Catalytic Converter - Need Advises

[Ek3 Ferio]

It should not give out smoke even at 4000 RPM.

I assume you refer to knocking sound here otherwise known as actually . In fact when you have worn out valves seals etc the knocking is more audible but is not the cause of knocking sound.

Edit: Wait a minute! Did someone advised you to de-carbonize the engine as a solution to ignition sound?

Hmm actually ignition sound is not hearing all the time, if I accelerate it hard very quickly in 2nd gear when car is running around 40 kmph, it starts accelerating and then hearing the ignition noise (Some says tappet noise). This is not happening ALWAYS. And some times car is moving in flat road around 60kmph in 4th gear, if I accelerate a bit more, it hears the same sound and it seems car has no power.

One mechanic said if ignition sounds coming even in high speeds in flat roads, there might be an issue in injectors. He said that Injectors might just pour the fuel instead of spraying the fuel under correct pressure. ( I have previously cleaned the injectors and changed the fuel filter as well, but didn't solve the issue. And pumping EURO3 Fuel. )

Same mechanic told me there can not be engine worn out in this engine considering it's age and kms (142km) have run and he is told that he has not replaced valve seals in any ek3 engine for his history of repairing Honda cars. Plugs are looking good and car's fuel consumption is ok (Around 10-11kmps in city).

I found a reconditioned exhaust manifold which matches to my car's one, it costs 20k, I'm bit hesitate to replace it as now I have done a hell lot of thing due to the ignition sound but neither of them resolved the issue. I have changed the distributor as well. Other thing suggested was replacing the injectors with another set of reconditioned ones. Now I'm bit desperate of the car, it is driven daily and it is with me now 3 years.

I did the de-carbonizing after an year I purchased it.

Edited June 20, 2013 by Ek3 Ferio

[Ek3 Ferio]

Another thing noted, From Tuesday evening drive to home whole time CC light turned on and same thing happens yesterday morning drive as well, But from yesterdayevening, it is turned off, yesterdayevening drove it around 20km and today morning 10km, now no sign of turning on.

Don't know what the hell has happened.

And noted when cc lights is turned on with AC on, it goes off along with the AC compressor clutch off. Noted this several times, but not always.

Edited June 21, 2013 by Ek3 Ferio

[Rumesh88]

Basic question on ignition noise - Has any of the mechanics tested the ignition timing with a timing torch?

Regardless of what your mech says on the valve seals you have an oil burning issue. Then how does the oil get into the cylinders? If you mech has done a proper analysis he should have solved your problem by now. So it is logical to deduce that he was wrong. Number of kms on the dashboard is not a good indicator of the actual mileage and engine wear unless of course you happened to own the car from the beginning.

Edited June 20, 2013 by Rumesh88

[Ek3 Ferio]

Basic question on ignition noise - Has any of the mechanics tested the ignition timing with a timing torch?

Regardless of what your mech says on the valve seals you have an oil burning issue. Then how does the oil get into the engine? If you mech has done a proper analysis he should have solved your problem by now. So it is logical to deduce that he was wrong. Number of kms on the dashboard is not a good indicator of the actual mileage and engine wear unless of course you happened to own the car from the beginning.

Yes ignition timing is set using a timing torch as well. But it still coming the sound.

[Rumesh88]

What is the plug type number that you normally use? If it is NGK it may be BKR6E-11 or ND K20PR-U11 etc.

When did you change your timing belt last time?

Edited June 20, 2013 by Rumesh88

[Mean Green z28]

Blue smoke = burning oil ... esp while driving and at load not only at startup

White oil = burning water (head gasket if while driving/load or if only when you first start, probably just condensation).

If you say your have oil issues, that could be a reason your CC is going bad, it's clogged up!

How to check Catalytic convertor ... you need to check the inlet and outlet temperatures. Usually done with one of those laser type temp. guns, check to see if the outlet side of the CC is hotter than the inlet side, this says it's doing its job by burning up the impurities. Most newer cars, you'll see a difference of about 30F, older cars may be as much as 100F. a significantly higher inlet temp would show the CC is clogged.

[Ek3 Ferio]

Blue smoke = burning oil ... esp while driving and at load not only at startup

White oil = burning water (head gasket if while driving/load or if only when you first start, probably just condensation).

If you say your have oil issues, that could be a reason your CC is going bad, it's clogged up!

How to check Catalytic convertor ... you need to check the inlet and outlet temperatures. Usually done with one of those laser type temp. guns, check to see if the outlet side of the CC is hotter than the inlet side, this says it's doing its job by burning up the impurities. Most newer cars, you'll see a difference of about 30F, older cars may be as much as 100F. a significantly higher inlet temp would show the CC is clogged.

Do you know a place in Sri Lanka to get cc checked with a laser temp gun? I saw this method in youtube.

Edited June 21, 2013 by Ek3 Ferio

[Ek3 Ferio]

What is the plug type number that you normally use? If it is NGK it may be BKR6E-11 or ND K20PR-U11 etc.

When did you change your timing belt last time?

It is NGK but I don't know the exact model no. Timing belt changed 5000 kms back

[Rumesh88]

It is NGK but I don't know the exact model no. Timing belt changed 5000 kms back

Well, in that case did you experience the ignition noise problem even before changing the timing belt or did it appear afterwards? I am just eliminating the possibles causes here. Also is the distributor adjustment is at its extreme clockwise position?

Edited June 21, 2013 by Rumesh88

[Ek3 Ferio]

Well, in that case did you experience the ignition noise problem even before changing the timing belt or did it appear afterwards? I am just eliminating the possibles causes here. Also is the distributor adjustment is at its extreme clockwise position?

It was prior to changing timing belt man. it is now the same for long period of time, It starts first time I change the oil seal inside distributor. Then did de-carbonizing. after that how ever distributor adjusted it didn't work, later then I replaced the distributor as well but nothing solves it. Prior to both things if small press of accelerator moves the car like a rocket . Now after pressing the accelerator it takes a few seconds to rev the engine and starts moving if I press more starts hearing the ignition. (But ignition sound is not coming always)

And distributor is not extremely advanced.

And now for two days CC light is not coming up.

Edited June 21, 2013 by Ek3 Ferio

[trinity]

OT - Asking to learn

1. Yesterday watched a Discovery Science program (How Do They Do It) which showed how Catalytic Converters are made. And It explained the duty of CC (Breaking harmful exhaust fumes to water & CO2).

2. And i remember seeing some para in the User Manual of My car starting as "For vehicles with Catalytic Converter..." . So this means

A] not every vehicle has a CC ?

B] if so how do they achieve what described in No 01. ?

OP sorry for high jacking your thread,,,,

Edited June 21, 2013 by trinity

[trinity]

Deleted

Edited June 21, 2013 by trinity

[Rumesh88]

OT - Asking to learn

1. Yesterday watched a Discovery Science program (How Do They Do It) which showed how Catalytic Converters are made. And It explained the duty of CC (Breaking harmful exhaust fumes to water & CO2).

2. And i remember seeing some para in the User Manual of My car starting as "For vehicles with Catalytic Converter..." . So this means

A) not every vehicle has a CC ?

if so how do they achieve what described in No 01. ?

OP sorry for high jacking your thread,,,,

A). Correct. Even some models of the same year would not have a CC depending on the country to which it is sold. Particularly, Jap car manufacturers are very much concerned about their cost control compared to their European counterparts.. So they make sure they install this type of things which are necessitated due to regulatory restrictions in some countries only if required. Well, if you do not have a CC then of course you are releasing whatever the harmful emissions to the atmosphere from your tail pipe.

Edited June 21, 2013 by Rumesh88

[trinity]

A). Correct. Even some models of the same year would not have a CC depending on the country to which it is sold. Particularly, Jap car manufacturers are very much concerned about their cost control compared to their European counterparts.. So they make sure they install this type of things which are necessitated due to regulatory restrictions in some countries only if required. Well, if you do not have a CC then of course you are releasing whatever the harmful emissions to the atmosphere from your tail pipe.

Hi Rumesh... Thanks for the Prompt reply and valued info... So, having no CC is a very bad thing ne... How to check whether your car has a one or not?

[Rumesh88]

And distributor is not extremely advanced.

What I wanted to know was whether it was "physically" at extreme clockwise position which in fact sets the dissy on max retard.

[Rumesh88]

Hi Rumesh... Thanks for the Prompt reply and valued info... So, having no CC is a very bad thing ne... How to check whether your car has a one or not?

Of course it is a bad thing but that was how almost all the vehicles ran prior to 1980s. Ideally refer to the specs sheet. Otherwise, you can normally identify the CC by inspecting the first few feets of the exhaust pipe from the manifold for a large cylindrical object. It is located closer to the manifold for it needs to be at high temperature for proper operation. But there are some vehicles with pre-mufflers similar to CCs on the tail pipe but usually they are smaller in size.

Edited June 21, 2013 by Rumesh88

[Ek3 Ferio]

What I wanted to know was whether it was "physically" at extreme clockwise position which in fact sets the dissy on max retard.

No it is not physically in extreme clockwise position.

[Rumesh88]

No it is not physically in extreme clockwise position.

With all other possibilities ruled out then it boils down to wrong ignition time setting. When the mechanic checked the timing did he short circuit the service connector near the ECU or did he just attach the torch to the No1 plug and checked? If he did not short circuit the service connector then the reading could be wrong?

Or the fault could be with the crank position sensor or the ECU. But the one who did the timing check should be able to identify it if he was competent.

Edited June 23, 2013 by Rumesh88