Failed emissions

1995 BMW 318I
150,000 MILES • 1.8L • 4 CYL • RWD • MANUAL
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ARAVINDA KRSNA
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
Hey there, so today i just failed my emissions test. The minimum CO emissions is 4.5% and i got a 6.5% without a catalytic converter. Does putting a catalytic converter on mean that my emissions will reduce even though i may have a rich condition?
Feb 27, 2017 at 2:01 PM
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CARADIODOC
  • ✓Experienced Mechanic
  • 34,414 POSTS
They wouldn't put catalytic converters on the cars if they weren't needed. CO is a result of incomplete combustion. The job of the catalytic converter is to momentarily store unburned oxygen, then mix it with unburned fuel, so it can be burned internally. It does that about two times per second. With no converter, the unburned fuel goes out the tail pipe, partly as carbon monoxide.
Feb 28, 2017 at 8:03 AM
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