I bought this car used about two years ago. It’s a 2011 Chrysler Town and Country with about 146K. I have the catalytic code with an intermittent engine light. I added one gallon of lacquer thinner and drove about 186 miles back to back with two days in between. My engine light is still on. Should I do it again? I’m a 72 year old female with very limited financial resources and ability.
should I do it again? Please let me know how to proceed.
thank you. Carmen
Should I do it again?
No. Don't put lacquer thinner in your fuel system, it can damage sensitive parts. Test your O2 sensors to see if they're working properly. If you want to try "cleaning" your catalytic converter use a purpose-made product such as Cataclean.
https://dccarcare.com/cleaning-catalytic-converter-with-lacquer-thinner/
https://piketransit.com/lacquer-thinner-in-gas-tank/
that stuff is basically lacquer thinner anyway
I have the catalytic code with an intermittent engine light.
we can't really help you if you don't tell us what the full code and meaning is.
Should I do it again?
if it didn't work the 1st time, it's unlikely you will get different result the 2nd time. It usually never works anyway.
Please let me know how to proceed.
tell us the code and go from there. Usually replacement is required, and then you must fix the problem that caused it to wear out in the first place.
that stuff is basically lacquer thinner anyway
That's something I've been wondering about for a while, so I finally looked it up. Cataclean ingredients are listed on the Holley web site:
https://www.holley.com/products/cataclean/
The main constituents of the Cataclean formulation are; Acetone, isopropanol, xylene and long-chain hydrocarbons, namely paraffin...
Hmm, acetone doesn't sound like something I'd want in my fuel, attacking plastic and rubber parts.
Lacquer thinner is indeed very similar:
https://www.ehow.com/info_8586968_lacquer-thinner-ingredients.html
Lacquer thinners are mixtures of different chemicals that dissolve lacquer. The specific composition of lacquer thinners vary by brand. However, the three primary ingredients are acetone, toulene and methanol. These are the ingredients that dissolve the lacquer. Lacquer thinners often also include thickeners or waxes.
So it looks like the two products only have minor differences. Probably then the main reason that Cataclean may do less damage is the smaller dosage - instead of being tempted to pour a full gallon into the tank you're only using about a pint of the stuff. I don't think I'd want to use either unless I was in "nothing to lose" territory with an old beater.