There has been a rash across the country of people getting thier catalytic converters stolen for the precious metals housed inside. There were over a half dozen in my town alone- this morning. A theft can happen in as little as five minutes with a team of two people. Is there any physical protection you can provide the underbelly of your car to prevent someone from hacking away at the components?
2007-01-09 07:36:10 · 11 answers · asked by cyan 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Sources below- a guy at my work had this happen this morning- when he went to the dealership he said there had already been FIVE people in to that dealership. Apparently they can sell them for about $100. The platinum and other metals have skyrocketed in price making it as profitable as stealing copper wiring from air units and street-lights....
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=local&id=4911638
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/102/story/45672.html
2007-01-09 10:49:58 · update #1
Just about anything you can be defeated, or will cause a hazard of heat build-up under your car. If you can't lock the vehicle up in a secured garage, then install a motion detector and make the adjustment sensitive enough to discriminate between wind and other vehicle noise, and the movement of the car from being jacked up high enough to remove the cat.
Happy Motoring
2007-01-09 07:45:13 · answer #1 · answered by Ironhand 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
well i suppose you could use a hacksaw or a chain style exhaust pipe cutter to cut the the pipe holding the converter.... twice to free it up, but 5 minutes is a strech on the street. rig would need to be jacked up a good 2-3 feet. and there is some platinum in the converter itself,some, but this makes no sense to me whatsoever. you would think that a thief would take the whole car. hell i could get a tow truck under a rig in a min or 2. and cutting exhaust pipe is a fudged up job. methinks someone, or 2, be taken for a ride. but any car alarm would would detect the movement needed to get the converter loose.
2007-01-09 15:28:41 · answer #2 · answered by bela k 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
no real way to stop them from stealing them but you're best chance would be to install a paging type alarm system so that it will notify you when the alarm goes off, install motion lights where you're car sits, get a dog any size will do as long as it will bark, go to harbourfreight web site and buy a security camera i think they still have them for $40.00, they are b/w with night vision and sound they hook to you're TVs A/V inputs, but the night vision is kinda weak after 20 feet, talk to you're neighbours see who stays up at night and who's home during the day and set up you're own neighbourhood watch, try to park you're car close to you're bedroom window, because they will use a cordless sawzall to cut out the converter, so welding wont help and trying to make a plate to cover it would only increase you're chances for a fire,
most scrape yards pay between 10 and 40 dollars for converters depends on the type, the reason is for the honey combs inside of it, its some type of ceramic material, what its used for i have no ideal, but they want the guts out of them badly. I've heard roomers of the honey combs being used for some type of medical research, again its just a roomer.
other than locking it up in a garage i guess you could air bag you're ride and set it on the frame when you're not driving lol would be alot harder to get to it that way .
best of luck and i would get a good alarm and camera with sound, and try to park close to you're bedroom, if you do catch them in the act i wouldn't confront them keep you're distance, call the cops "which will take a hour for them to show I'm sure" and yell what do you think you're doing to my car or something like *&^*%^&*^*%^ away from my *(&^%&(&^% car you &^*%$*^%lol, " from a safe distance",
2007-01-09 08:31:21 · answer #3 · answered by sasquatch 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋
where in the world did you hear this? I read 4 different newspapers everyday and have never heard of people trying to steal catalytic converters.
Are you sure this isn't a urban legend? check out snopes.com to see if it is.
If you have proof, please add it to your question. like a link to the actual story online would be good.
Huh? I didn't see that coming. I had no idea about that, but I wouldn't call 5 stolen a 'rash' of thefts. But it's good to know that it's actually happening. sorry I doubted you.
2007-01-09 07:48:16 · answer #4 · answered by Ron Porkmore 4 · 0⤊ 3⤋
If your exhaust system has been butchered, it could be VERY dangerous for you to attempt to drive the car - fumes could over-whelm you in the cabin, hot gases from the exhaust could possibly over-heat the floorpan, melting your carpet and underfelt, again producing noxious fumes, or the hot gases could even over-heat your fuel or brake-lines. Also, running without the Cat in place may cause the fuelling-computer to fail. Simply-put, get the car repaired, before you use it again.
2016-05-22 23:33:16 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes it is a new thing.They are stealing them because have titanium in them.Put an alarm on the car that will go off if the car is shaken would be the best bet.
2007-01-09 14:40:45 · answer #6 · answered by Jim C 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
How the hell do you steel a cat. converter? You couldn't even get under my car with out putting it on a hoist to get to it. And what precious metals are in the converter?
2007-01-09 07:53:58 · answer #7 · answered by kdog 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
I would guess your best choice would be an alarm on you car with a motion detector.
2007-01-09 12:37:08 · answer #8 · answered by TonynNC 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I'd make sure it is welded to the exhaust and not bolted first... then get a good alarm system.
2007-01-09 08:03:21 · answer #9 · answered by Richie Rich 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
i would have an alarm system installed in my car it would be cheaper than replacing your converter
2007-01-09 08:33:05 · answer #10 · answered by spuds36 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋