Q: Engine light turned, reading says I need new catalytic converter, how long could I wait to fix it?

A clogged or failing catalytic converter can cause the vehicle to have poor fuel economy. As you may already know, the catalytic converter converts toxic exhaust gases into less harmful pollutants that are suitable to be expelled into the atmosphere. When this is clogged, this causes these gases to be backed up into the exhaust system not allowing the engine to breathe properly. When this happens, the engine is forced to work much harder to expel these gases. This often results in the engine bogging down, hesitating, shaking and causing very poor fuel economy.

Depending on how clogged or damaged the catalytic converter is, it may or may not be safe to continue driving it. In some cases, if it is a minor clog or some of the catalyst materials inside have been damaged it may still be fine to drive for a bit longer. In more severe cases, a clogged catalytic converter can cause more serious problems with allowing the motor to properly breathe and will eventually result in the vehicle performing poorly. I would recommend having a professional from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose and inspect your vehicle.