Overheating: If the engine is running too hot due to a malfunctioning cooling system, a rich fuel mixture, or a misfiring engine, it can cause the catalytic converter to overheat and potentially fail.

Impact damage: If the vehicle runs over a large object on the road or is involved in a collision, the catalytic converter could be damaged or crushed, leading to a potential failure.

Engine misfires: Unburned fuel can enter the catalytic converter and ignite inside, causing excessive heat and pressure that could lead to a failure.

Contaminants: Some substances, such as lead, silicone, or phosphorus, can contaminate the catalytic converter and cause it to fail.

Manufacturing defects: In rare cases, a catalytic converter may have a manufacturing defect that causes it to fail prematurely.

SUV explodes, flies apart after man tries lighting up cigarette inside vehicle in Van Nuys

By Matthew Rodriguez
Updated on: May 24, 2024 / 5:57 AM PDT / KCAL News

A man tried lighting up a cigarette in his SUV with propane canisters inside the vehicle, leading to an explosion and injuries requiring medical treatment Thursday, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Firefighters and police rushed to a Van Nuys parking lot after receiving a call about an SUV that inexplicably exploded around 10:30 p.m. the 7200 block of Van Nuys Boulevard, police said. He suffered minor injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital.

He told first responders when they arrived that he had been trying to light a cigarette. LAPD said there was a propane explosion.

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