staff@slashgear.com (Justin Owen)
2024-05-23 09:30:52
www.slashgear.com
In attempts to continuously lower the polluting molecules exiting tailpipes, automotive engineers have added increasingly sophisticated and complex emissions control equipment to the engines in cars. These systems can be found all over from the air intake to the exhaust, and they operate using engine power, vacuum, and electricity. Most of them are computer controlled with sensors that can set a trouble code when returning faulty or erroneous signal inputs. Faulty emissions controls can also cause misfires, often but not always because the component failure itself causes a vacuum leak. Conversely, a misfire can also cause malfunctions in the emissions system.
Most emissions system failures will set a trouble code, offering a technician a relatively clear path to diagnosing and repairing the problem. However, this is not always the case. Sometimes a failure of parts in the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system or the positive crankcase ventilation (system) can alter how much fuel is directed to one or more cylinders, constrict exhaust flow, or one of many other malfunctions.
Unfortunately for the average car owner, unless you can see something obviously amiss upon visually inspecting your engine, a professional evaluation will be needed. Furthermore, there is no way to anticipate the cost or complexity of the job as emissions controls vary widely from one car to another, and many components are hidden beneath multiple layers of other parts, requiring hours to access.