Repair And Fix it

The catalytic converter in auto exhaust systems controls air pollution by chemically converting unburned hydrocarbons and combustion products into natural atmospheric gases. Motorists in Alabama may seek to replace these devices with a straight piece of exhaust pipe in the belief removal of the converter increases engine horsepower, or because the converter has failed and they want to avoid the costs of replacing it. But they would be breaking Alabama and federal law.

Systems Must Work

The Alabama Pollution Control Act (State Code Chap. 28, Sec. 22-12) requires owners of automobiles that are equipped with air pollution control systems to maintain those systems in good working order.

Cant Drive Car

The Alabama pollution law prohibits operating a motor vehicle in the state if its catalytic converter and other air pollution control systems have been removed, disabled, or are otherwise not working correctly. Violators face a potential maximum $10,000 fine and up to a year in jail.

Federal Law, Too

Even if Alabama law had stood silent on catalytic converters, there still is a federal law that prohibits removal or replacement of a properly functioning catalytic converter. This law applies in all 50 states, said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys website. Violations by individuals are punishable by a fine of up to $2,500, while a business could be fined $25,000. Federal law requires that a failed converter be replaced with one that meets EPA standards and is a match for the original equipment.

The catalytic converter in motor vehicles is an anti-pollution device that chemically converts toxic byproducts of fuel combustion into gases that occur naturally. Some drivers believe that removing the converter will improve performance while others may seek to replace the converter with a section of ordinary exhaust pipe to avoid the cost of replacing a failed converter. Such actions are against Texas state law, and violators face up to a $25,000 fine.

Tampering Illegal

It is illegal in Texas to tamper with properly functioning catalytic converters and other pollution control equipment, says the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality website. Tampering means removing, disabling or otherwise rendering inoperable the pollution control devices installed on a motor vehicle.

Use or Sale Banned

Texas law forbids you to drive a motor vehicle with missing or inoperable pollution control systems. This applies regardless of whether the vehicle is being driven on- or off-road. It is also illegal in Texas to sell, lease or offer a motor vehicle that doesnt have all pollution control systems in proper working order.

Repair Rules

Chapter 114 of the Texas Clean Air Act requires that a missing or failed catalytic converter or other failed pollution control device must be replaced with one specified for that vehicle and which has been certified by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. The repairs must meet the emissions standards established for that vehicle. It is also illegal to add equipment, such as a turbocharger, that wasnt originally certified by the manufacturer for that make and model.

Exemptions

Texas law exempts vehicles and engines used exclusively for auto racing, research and development, or vocational instruction. It also exempts farm vehicles made before 2000, and vehicles or engines being exported from the United States.