Find a clogged catalytic converter on a road trip in Mexico with ChatGPT
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Our vehicle is losing power and the air pump has started making a whirring noise. Here are the vehicle details and symptoms. What are the most likely causes, and how can we test each one with a mechanic?
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Before you start, ask me 1–3 short questions about the details below and wait for my answers. Once I've answered, confirm the plan in one line and run the whole task start to finish. Goal: Narrow down why my vehicle is losing power so I can guide a mechanic to the right repair. Questions to ask me first: - What is the year, make, model, engine and mileage? - When did the power loss start, and what other symptoms or noises began at the same time? - What has already been checked or replaced, and with what results? Inputs (fill in or confirm): - Vehicle: [YEAR / MAKE / MODEL / ENGINE / MILES] - Symptoms and when they started: [SYMPTOMS] - Tests and readings so far (fuel pressure, codes): [TESTS / READINGS] - Parts already swapped: [PARTS SWAPPED] - Where I am and what parts are available: [LOCATION] Rules: - Give the top three likely causes and what points to each. - Rule causes in or out using the tests I've already done. - For each remaining cause, describe a simple test a mechanic can do and what result would confirm it. - Warn me about any test that is unsafe to run for long or could damage the engine. - Say what a proper repair is and what a temporary workaround would mean, including legal or emissions issues. Checkpoint: After your first list, wait for me to report the test results before recommending a repair. If you get stuck: If the results don't point anywhere clear, say so and list what to check next. Verify before you finish: Check that your conclusion matches every reading and test result I gave you. Output: A short ranked list of causes, the test for each and a plain explanation I can show the mechanic. Done when: We know what's causing the power loss and have chosen a repair or a safe workaround.
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Outcome
Kevin and Ruth's vehicle, Igor, was losing power in a tiny town in Veracruz, Mexico, and the pollution air pump had started making odd whirring noises. Kevin input the vehicle statistics and symptoms into ChatGPT, which gave three possibilities: a clogged catalytic converter, the fuel pump or the MAP sensor. The fuel pressure read 40 psi and a swapped MAP sensor changed nothing, which left the converter. ChatGPT suggested removing the oxygen sensor in front of the converter so the exhaust could escape; the engine fired right up and ran normally. The mechanics hollowed out the converter instead of replacing it, the check engine light stayed on, and the bill was 1,700 pesos (about $98 US).
Evidence: Described by posterThe person describes what happened in words, without screenshots or video.
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- by Kevin (Travel with Kevin and Ruth)
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https://www.travelwithkevinandruth.com/2026/04/igor-is-fixed-and-we-are-ready-to-get.html
Context: The repair was a workaround: the converter was hollowed out rather than replaced, the check engine light stays on, and Kevin calls it 'fixed... but not fixed properly.'
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