Will burning oil clog a catalytic converter

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It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Search for: Search. Forums Recent Posts. Car Questions. Submit Your Questio Clear all. Clogged catalytic converter, burning oil and bad pcv valve. Last Post. I have a Nissan Xterra with , miles on it.

Thanks, Steve. Add a comment. Falkorr falkorr. Topic Tags. Catalytic converter cat pcv burning oil. Most Voted Oldest Newest. Justin Shepherd justin-shepherd. Doc doc. Chuck Tobias chucktobias. This happens because of piston rings that lose their ability to properly seal as the miles pile up, or because a valve becomes stuck.

It can also be due to any number of small design issues or worn-out engine components. Black smoke or signs that your car is using a significant amount of oil in between changes are indicators that you may end up reducing the efficiency of — or even permanently damaging — your converter.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Know How. Having been bitten by the car bug at a young age, I spent my formative years surrounded by Studebakers at car shows across Quebec and the northeastern United States. Over ten years of racing, restoring, and obsessing over automobiles lead me to balance science writing and automotive journalism full time. I currently contribute as an editor to several online and print automotive publications, and I also write and consult for the pharmaceutical and medical device industry.

That would be the result of the engine burning or leaking oil. Catalytic converters often last for 10 years or more, but they can become contaminated, clogged, overheated or physically damaged — leading to sluggish engine performance and, eventually, engine shutdown. Car engines are like athletes in that they require lots of oxygen.

Your catalytic converter converts carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons into carbon dioxide, and water and nitrogen oxides into nitrogen and oxygen…. These are the three main compounds typically emitted by your engine:. But here is my question. The previous owner had to replace the catalytic converter miles ago, because the check engine light kept coming on and the code indicated that was the problem.