Catalytic Converters and Low Fuel Consumption

“Throttle, my car is consuming a lot of fuel and my mechanic said we need to install catalytic converters!”

That was one of my friends who lives miles away from me; like most car owners, when he noticed that his car was gulping more gas than was reasonable, he approached his mechanic and this was their verdict.

“If you can, install the absent catalytic converters,” I answered sincerely, “but, it won’t do anything for your fuel economy!”

There was a long, awkward pause — one that made me certain that a lot of thoughts were going on in his mind. At last, he spoke.

“Why so? The mechanic is so certain.”

“Is that so, then, go with him. After that, be sure to report back if things have improved.”

Inwardly, I was happy that the hitherto catless car would produce less harmful gases (which is great for the environment). Still, I was equally certain that my friend did not care for the environment in any way — and was likely to be disappointed when the truth dawned on him.

We caught up and hung up the phone. He also promised to call me when the new catalytic converters had been installed.

The Call I Had Been Expecting…

Finally, the call I had been expecting came through — and from the first second, I knew it was as I had said.

“What’s up?” I enquired.

“The car is still consuming gasoline like an annoyed fish!” He almost yelled.

I was taken aback, not sure if I had mistakenly told him new catalytic converters would solve his issue.

“What’s your mechanic saying this time?” I asked.

“He’s telling me there’s nothing with the MPGs — and it’s really frustrating. He wants me to believe that everything is in my head.” He wrapped up, clearly frustrated.

I knew better…I also knew MPGs don’t lie — and there was no way they could be ‘in one’s head’. Importantly, my friend also knew better than to believe his mechanic blindly (this time around). 

We were back to square two (not one – since the car now had functional catalytic converters, which is very good for the environment.

I decided to do what I do best — run a remote diagnosis.

What Helps in Reducing Fuel Consumption in a Car?

I made a mental list, quickly and asked my friend how his car compared to this list.

For what he wasn’t sure, I simply asked him contextual questions about the subject matter to deduce what could be wrong, if any.

1. Binding brakes.
2. Wrong engine oil weight.
3. Vehicle running without a functional thermostat.
4. Cooling fan running directly.
5. Dirty engine air filter and MAF sensors.
6. Bad oxygen sensors.
7. Poorly inflated tires.
8. Running AC in the city.
9. Bad driving habits.

So, Was the Issue Sorted?

Yes, I discovered that he was driving his car without a functional thermostat — and that was the biggest contributor to the MPGs nosedive the car had taken recently. 

He took the vehicle to the mechanic who swore that it wasn’t the issue…so, I advised him to ignore his original mechanic and approach another.

He did and that was when the ‘drunk fish’ finally became sober (and changed from being ‘a fish’, in the first place)!

Wrap Up

The thermostat in a car plays a very vital role in fuel efficiency; unfortunately, many have no idea that this little unit plays a super important role in keeping the engine hot and economical.

Because of how this is important and to keep things slim and easily digestible, I’ll be treating one of the above points daily (or if I can, more than one a day).

After treatment, I’ll also link it here so that you can easily click through and see how a particular issue contributes in so and so ways to suck the gasoline in your car, literally!