Is it for sure the Catalytic Converter?

"PabloRena ---> AnalProbe" > wrote in message
. ..
>
> "G-Ram" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
> > OK EVERYONE!!!!
> >
> > I have been informed by my mechanic that the reason for all of these
> > problems I am having is because the Hall Generator is bad and needs to
> > be replaced. My entire exhaust system is fine (thank god) everything
> > else is fine too.
> >
> > Maybe a discussion on what the hell a Hall Generator is and what
> > function it performs is in order...
> >
> > Thanks to everyone who replied with ideas and assistance.....
>
> Did he say that the Hall Effect sensor can be replaced itself, or does he
> need to replace the entire distributor?
>
> I don't know why he's calling it a "Hall Generator" when its actually a
> sensor. To quote from my handy dandy "Electronic Engineer's Handbook,
3'rd
> Edition", page 6-88., "A magnetic field applied across a current-carrying
> material will force the moving carriers to crowd to one side of the
> conductor. An electric current will develop as a result of this
> crowding...". I believe that when the distributor is rotating, some
portion
> of it must be magnetized and this spinning magnetic field crosses the Hall
> Effect sensor. The output of the sensor is a series of electric pulses
that
> are conditioned (filtered and level adjusted with operational amplifiers)
> and interpreted by the engine controller to adjust timing.
>
> Anyone, tell me if I've got this wrong. As I told the orignal poster back
> on 7/12/05, I knew it was either the distributor or the catalytic
converter,
> I just didn't know which one. Unfortunately on my car both systems had to
> be replaced at the same time.
>
Actually its not a sensor, but a transducer that converts a time varying
magnetic field (difficult to measure) into a time varying voltage (easier to
measure). Sorry about the confusion that I may have caused. Its certainly
not a "generator", don't let that mechanic get away with trying to play
engineer.