Why Catalytic Converters Need Oxygen To Operate
What is the little pipe on the side of a universal catalytic converter? Its function is to supply oxygen to the catalytic converter.
That oxygen allows the converter to perform a reduction reaction where it changes those nasty things coming out of the exhaust port into carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and even a little bit of the nitric compounds
Older vehicles didn't have full control of exactly the right amount of fuel control for the trims during startup and other situations, so it couldn't supply oxygen to the converter properly.
It had to get the oxygen from someplace else - right here. Typically on these vehicles you’ll find an air injection pump and a pipe that connecting the catalytic converter to that air injection pump or one of the exhaust manifolds on the vehicle
With catalytic converters, any holes or leaks will cause emissions problems and possibly a DTC.
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