Does warming up my car make my catalytic converter last longer?

[Muse]

I live in a temperate climate (Berkeley, CA). Night time temperatures rarely get into the 20s. Below 40 isn't common, actually, and I don't usually drive then anyway.

So, for some time I've heard a rattling noise from below the car and finally brought it to a muffler service today for inspection. On a hoist they saw that the muffler had become detached from the pipe that feeds it exhaust. I had them fix that, a guy fashioned a ~4" pipe connection to the muffler, arc welding that together and made an attachment to the exhaust system. I asked about my CC, is it subject to the local crime wave of thefts and he said if it's the original, yes. Car is a 1997 Mazda 626LX 2.0L, and yes the CC is the original, so I had them install a shield for it (Yelp reviews for them doing this sort of thing are very positive). I was out the door at $521.

Now, the guy I was talking to said they didn't need to cut a rectangle out of the shield they installed (which I guess is necessary for state mandated smog inspections}, because my old car's computer registers the info, it's not on the CC itself.

I asked him about the longevity of the CC and he said I'm generally fine (I don't think he knew it but there's only 34k on the car!). He says if I warm up the car, 5 minutes, it will extend the life of the CC. He says the DMV and some other agency recommends that. Is he right? Searching online I'm not seeing that warming up the car will make the CC last longer. But my car's relatively old. Maybe it's true for mine. What do you think?

 

[fralexandr]

Note: I don't know much about cars.
While warming up the car might be good for other parts of the car, I don't think that applies to catalytic converter longevity? Theoretically it might clean some gunk off the CC, though I would think it's more likely to just put more wear on it?

Why a Catalytic Converter Fails

Catalytic converters fail with a variety of symptoms. If you're troubleshooting catalytic converter issues, then Walker is the place to start.

www.walkerexhaust.com

Long warm up idle can destroy Catalytic Converter - MX-5 Miata Forum

Long warm up idle can destroy Catalytic Converter Car Talk

forum.miata.net

 

[Muse]

Note: I don't know much about cars.
While warming up the car might be good for other parts of the car, I don't think that applies to catalytic converter longevity? Theoretically it might clean some gunk off the CC, though I would think it's more likely to just put more wear on it?

Why a Catalytic Converter Fails

Catalytic converters fail with a variety of symptoms. If you're troubleshooting catalytic converter issues, then Walker is the place to start.

www.walkerexhaust.com

Long warm up idle can destroy Catalytic Converter - MX-5 Miata Forum

Long warm up idle can destroy Catalytic Converter Car Talk

forum.miata.net

This guy I talked to this morning could have been wrong. They do make significant business replacing CCs.

 

[zinfamous]

This guy I talked to this morning could have been wrong. They do make significant business replacing CCs.

...and selling shields for CCs, that are then stolen, and then they get paid to replace.

nice little gig, eh?

 

[Muse]

...and selling shields for CCs, that are then stolen, and then they get paid to replace.

nice little gig, eh?

Well presumably the shield makes it hard to steal my CC. It is bolted and riveted.

 

[JulesMaximus]

No, it does not. All you are doing by warming your car up is wasting fuel.

 

[pauldun170]

I live in a temperate climate (Berkeley, CA). Night time temperatures rarely get into the 20s. Below 40 isn't common, actually, and I don't usually drive then anyway.

So, for some time I've heard a rattling noise from below the car and finally brought it to a muffler service today for inspection. On a hoist they saw that the muffler had become detached from the pipe that feeds it exhaust. I had them fix that, a guy fashioned a ~4" pipe connection to the muffler, arc welding that together and made an attachment to the exhaust system. I asked about my CC, is it subject to the local crime wave of thefts and he said if it's the original, yes. Car is a 1997 Mazda 626LX 2.0L, and yes the CC is the original, so I had them install a shield for it (Yelp reviews for them doing this sort of thing are very positive). I was out the door at $521.

Now, the guy I was talking to said they didn't need to cut a rectangle out of the shield they installed (which I guess is necessary for state mandated smog inspections}, because my old car's computer registers the info, it's not on the CC itself.

I asked him about the longevity of the CC and he said I'm generally fine (I don't think he knew it but there's only 34k on the car!). He says if I warm up the car, 5 minutes, it will extend the life of the CC. He says the DMV and some other agency recommends that. Is he right? Searching online I'm not seeing that warming up the car will make the CC last longer. But my car's relatively old. Maybe it's true for mine. What do you think?

No.
Just no all around.
Nooooooooooooo

 

[sdifox]

https://www.cjponyparts.com/resources/what-is-catalytic-converter

It's a twenty five year old car, time to get that antique plate.

 

[Muse]

https://www.cjponyparts.com/resources/what-is-catalytic-converter

It's a twenty five year old car, time to get that antique plate.

Check this: There's a 1950 Chevy I've been seeing parked near my house in one place or another for a few months now. The body's in quite decent shape (except the headlights are missing the chrome surrounds) but the paint job is out of a nightmare. I mean that paint job looks all of 72 years old, and there's gigantic rust patches here and there. A neighbor I know told me she knows the owner, a guy who owns 5 or so vehicles, kind of an oddball, sleeps in one somewhere, moves the vehicles around. I wanted to ask the guy what year it was but I never saw him. I finally see him one day talking to a cop, next to the car. I walk over and ask him if it's a 1950 (I had been thinking it might have been a '52 or '51). He confirms it's a '50 (I knew because my dad owned a '50 Chevy). The reason for the cop is that somebody tagged the car something awful, just spray painted all over including the windows. Compared to that car mine looks brand new!

 

[sdifox]

 

[Muse]

25 bucks. I actually like my license plate, has a terrific set of characters. Easy to remember.

What's that about a smog exemption? Does that mean I don't have to get smogged if I get that HV thing?

While California law requires the Smog Check Program to focus on high-polluting vehicles, the Smog Check Program also does not require older vehicles to meet the same emissions standards as newer vehicles.

Ah, well I have been passing smog tests by miles, so doesn't matter yet. Only 34k on the car, after all. If I start failing or close I can apply for HV.

 

[NutBucket]

The smog exemption hasn't move from 1975 in decades. It was suppose to be a rolling 25 year exemption until the idiots that run the state realized how many more cars would be exempted and all the money the money they would lose out on.

At this point I doubt that year will move before I die.

I also don't believe the historical plate exempts you from anything emissions wise. I'd like to see the justification that your Mazda is, "of historical interest."

Also, that "same emissions standards" bit just means your car is expected to meet the standards in place when it was new. Obviously the standards in the 90's are quite a bit different than current ones.

 

[sdifox]

The smog exemption hasn't move from 1975 in decades. It was suppose to be a rolling 25 year exemption until the idiots that run the state realized how many more cars would be exempted and all the money the money they would lose out on.

At this point I doubt that year will move before I die.

I also don't believe the historical plate exempts you from anything emissions wise. I'd like to see the justification that your Mazda is, "of historical interest."

Also, that "same emissions standards" bit just means your car is expected to meet the standards in place when it was new. Obviously the standards in the 90's are quite a bit different than current ones.

It is histrical significant because it is a Mazda that hasn't rusted away in 25 years.

 

[NutBucket]

It's CA...nothing unusual about that!

 

[sdifox]

It's CA...nothing unusual about that!

You have obviously never owned a Mazda.

 

[NutBucket]

I've lived in LA all my life. Rust is not what sends cars to the junkyard.

I guess I should caveat. I had a friend that lived within a block of the beach. Give it 30 years and the salt air will eat a car. My folks live 2 miles from the beach...no issues.
Where Muse lives he gets more rain but no snow/salt.

 

[Muse]

I've lived in LA all my life. Rust is not what sends cars to the junkyard.

Not in LA and not in my town. Never seen a snow flake in either city.

 

[Muse]

You have obviously never owned a Mazda.

I like the car but it does have a very under-engineered trany. They repurposed a
Ford trany for this, a serious mistake.

 

[mindless1]

Since you don't have significant rust issues, the main thing that's going to damage your cat to the point where it shouldn't last the life of the vehicle, is having either excessive oil consumption foul it, or if a future problem causes excessive misfires that result in melting it.

I don't know the cat setup on that, but here it would probably be cheaper to replace the cat with a universal one, tho' CARB cats can cost a lot more so you may have made the right choice to get a shield. Then again it is more often higher ground clearance vehicles that have the cats stolen, not "as" much vehicles that need jacked up when a thief can slide under a truck or SUV without bothering.

 

[Muse]

Since you don't have significant rust issues, the main thing that's going to damage your cat to the point where it shouldn't last the life of the vehicle, is having either excessive oil consumption foul it, or if a future problem causes excessive misfires that result in melting it.

I don't know the cat setup on that, but here it would probably be cheaper to replace the cat with a universal one, tho' CARB cats can cost a lot more so you may have made the right choice to get a shield. Then again it is more often higher ground clearance vehicles that have the cats stolen, not "as" much vehicles that need jacked up when a thief can slide under a truck or SUV without bothering.

Yeah, I figure this needs jacking. I have a pair of plastic ramps I keep in the garage for when I drain the oil. The cat has to be pretty close to where the drain plug is, I figure. I think a lot of cat thieves bring some kind of jack around here. My driveway late at night, they could do their dirty work. My alarm usually doesn't work. There's some kind of issue. Around 6 months ago it started working but then it stopped a month or so later. I figure it could be a stuck relay. Haven't put much effort into working that out. The remote does unlock the door, although sometimes it has an attitude!

 

[Muse]

Since you don't have significant rust issues, the main thing that's going to damage your cat to the point where it shouldn't last the life of the vehicle, is having either excessive oil consumption foul it, or if a future problem causes excessive misfires that result in melting it.

My cat's probably in good shape. 34k and I've changed my oil most of the time. Have never had to add oil, it passes smogs with flying colors.