AUTOMOBILE101 BLOG

When it comes to your car’s exhaust system, the catalytic converter (often called the "catalyst") plays a crucial role in reducing harmful emissions. However, when it fails, it can lead to performance issues and even legal problems. In this blog post, we’ll explore **how a catalytic converter works** and **what happens when it goes bad**.   What Does a Catalytic Converter Do? The catalytic converter is an essential part of your car’s exhaust system. Its main job is to **convert harmful pollutants into less harmful gases** before they exit the tailpipe. Here’s how it works:   1. Reduces Harmful Emissions The catalyst contains precious metals like platinum, palladium, and rhodium,which facilitate chemical reactions that break down pollutants:   - Carbon monoxide (CO)→ Converted into carbon dioxide (CO₂) - Hydrocarbons (HC)→ Converted into water (H₂O) and CO₂  - Nitrogen oxides (NOx) → Broken down into nitrogen (N₂) and oxygen (O₂)* 2. Helps M...

When it comes to your car’s engine, the timing system plays a crucial role in ensuring smooth operation. Two common types of timing mechanisms are the timing belt and the timing chain. While both serve the same fundamental purpose of synchronizing the rotation of the crankshaft and camshaft, they differ in material, durability, and maintenance requirements.   In this blog post, we’ll explore the differences between timing belts and timing chains, their pros and cons, and when you should consider replacing them to avoid costly engine damage.   Timing Belt vs. Timing Chain: Key Differences 1. Timing Belt - Material: Made of reinforced rubber with high-tensile fibers (like fiberglass or Kevlar).   - Operation: Runs quietly and smoothly.   - Maintenance: Requires periodic replacement (typically every 60,000 to 100,000 miles, depending on the manufacturer).   - Cost: Generally cheaper to replace than a timing chain but must be changed proacti...

------ AUTOMOBILE 101 ------ >>> MAINTENANCE ALARM <<< i just serviced my car but this alarm is still there, what do i do? I've treated this topic so many times but same question keep coming.  To make this simple, this alarm.is to notify you that your engine is due for oil change. But bear in mind the ECU of your car is not intelligent like human brain to know you just changed oil. This is OIL LIFE that work with mileage counter working hand in hand with your odometer and once the vehicle have covered some kilometers/miles the alarm pops up to imform you that the vehicle now need oil change since it have covered the required distance. This duration is dependent on the car make and the manufacturer. Vehicles like German machines have longer counts while vehicles like Japanese have shorter count. Each time you do an oil change always reset this oil life to start counting down again from 100% once it gets down to 10% or 20% this alarm pops up. So each tim...