The same effect of temperature on the production of CO, CO2 and H2O was found during oxidative treatment of HY zeolites either impregnated with pyrene or coked. Therefore, pyrene oxidation can be used to specify the mechanism of coke oxidation. Three types of reactions can be distinguished : (a) condensation of polyaromatic molecules, (b) oxidation of polyaromatics into aldehydes, ketones, acids and anhydrides and (c) decarbonylation or decarboxylation of oxygenated compounds, all these reactions involving protonic sites.