an antipollution device in an automotive exhaust system that contains a catalyst for chemically converting some pollutants in the exhaust gases, as carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons, and oxides of nitrogen, into harmless compounds.
Origin
1960-65
Examples from the web for catalytic converter
The modern fuel injection system works with a three-way catalytic converter to cut pollution.
And its catalytic converter largely eliminates smog-forming nitrogen oxides.
The catalytic converter on your exhaust system contains cerium and lanthanum.
The addition of low sulphur fuel and upcoming catalytic converter technology make diesel the way to go.
With catalytic converter and filter, they can significantly reduce their toxic and particulate emissions.
Failure of any of these components results in incomplete combustion and poor performance of the catalytic converter.
Restoring a tampered catalytic converter system can be an expensive job.
Basically, the presence of the catalytic converter itself has no significant effect on the answer at all.
The vehicle will fail if the catalytic converter is missing or damaged.
For example, if a misfire is left uncorrected, too much fuel may be dumped into the catalytic converter causing it to fail.
British Dictionary definitions for catalytic converter
catalytic converter
noun
1.
a device using three-way catalysts to reduce the obnoxious and poisonous components of the products of combustion (mainly oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, and unburnt hydrocarbons) from the exhausts of motor vehicles Sometimes shortened to catcon