffy-catalytic-converter/163445/21 "2020-04-28T12:54:39Z")

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> [@zaverxexperiments\_166654](#):
>
> of course it’s illegal, it was a joke ¯\_(ツ)\_/¯

I figured it was, but I’d rather not have someone who can’t “read” internet humor take that advice seriously 🙂

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**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 12:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-refrain-from-driving-cross-country-with-an-iffy-catalytic-converter/163445/22 "2020-04-28T12:57:53Z")

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> [@zaverxexperiments\_166654](#):
>
> of course it’s illegal, it was a joke ¯\_(ツ)\_/¯

Written " Jokes " on a an Forum where someone is looking for help and advice don’t always receive the correct understanding .

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**Author:** ![JoeMario](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3bc359/32.png) [@JoeMario](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JoeMario)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 2:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-refrain-from-driving-cross-country-with-an-iffy-catalytic-converter/163445/23 "2020-04-28T14:25:09Z")

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If you think your current situation from the car having less power might be coming from a partially clogged converter, then you can easily test that with a vacuum guage.

Assuming your catalytic converter isn’t plugged, I would get the rest of the car in shape and definitely drive it across the country.

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**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 4:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-refrain-from-driving-cross-country-with-an-iffy-catalytic-converter/163445/24 "2020-04-28T16:28:13Z")

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@Ari11 is the engine as quiet as it used to be, or is there some ticking?  
Have you ever had the valves adjusted?

Make sure the air filter isn’t clogged.  
Pour a bottle of Chevron fuel injector cleaner in the gas tank.

Another possibility for loss of power is a worn distributor.  
They aren’t very expensive and it did wonders for my 1988 Accord back in the day.

That said I’ve never seen anyone actually encounter a clogged converter on a well maintained Honda.

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**Author:** ![Honda-Blackbird](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/honda-blackbird/32/3159_2.png) [@Honda-Blackbird](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda-Blackbird)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 4:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-refrain-from-driving-cross-country-with-an-iffy-catalytic-converter/163445/25 "2020-04-28T16:34:23Z")

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This is the inevitable aftermath of handing your vehicle to an “Alarmist, Sky is Falling, Can only Read codes at Face Value” … “mechanic”…

If the Cat is not physically damaged or clogged…and new O2 sensors fixed the original 420 code…then keep on driving man.

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