Using Lacquer Thinner to Clean Cat Converter?

[tommygunn]

Originally Posted By: Twisty_Bits
I did this to my 2000 Toyota Tacoma 3.4L about a month ago. I was noticing a sulfur (rotten egg) smell from my exhaust. Fearing that my cat was going out I ran the 1 gallon lacquer thinner in a half tank of gas.

The result was that I no longer smell the strong sulfur odor. It is also starting and idling smoother when cold, which had been a little rough prior to the treatment.

As a side note, if you read the components of lacquer thinner as per the MSDS sheet, they seem very similar to Berrymans Chemtool B12.
CHEMTOOL is a product I've used.....and yea, that's very stout stuff.....personally, I'd give the CHEMTOOL a try, before going as far as a gallon of lacquer thinner to a half tank of gas....lol. Just sounds dangerous, but of course, I'm no chemist

 

[Vikas]

If you were getting the P0420 consistently before and if you have not got it yet even after letting it coast on highway, then your P0420 probably is cured! Can you check the I/M status and see if the CAT CONVERT testing is completed?

Please don't add another chemical there before figuring out if the lacquer thinner worked or not.

 

[Nickdfresh]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
If you were getting the P0420 consistently before and if you have not got it yet even after letting it coast on highway, then your P0420 probably is cured! Can you check the I/M status and see if the CAT CONVERT testing is completed?

Please don't add another chemical there before figuring out if the lacquer thinner worked or not.


Okay, we'll fill up with Mobil TT gas 87 octane and see what happens after rebooting the computer. The car seems to run smoother, cooler on the highway, and even seems to shift better...

 

[Zimnismoboy34]

TBH i would suggest maybe running some Napthalene or Naptha through with the next fill up. If my chem is correct the compositions are very similar and naptha is stronger so you dont need a high dose .
In most MMT based octane booster they run Napthalene to flush out the cat by getting the exhaust temps hotter .
Inherently naptha makes the Fuel hotter .
So it will make a slight rise in EGTs i think (stand to be corrected)
But its also a really good detergent .
And it works too otherwise why else would the octane boosters all contain it and i mean all with the exception of the elcheapo ones.

 

[Vikas]

Don't unnecessarily reboot the computer. Every time you reboot it, all emission/inspection monitors get reset and the car has to go through whole self-test again. Some of them are pesky little buggers and take a long time/driving before they are declared "OK". In all states, if you have more than 1 (or 2 if model yr 2000 or earlier), you will NOT pass inspection. Actually they will give you incomplete and ask you to come back but even that has its some disadvantages. It is complicated.

Is the check engine light still on? If it has not tripped since you added the lacquer thinner, leave it alone.

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
If you were getting the P0420 consistently before and if you have not got it yet even after letting it coast on highway, then your P0420 probably is cured!


Back when I was getting 420s/430s, it would sometimes go A LONG TIME/MANY MILES after reset before throwing those codes again.
Same now with the PO1133s/1135s.

 

[Nickdfresh]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
Don't unnecessarily reboot the computer. Every time you reboot it, all emission/inspection monitors get reset and the car has to go through whole self-test again. Some of them are pesky little buggers and take a long time/driving before they are declared "OK". In all states, if you have more than 1 (or 2 if model yr 2000 or earlier), you will NOT pass inspection. Actually they will give you incomplete and ask you to come back but even that has its some disadvantages. It is complicated.

Is the check engine light still on? If it has not tripped since you added the lacquer thinner, leave it alone.


I'm aware of this. My car takes about 30-50 miles for the computer to fully cycle through...