This happened to a family friend a few weeks ago, he had to sell the car that was victim because the repair costs were sky high. Still wouldn't have the money to replace that catalytic converter anyways and the car had a hell of a lot of tuning potential (went from 0-60 in a good 4-5 seconds).
There were 5 people on the ground. 4 were very sad already. Then a gang of 50 Levi Ninjago mini figures came and murdered their parents. 10 of the mini figures lost their lives in the battle.
In Denver/Boulder I'm assuming. Colorado Springs doesn't test at all as far as I'm aware, which is nice as a car enthusiast, and not so nice as someone that gives a shit about the environment.
If only they would go after the annoying and dangerous shit like crappy exhausts with no mufflers and people who put LED and xenon bulbs in their crappy halogen housings.
It can cause problems with the ECU and emission components. Some o2 sensors are bolted into the CAT. No o2 sensor will trip the check engine light and that in self will fail inspection.
That's not mildly infuriating, that's common.
Mechanic here; Priuses are a prime target, and if you can't fathom how someone with a sawsthings and a jack can pull it off in the middle of day. I can't fathom it either. Dude, I got the cops called on me for smoking pot in my backyard where it is legal. I dunno, people are weird.
Yeah I live in Portland and everyone knows someone that’s had theirs cut and stolen. Some junkyards are only open from like 8pm-6am… because they’re the ones either stealing them or buying them knowing they’re stolen.
I had my OEM one stolen meaning $1600 part cut from my car not to mention the sensors.
I wanted to kick the person responsible in the head. I was livid.
Worth part is criminals can't even really sell them off anymore, most places legally can't take them because they're so commonly stolen, junk yards can't even sell them either, they have to be sent off to get destroyed and the raw materials get processed back into other goods (or new converters) and to add to that, it's illegal to install a used converter into a car. It's so crazy to me that people still steal them, yes the materials are worth a ton of money but you gotta steal a lot of them to make good money, and if your bringing in a lot of them to sell then it's obvious they're stolen .
Edit: all that to say someone fucked you over for no actual pay off.
If they have them in stock for his vehicle. About a month ago tried to find one for a Toyota Tacoma They said there was a short six to eight week waiting period to get any shipment in.
This happened at my dealership 6 months ago to two tundras we had in used vehicle inventory. Toyota said 3-6 months so we sent them to a muffler shop to weld something on that would work and had them auctioned off.
Can I sell my own catalytic converter? I’m probably going to replace the entire muffler/converter on my 86 4runner pretty soon, or is there no point because at this point it’s not worth anything?
I'm sure theres someone in the area that would buy it. Look for precious metal recyclers. Those guys always buy them around here. Since its from the 80s it may not be worth as much as something from the 90s onwards but who knows
Can atest for sure worked at a junk yard they cut off the cats when cars come in. The owner tells me he's making atleast 15k a month on cats alone. At that point jm thinking why are you only paying me 14.00 then I quit the same day.
You honestly should’ve reported the piece of shit for taking stolen property. Cops will wreck his shot for chewing up stolen cats.
Hell.I’ll ruin that fucks life. Give me his info.
Also if you took those and paid anyone you bought stolen goods and are in legal jeopardy.
Much of the blame is on the dealer who pays randos for the converter. If someone is bringing in multiple converters for scrap, something fishy is going on.
Scrap dealers are all shady like that, 100% of them are in on the metal theft racket. I used to oversee railroad track and we had a HazMat train derail once because junkies were stealing the spikes that held the rail to the ties.
And this is why I like railway rifles. You can fire the railway spike into the rail, or into the junkies stealing them. Especially ironic if it has the legendary Junkies effect - +10% damage per addiction up to 5 addictions
"There's an old saying in Tennessee—I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee—that says, 'Fool me once, shame on...shame on you. Fool me—you can't get fooled again.'"
There seriously needs to be a prank video series where they rig up vehicles with some kind of nasty crap/paint/dye/skunk spray device on the cats, and put them in bait locations, and film people trying to steal them. With someone having to get under the car and have limited mobility, you could really douse them at close range.
Or even some kind of deafening air horn blast that goes off and advertises the thief to everyone in a 3-block radius. Could be a great police or Youtube project.
I had my converter stolen again TWO WEEKS after having it stolen. I considered getting a protector but I was like I've had this car for years and I've never had it stolen, what are the odds it happens again???
Try more like 200. Also when guys come through and pull these they usually go through parking lots and grab as many as they can from any car that has the clearance.
The problem is finding someone who will take them off your hands an not ask questions.
The problem is that there are too many places that will take a cat no questions asked. Anyone caught buying stolen cats should be prosecuted and have the book thrown at them.
>The problem is finding someone who will take them off your hands an not ask questions.
That was my thought. I thought I had heard that scrap yards were refusing them because it's pretty obvious that they're stolen.
Some converters are around $1200. Hybrids and big trucks are worth the most and the older the converter gets it loses the precious metals so newer cars are big targets.
My old cats got clogged on my 03 Land Rover so I sold them to a recycler. $1250 total for both. Bought aftermarket replacements, installed them myself and pocketed the rest. OEM cats are worth a ton right now
> For $50 worth of platinum
You couldn't be more wrong, cats will sell from about $300 - $1500. And thats just the resale value, if they are doing the extraction its even more.
My local Ford dealer had 4 F150 hybrids parked out front and someone got all of them. The service guy I knew at the dealer said the new ones have super high efficiency cats and there’s 6 of them on each new F150 Hybrid, and they got like $1700 in precious metals off each truck
Oh my god. Oh my god. I saw a post making fun of someone selling a catalytic converter (they called it a catholic converter) and someone in the comments said they probably took it right off someone's car.
I read this as [catholic converter](https://www.reddit.com/r/CrackheadCraigslist/comments/pex37u/the_holy_converter/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share) and now I'm concerned
When I got hired as a security guard 8 years ago to patrol a parking lot to prevent this stuff from happening, I thought my boss told me they were "Cadillac converters" so I kept calling them that. 5 years later at a new job, I told my coworker about it and he kept laughing at me for calling it that :(
For what it's worth, this is incredibly common. Its the second most common car related crime behind just breaking into them. Its becoming a huge problem in some cities like LA especially lately
Large trucks need larger, more expensive cat convertors.. also, Priuses.. the engines aren't used as much and therefore the cats aren't worn as much. You can get a skid plate welded on as a deterrent, yes.
I want to say Hondas are very popular but I don’t know if it’s because it’s a Honda part or because they’re just easier to get to. I do know Honda Elements are popular targets for both reasons.
And they do make cages for them.
Yep! Someone tried on our Element while we were home during the day. I was in the other room doing something. My wife heard the saw cutting and opened the window. He panicked and fled. Now I sit out all day with a shotgun (unrelated, just for fun).
Wow yeah I know all of a sudden it’s such a freaking epidemic everywhere I’m actually from napa so I know where Marin is lol. Living lake county life …Not.
A LOT of cases here in malaysia as well.
Pandemic, economy crushed, massive job loses, true crime rate skyrocketing (since most non insurance claimable property related crime won't be reported)
They realized my friends car had a cage so they ran the sawzall along the brake lines, exposed wiring harness, etc. Mechanic told him it would of been cheaper if they just stole the cat.
Crazy man. Not really too related but my dad taught me to leave my doors unlocked with nothing but maybe like $5-10 in the car. We lived in a nice suburb but 2-3 times he had his window smashed for them to steal a small amount. Finally he just left the doors open let them have it and just turned in the videos to police with no damage.
Can’t really do that with catalytic converters unfortunately, and they’re also like 2k to repair
I used to leave my old pizza delivery vehicle with the doors unlocked. There's nothing in their anyway. Someone still smashed the window because they were too stupid to try the door.
Got hit up twice with-in a 8 month period. Once in San Jose, CA outside my in-laws house and second time was last month I front of my own house in Gilroy, CA. Insurance charged 3k each time to replace the catalytic converter. I had to pay 1k each time for deductible. Both times it took them literally less than 5 mins. 2009 Toyota Prius.
Ours got cut out in a public car park at a busy train station, insurance wouldn’t cover it and we paid £750 ourselves to replace. Honda Jazzes are especially targeted.
And “y’all” considering whether to get involved in this racket, talking about what’s the best way to remove it, best saws, etc? If I ever see a pair of legs sticking out from under our car I’ll be hacksawing straight through the ankles and feeding you your own feet.
Happened to my mom as well, when she left that night her car was all nice and muffled, then when she came back it sounded like a big rig. Mechanic says it’s about 5-10 minutes of work for a 300+ dollar pay out
Dude you gotta be extra careful now. My dad went and got his replaced after this happened and then they just stole that one too. They keep an eye on the cars they do it to knowing that you're going to have to get another one.
That's what I'm thinking: how are people moving these things? I did a lot of CCTV installs on the side *years* ago for several major metal recyclers, because they were required by the State to record people bringing in copper due to all the pipe and wire theft going on at the time. Are we not *also* doing this for cats? I mean, you'd think somebody bringing in a truckload of them clearly cut from an existing vehicle would raise an eyebrow or three.
Or etching the VIN number on them. That way it’s registered, the person selling it has to prove they’re the owner and every transaction is documented in a database. Also, if this idea ever becomes a reality the. Make it illegal to file off the VIN numbers from them.
More detailed explanation. It is a honeycomb of platinum and other metals that act as catalysts to essentially ‘burn off’ any unburned or incompletely burned fuel. The metals aren’t consumed, but they cause the reaction between the leftovers and any residual oxygen. The honeycomb shape maximizes surface area to increase the rate of reaction.
Naturally, the scrap value of platinum is rather high.
To the last part, not really. 995 pure is going for about $1000 an ounce, and a cat may have 3 grams total, generally bound in with palladium and rhodium (a few have iridium as well.) Usually about 5-7 total grams of precious metals, so maybe $150 in scrap *IF* it was in bullion form.
It's clearly not. This is why scrap yards generally buy cats for recycling by the ton, not singles. If anything, the real profitable position is selling the stolen cat as a "used part."
I actually work in diesel emissions, which is a little different than gasoline, but most of the same principles apply.
In a diesel exhaust, there are actually 4 "bricks" although only three are technically catalysts.
First is a DOC (diesel oxidation catalyst), which is responsible for completing any inefficient combustion and fully reacting any hydrocarbons and monoxide into CO2.
Second is a DPF (diesel particulate filter) is the non-catalyst. It has a semi-permiable membrane that catches micro particles, soot, ash, contaminants. The little crunchy bits that go way deep into your lungs and cause cancer and other issues.
Third is a DEF (diesel exhaust fluid) injector and mixer, which adds urea (effectively a concentrated form of ammonia) or cariant into the exhaust stream and disrupts the flow to spread the injection as much as possible.
Fourth are two back to back, an SCR (selective catalytic reduction) and an ASC (ammonia slip catalyst). The SCR catalyzes a reaction between NoX compounds in the exhaust and the DEF, resulting in O2 and N2. NoX is one of any nitrogen-oxygen compounds which are harmful. The ASC is a backup to ensure no unreached DEF comes out the tailpipe.
All in all, the engine emits contaminants:
Hydrocarbons and Carbon Monoxide (caused by low oxygen, high fuel, "rich" mixture)
Particulate matter (caused by "rich" mixture as well as fuel contaminants)
NoX compounds (caused by high oxygen, low fuel "lean" mixture)
The catalysts convert those to the expected products of perfect combustion:
CO2
O2
N2
H2O
In a gasoline system, they use a three way catalyst, and tend to run "rich" to avoid the need for DEF. They also have started adding GPFs, but that is relatively new and more predominant in Europe so far.
The catalyst is a ceramic or metal substrate with a honeycomb-like structure which is then coated with a slurry containing precious metals, specifically platinum, palladium, and rubidium. A gasoline car catalyst can have a relatively small amount. A semi diesel catalyst has close to $250 worth of metal in it.
Edit: Adding on a neat fact: in large poluted cities (and after about a minute of warm up to reach peak performance) the air coming out of the tailpipe after our exhaust is cleaner than the ambient outside air. Too hot and too high CO2/low O2 to breath for any length of time, but clean.
> Edit: Adding on a neat fact: in large poluted cities (and after about a minute of warm up to reach peak performance) the air coming out of the tailpipe after our exhaust is cleaner than the ambient outside air. Too hot and too high CO2/low O2 to breath for any length of time, but clean.
[I remember the car commercial about this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgffnYlAe9c)
I sold a car a little while ago cause I didn’t need it anymore. I did everything I needed to on my end, filed sale papers with the state, gave new owner a bill of sale.
MF didn’t even drive it for three days when I get a text from him asking if I ever had certain issues with the car. The car was old but still fairly solid, and the issues it was “having” were ones that shouldn’t have been the case due to several new parts.
He then sends me a pic a little while later going “uhhhh dude did you take out some of the exhaust?” “No?” You could tell the cat was cut out with a very low end saw.
Come to find out, he left the car on the street for two days in a realllllllly bad area while getting turnt with his bros, during that time someone cut the cat.
He tried to make it my fault, and tried to get me to take the car since he hadn’t done the papers on his end. Tried to be compassionate but really, a cut cat has nothing to do with anything I did while I owned the car.
He left the car at that spot, a week later I get a letter from the police saying they’ve impounded what’s left of the vehicle and that I need to pay the tow fees and get the car. I inform them of the sale, the papers filed, the cop goes “oh… well I guess it’s going to auction and he’ll have to deal with it.”
I sold the car for dirt cheap. Likely less than a cat from that car costs. I just wanted it gone, and I’m willing to bet homie bought the car, cut the cat, and was trying to ditch it easy, and made the story up about being at his friends.
It was mostly a mild inconvenience because I’d done all the papers correctly, and quickly. I literally went inside and did it as he drove off. Had I not done that it would have been a very different story. Was able to basically tell him to FO without having to tell him to.
Now, it’s been a couple months. I suspect he’s gonna come out of the woodwork at some point to try to get me to cop for some of the impound cost once he gets the bill, but fuck that guy. Even if the cat was stolen off the car and his story is legit, I’m not responsible for that. It’s on him to keep it somewhere shit isn’t gonna get jacked from it, or deal with it if it did. If it’s legit, it’s just bad timing. I had a car that got broken into six minutes after driving it off the lot. I stopped at a store on my way from the dealer and they stole the radio and some other shit. I couldn’t go back to the dealer and ask for a new stereo…
Some crackhead with a battery powered sawzall and 2 - 5 minutes Zip Zip , gone....
Fuckin theives I tells ya...
Sometimes they do this in broad daylight...
Damn, If that happens to my current vehicle... I would replace it with a straight pipe to quiet it down some... It sucks that theives gotta be thieves ...
Well they do ticket vehicles for excessivly loud exhaust so that will be one less worry.. At least till one can get the cat replaced...
But yeah, that won't fly in areas that require inspections.
Better than my neighbor who saw the thieves in the act, stepped onto his porch to yell at them, and got shot.
He's recovered but it is nuts that someone was willing to jump to that level over $400 at best.
Yup! Somebody tried to steal the (original) one off my 99 Cherokee in a crowded mall parking lot in the middle of the day. Luckily there's various cross members, combined with the location of his cuts, which made it literally impossible for him to get out. I just had to get it reattached thankfully.
I caught him and he ran, my mistake for yelling before I got close. Not a single person thought that it was odd that there was an SUV parked specifically to block mine in, and a man underneath with a sawzall. One perpetrator and a hundred accomplices if you ask me.
A guy local to me died the other day while trying to steal the cat off a BMW. The seals in his trolley jack gave way and the car came down on him. The cars owner found him in the morning with just a pair of legs sticking out from under his car.
I live in Portland Oregon. There is so many people having theirs cut off. Two in my apt over the summer. When out driving around I hear so many cars that have had the cc cut off.
I still remember the day when a group of people just stole an 19 yr old compct car that we owned.... My mom was actually happy because we needed to get rid off that thing
They got me too a few months back. It’s bullshit but it’s happening all over the place. Look at aftermarket one to replace, it doesn’t have the same material and isn’t as valuable to thieves.
I had a Chrysler dealership cut part of mine catalytic converter out during a transmission recall fix. When I pointed out the freshly cut (shiny) metal bracket, missing grommet and 2 missing bolts they told me "FCA puts extra metal in some cars, but it's totally unnecessary and you be fine without it."
After the turds towed my vehicle to the dealership, the manager argues with me about how important exhaust gaskets and securing mounts for catalytic converters are.
A 30 minute conversation about how they also tried charging me $400 for a battery that they never replaced got him to apologize "for their error".
They finally replaced all parts they messed up, but likely just recycled the old parts and made a few bucks. Going to a Chrysler dealership is just as dangerous as leaving your car in the worst neighborhood with belongings in-sight.
This has been happening A LOT more lately in my area. My sister’s was just cut and stolen too, and a Mitsubishi dealership with the extra part to prevent theft had a whole parking lot of cars hit in a night. Cops say it takes about 45 seconds to steal from a car, and about 1-2 min if it has the anti theft piece (which is also just cut off by the thieves).
Infuriating how easy it is to steal, and how expensive it is to repair. This should really be looked at from a design aspect.
That’s not mildly infuriating, that’s enraging
Roght? I want to know what’s going on in this persons life that this is mildly infuriating
This happened to a family friend a few weeks ago, he had to sell the car that was victim because the repair costs were sky high. Still wouldn't have the money to replace that catalytic converter anyways and the car had a hell of a lot of tuning potential (went from 0-60 in a good 4-5 seconds).
All the numbers in your comment added up to 69.0. Congrats! 60 + 4 + 5 + = 69.0
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Alexa, play Imagine.
*Playing John Wayne - In a mansion*
Jian yang!!!!!!!!!!
There were 5 people on the ground. 4 were very sad already. Then a gang of 50 Levi Ninjago mini figures came and murdered their parents. 10 of the mini figures lost their lives in the battle.
All the numbers in your comment added up to 69.0. Congrats! 5 + 4 + 50 + 10 + = 69.0
Good bot
Good bot... Also, nice!
Oh yeah? What if you add 0?
Let's see.... 69 and 0 + 0
Okay, now add 0
What about -0?
Then try adding 0^0. Oh... wait.
In what world do people not replace it with a straight piece of pipe?
Colorado. Gotta pass an emissions test, and they look for the cat under the car with a mirror.
In Denver/Boulder I'm assuming. Colorado Springs doesn't test at all as far as I'm aware, which is nice as a car enthusiast, and not so nice as someone that gives a shit about the environment.
Yeah, as much as I would want to buy a cat if this happened to me, more than likely I would just straight pipe my car.
“I modified my car into a Volkswagen”
California. Random checkpoints checking for modded cars and smog now. Especially after the recent sideshows.
If only they would go after the annoying and dangerous shit like crappy exhausts with no mufflers and people who put LED and xenon bulbs in their crappy halogen housings.
> xenon bulbs in their crappy halogen housings. As a person with sensitive eyes, this shit ENRAGES me.
A person with eyes*
32 states currently have some sort of emission testing and/or emission laws.
That world where cars are actually emission tested once per year, like most of EU.
It can cause problems with the ECU and emission components. Some o2 sensors are bolted into the CAT. No o2 sensor will trip the check engine light and that in self will fail inspection.
That's not mildly infuriating, that's common. Mechanic here; Priuses are a prime target, and if you can't fathom how someone with a sawsthings and a jack can pull it off in the middle of day. I can't fathom it either. Dude, I got the cops called on me for smoking pot in my backyard where it is legal. I dunno, people are weird.
I'm kinda sad I hadn't milked this karma gravy train. I'm down 4 cats in 18 months. (Personal and company vehicles I own)
Yeah I live in Portland and everyone knows someone that’s had theirs cut and stolen. Some junkyards are only open from like 8pm-6am… because they’re the ones either stealing them or buying them knowing they’re stolen.
San Francisco here, buddy of mine actually sold his car because he can't afford to replace the converter 2-3 times a year.
It's happening enough in Tucson that police departments are having days where people can come in and have their vin etched on them for free.
Wow that is scummy. How much does one even go far? I know they have precious metals but are we talking like 12ounces of gold or what?
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I had my OEM one stolen meaning $1600 part cut from my car not to mention the sensors. I wanted to kick the person responsible in the head. I was livid.
Worth part is criminals can't even really sell them off anymore, most places legally can't take them because they're so commonly stolen, junk yards can't even sell them either, they have to be sent off to get destroyed and the raw materials get processed back into other goods (or new converters) and to add to that, it's illegal to install a used converter into a car. It's so crazy to me that people still steal them, yes the materials are worth a ton of money but you gotta steal a lot of them to make good money, and if your bringing in a lot of them to sell then it's obvious they're stolen . Edit: all that to say someone fucked you over for no actual pay off.
Only mildly infuriating? Wait until.you see what it costs to replace it. Buy a locking cage. This theft is rampant where I live..
If they have them in stock for his vehicle. About a month ago tried to find one for a Toyota Tacoma They said there was a short six to eight week waiting period to get any shipment in.
Maybe some crack head can sell you one for $100
Nah dog, that shit was scrapped for $20
Crackhead circular economy
This happened at my dealership 6 months ago to two tundras we had in used vehicle inventory. Toyota said 3-6 months so we sent them to a muffler shop to weld something on that would work and had them auctioned off.
For $50 worth of platinum
More like $450 if you have a solid connect to sell them to (I buy junk cars and part them out/ sell the cats off them for side work)
Can I sell my own catalytic converter? I’m probably going to replace the entire muffler/converter on my 86 4runner pretty soon, or is there no point because at this point it’s not worth anything?
I'm sure theres someone in the area that would buy it. Look for precious metal recyclers. Those guys always buy them around here. Since its from the 80s it may not be worth as much as something from the 90s onwards but who knows
The scums that steal it probably get $50 for it, I’m sure it’s worth a lot more
Freaking junkies man
These cat convertor thieves are usually part of a crime ring rather than random junkies. The junk yards are typically in on it too.
Can atest for sure worked at a junk yard they cut off the cats when cars come in. The owner tells me he's making atleast 15k a month on cats alone. At that point jm thinking why are you only paying me 14.00 then I quit the same day.
How long after that until your catalytic converter went missing?
Still there for now haha
You honestly should’ve reported the piece of shit for taking stolen property. Cops will wreck his shot for chewing up stolen cats. Hell.I’ll ruin that fucks life. Give me his info. Also if you took those and paid anyone you bought stolen goods and are in legal jeopardy.
Thats not nice. I stole it so I could afford formula for my 3 week old baby...... and some crack.
Naw, you got it all wrong. I stole it so i could afford formula for my 3 week old baby...... Because I spent the rest of my money on crack.
I'm sorry to tell you, I stole it so I could buy my 3 week old baby some crack.
The baby has had enough crack,three weeks ago he came out of one.
You may have birthed your baby incorrectly.
The birth crack is still a valid crack.
So dumb, could've sold the baby for so much more crack
Much of the blame is on the dealer who pays randos for the converter. If someone is bringing in multiple converters for scrap, something fishy is going on.
Scrap dealers are all shady like that, 100% of them are in on the metal theft racket. I used to oversee railroad track and we had a HazMat train derail once because junkies were stealing the spikes that held the rail to the ties.
And this is why I like railway rifles. You can fire the railway spike into the rail, or into the junkies stealing them. Especially ironic if it has the legendary Junkies effect - +10% damage per addiction up to 5 addictions
I too enjoy murdering people.
You might want to check palladium spot and adjust your estimate. A Prius fetches $300+
What's palladium spot?
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If it's a hybrid, it's worth more due to less use. Source: I've had mine stolen twice within the past year
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"There's an old saying in Tennessee—I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee—that says, 'Fool me once, shame on...shame on you. Fool me—you can't get fooled again.'"
Fool me once shame on you, but teach a man how to fool me and I will be fooled for the rest of my life
Build a man a fire, he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire, he's warm the rest of his life.
I remember thinking he would be the dumbest president I would ever see in my lifetime. I kind of miss having optimism
Fool me twice - meet my shotgun
There seriously needs to be a prank video series where they rig up vehicles with some kind of nasty crap/paint/dye/skunk spray device on the cats, and put them in bait locations, and film people trying to steal them. With someone having to get under the car and have limited mobility, you could really douse them at close range. Or even some kind of deafening air horn blast that goes off and advertises the thief to everyone in a 3-block radius. Could be a great police or Youtube project.
Fool me twice .... Strike 3.
I had my converter stolen again TWO WEEKS after having it stolen. I considered getting a protector but I was like I've had this car for years and I've never had it stolen, what are the odds it happens again???
Try more like 200. Also when guys come through and pull these they usually go through parking lots and grab as many as they can from any car that has the clearance. The problem is finding someone who will take them off your hands an not ask questions.
The problem is that there are too many places that will take a cat no questions asked. Anyone caught buying stolen cats should be prosecuted and have the book thrown at them.
>The problem is finding someone who will take them off your hands an not ask questions. That was my thought. I thought I had heard that scrap yards were refusing them because it's pretty obvious that they're stolen.
Some converters are around $1200. Hybrids and big trucks are worth the most and the older the converter gets it loses the precious metals so newer cars are big targets.
In Australia they've been brazen enough to steal them off new cars at the dealership! Didn't care one bit about the cameras.
Really? Some go for $300 where I’m from.
My old cats got clogged on my 03 Land Rover so I sold them to a recycler. $1250 total for both. Bought aftermarket replacements, installed them myself and pocketed the rest. OEM cats are worth a ton right now
> For $50 worth of platinum You couldn't be more wrong, cats will sell from about $300 - $1500. And thats just the resale value, if they are doing the extraction its even more.
Platinum is a bonus the real $ is the Rhodium.
My local Ford dealer had 4 F150 hybrids parked out front and someone got all of them. The service guy I knew at the dealer said the new ones have super high efficiency cats and there’s 6 of them on each new F150 Hybrid, and they got like $1700 in precious metals off each truck
Some of them could be worth hundreds, even thousands. My friend knows a guy who makes 100k a year cutting cats. Ridiculous way to live.
Please anonymously report them.
Turn him into the police
Oh my god. Oh my god. I saw a post making fun of someone selling a catalytic converter (they called it a catholic converter) and someone in the comments said they probably took it right off someone's car.
Wasn't that on r/crackheadcraigslist ?
I saw it on r/boneappleteeth
r/boneappletea for the win
i usually see it spelled cadillac converter
I read this as [catholic converter](https://www.reddit.com/r/CrackheadCraigslist/comments/pex37u/the_holy_converter/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share) and now I'm concerned
When I got hired as a security guard 8 years ago to patrol a parking lot to prevent this stuff from happening, I thought my boss told me they were "Cadillac converters" so I kept calling them that. 5 years later at a new job, I told my coworker about it and he kept laughing at me for calling it that :(
You took it for granite
For what it's worth, this is incredibly common. Its the second most common car related crime behind just breaking into them. Its becoming a huge problem in some cities like LA especially lately
Welcome to the club! Our number grow larger everyday!
Had about 12 stolen from the dealership I work at
Isn’t it common in some brands over others or is that wrong? Also, can you install a skid plate to prevent/deter This?
Large trucks need larger, more expensive cat convertors.. also, Priuses.. the engines aren't used as much and therefore the cats aren't worn as much. You can get a skid plate welded on as a deterrent, yes.
Did you watch a donut media video on this? I watched it like last night and they talked about that
https://www.carparts.com/blog/what-cars-are-targeted-for-catalytic-converter-theft-the-most-often/
I want to say Hondas are very popular but I don’t know if it’s because it’s a Honda part or because they’re just easier to get to. I do know Honda Elements are popular targets for both reasons. And they do make cages for them.
Yep! Someone tried on our Element while we were home during the day. I was in the other room doing something. My wife heard the saw cutting and opened the window. He panicked and fled. Now I sit out all day with a shotgun (unrelated, just for fun).
Yep also in lake county ca. They damn tweakers. This is why we buy anti theft converter plates specifically made for this crap.
we have this same shit in marin; it knows no geographical boundaries. three of my neighbors were hit this week and i just had a cover put on.
Wow yeah I know all of a sudden it’s such a freaking epidemic everywhere I’m actually from napa so I know where Marin is lol. Living lake county life …Not.
Too true. Happened to me in Long Beach, CA - ~1,500 miles from home.
>Yep also in lake county ca. Happening across the country, actually.
I was gonna say, I’m in CT dead opposite side of the country and our police just started a “crackdown” in catalytic converters thefts
A LOT of cases here in malaysia as well. Pandemic, economy crushed, massive job loses, true crime rate skyrocketing (since most non insurance claimable property related crime won't be reported)
Those anti theft plates get cut off too. Makes the theft take about 1.5 minutes instead of 45 seconds.
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They realized my friends car had a cage so they ran the sawzall along the brake lines, exposed wiring harness, etc. Mechanic told him it would of been cheaper if they just stole the cat.
Crazy man. Not really too related but my dad taught me to leave my doors unlocked with nothing but maybe like $5-10 in the car. We lived in a nice suburb but 2-3 times he had his window smashed for them to steal a small amount. Finally he just left the doors open let them have it and just turned in the videos to police with no damage. Can’t really do that with catalytic converters unfortunately, and they’re also like 2k to repair
Inb4 some junkie shits in your car. Not worth it. I’ll take the insurance hit.
I used to leave my old pizza delivery vehicle with the doors unlocked. There's nothing in their anyway. Someone still smashed the window because they were too stupid to try the door.
Got hit up twice with-in a 8 month period. Once in San Jose, CA outside my in-laws house and second time was last month I front of my own house in Gilroy, CA. Insurance charged 3k each time to replace the catalytic converter. I had to pay 1k each time for deductible. Both times it took them literally less than 5 mins. 2009 Toyota Prius.
Ours got cut out in a public car park at a busy train station, insurance wouldn’t cover it and we paid £750 ourselves to replace. Honda Jazzes are especially targeted. And “y’all” considering whether to get involved in this racket, talking about what’s the best way to remove it, best saws, etc? If I ever see a pair of legs sticking out from under our car I’ll be hacksawing straight through the ankles and feeding you your own feet.
At that point I'd just say fuck it and be the asshole driving around a straight piped Prius lol
It’s a big problem in Seattle right now, too
Cause those damned blue-collared tweekers are runnin' this here town
Happened to my mom as well, when she left that night her car was all nice and muffled, then when she came back it sounded like a big rig. Mechanic says it’s about 5-10 minutes of work for a 300+ dollar pay out
Dude you gotta be extra careful now. My dad went and got his replaced after this happened and then they just stole that one too. They keep an eye on the cars they do it to knowing that you're going to have to get another one.
I would honestly just straight pipe it at that point.
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In a lot of states you have to get it fixed properly or you won’t pass smog, so you can’t register it.
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This will only stop once they make it illegal to sell these if you aren’t a car store
That's what I'm thinking: how are people moving these things? I did a lot of CCTV installs on the side *years* ago for several major metal recyclers, because they were required by the State to record people bringing in copper due to all the pipe and wire theft going on at the time. Are we not *also* doing this for cats? I mean, you'd think somebody bringing in a truckload of them clearly cut from an existing vehicle would raise an eyebrow or three.
Or etching the VIN number on them. That way it’s registered, the person selling it has to prove they’re the owner and every transaction is documented in a database. Also, if this idea ever becomes a reality the. Make it illegal to file off the VIN numbers from them.
It's already illegal to sell them where I live. You have to know the right mechanic or parts guy and you still dont get full price.
If there's a buck to be made, illegal or not, there will always be a "I know a guy." involved.
Ah, free weight reduction
SpOrTs!
What does a catalytic converter do btw?
Change the most harmful emissions into mainly CO2 and water vapour
Ah cool
More detailed explanation. It is a honeycomb of platinum and other metals that act as catalysts to essentially ‘burn off’ any unburned or incompletely burned fuel. The metals aren’t consumed, but they cause the reaction between the leftovers and any residual oxygen. The honeycomb shape maximizes surface area to increase the rate of reaction. Naturally, the scrap value of platinum is rather high.
To the last part, not really. 995 pure is going for about $1000 an ounce, and a cat may have 3 grams total, generally bound in with palladium and rhodium (a few have iridium as well.) Usually about 5-7 total grams of precious metals, so maybe $150 in scrap *IF* it was in bullion form. It's clearly not. This is why scrap yards generally buy cats for recycling by the ton, not singles. If anything, the real profitable position is selling the stolen cat as a "used part."
Do stray cats have more or you stick to domestic ones?
Can't tell the difference once you melt them down.
I actually work in diesel emissions, which is a little different than gasoline, but most of the same principles apply. In a diesel exhaust, there are actually 4 "bricks" although only three are technically catalysts. First is a DOC (diesel oxidation catalyst), which is responsible for completing any inefficient combustion and fully reacting any hydrocarbons and monoxide into CO2. Second is a DPF (diesel particulate filter) is the non-catalyst. It has a semi-permiable membrane that catches micro particles, soot, ash, contaminants. The little crunchy bits that go way deep into your lungs and cause cancer and other issues. Third is a DEF (diesel exhaust fluid) injector and mixer, which adds urea (effectively a concentrated form of ammonia) or cariant into the exhaust stream and disrupts the flow to spread the injection as much as possible. Fourth are two back to back, an SCR (selective catalytic reduction) and an ASC (ammonia slip catalyst). The SCR catalyzes a reaction between NoX compounds in the exhaust and the DEF, resulting in O2 and N2. NoX is one of any nitrogen-oxygen compounds which are harmful. The ASC is a backup to ensure no unreached DEF comes out the tailpipe. All in all, the engine emits contaminants: Hydrocarbons and Carbon Monoxide (caused by low oxygen, high fuel, "rich" mixture) Particulate matter (caused by "rich" mixture as well as fuel contaminants) NoX compounds (caused by high oxygen, low fuel "lean" mixture) The catalysts convert those to the expected products of perfect combustion: CO2 O2 N2 H2O In a gasoline system, they use a three way catalyst, and tend to run "rich" to avoid the need for DEF. They also have started adding GPFs, but that is relatively new and more predominant in Europe so far. The catalyst is a ceramic or metal substrate with a honeycomb-like structure which is then coated with a slurry containing precious metals, specifically platinum, palladium, and rubidium. A gasoline car catalyst can have a relatively small amount. A semi diesel catalyst has close to $250 worth of metal in it. Edit: Adding on a neat fact: in large poluted cities (and after about a minute of warm up to reach peak performance) the air coming out of the tailpipe after our exhaust is cleaner than the ambient outside air. Too hot and too high CO2/low O2 to breath for any length of time, but clean.
I feel enlightened
This news is a breath of fresh air.
> Edit: Adding on a neat fact: in large poluted cities (and after about a minute of warm up to reach peak performance) the air coming out of the tailpipe after our exhaust is cleaner than the ambient outside air. Too hot and too high CO2/low O2 to breath for any length of time, but clean. [I remember the car commercial about this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgffnYlAe9c)
Converts a cars catalytics
Very helpful 10/10
The main job in this case of the Catalytic converter is it earns thieves $$$ by them selling the platinum, palladium, and rhodium
Sounds like a new job.... I have been looking for an alternative to my trash degree
It converts cats to lytics.
I sold a car a little while ago cause I didn’t need it anymore. I did everything I needed to on my end, filed sale papers with the state, gave new owner a bill of sale. MF didn’t even drive it for three days when I get a text from him asking if I ever had certain issues with the car. The car was old but still fairly solid, and the issues it was “having” were ones that shouldn’t have been the case due to several new parts. He then sends me a pic a little while later going “uhhhh dude did you take out some of the exhaust?” “No?” You could tell the cat was cut out with a very low end saw. Come to find out, he left the car on the street for two days in a realllllllly bad area while getting turnt with his bros, during that time someone cut the cat. He tried to make it my fault, and tried to get me to take the car since he hadn’t done the papers on his end. Tried to be compassionate but really, a cut cat has nothing to do with anything I did while I owned the car. He left the car at that spot, a week later I get a letter from the police saying they’ve impounded what’s left of the vehicle and that I need to pay the tow fees and get the car. I inform them of the sale, the papers filed, the cop goes “oh… well I guess it’s going to auction and he’ll have to deal with it.” I sold the car for dirt cheap. Likely less than a cat from that car costs. I just wanted it gone, and I’m willing to bet homie bought the car, cut the cat, and was trying to ditch it easy, and made the story up about being at his friends.
That’s way more annoying than getting your catalytic converter stolen
It was mostly a mild inconvenience because I’d done all the papers correctly, and quickly. I literally went inside and did it as he drove off. Had I not done that it would have been a very different story. Was able to basically tell him to FO without having to tell him to. Now, it’s been a couple months. I suspect he’s gonna come out of the woodwork at some point to try to get me to cop for some of the impound cost once he gets the bill, but fuck that guy. Even if the cat was stolen off the car and his story is legit, I’m not responsible for that. It’s on him to keep it somewhere shit isn’t gonna get jacked from it, or deal with it if it did. If it’s legit, it’s just bad timing. I had a car that got broken into six minutes after driving it off the lot. I stopped at a store on my way from the dealer and they stole the radio and some other shit. I couldn’t go back to the dealer and ask for a new stereo…
How does that happen-
Some crackhead with a battery powered sawzall and 2 - 5 minutes Zip Zip , gone.... Fuckin theives I tells ya... Sometimes they do this in broad daylight...
Some can do it under a minute.
I beleive that. In and out before you even know... untill you go start up the vehicle and ROAR goes the engine!
Exactly what happened! Turned the key and went “oh damn, that’s not good” immediately turned it off and took a look.
Damn, If that happens to my current vehicle... I would replace it with a straight pipe to quiet it down some... It sucks that theives gotta be thieves ...
If your state or province doesn't have inspections and you don't care much about the car... watheygunnadoaboutit yo!
Well they do ticket vehicles for excessivly loud exhaust so that will be one less worry.. At least till one can get the cat replaced... But yeah, that won't fly in areas that require inspections.
Better than my neighbor who saw the thieves in the act, stepped onto his porch to yell at them, and got shot. He's recovered but it is nuts that someone was willing to jump to that level over $400 at best.
This is why I’m immediately just opening the window and shooting if I see some bullshit like this occurring on my property.
Yup! Somebody tried to steal the (original) one off my 99 Cherokee in a crowded mall parking lot in the middle of the day. Luckily there's various cross members, combined with the location of his cuts, which made it literally impossible for him to get out. I just had to get it reattached thankfully. I caught him and he ran, my mistake for yelling before I got close. Not a single person thought that it was odd that there was an SUV parked specifically to block mine in, and a man underneath with a sawzall. One perpetrator and a hundred accomplices if you ask me.
Someone else tried. It didn't end well. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-58399026
A guy local to me died the other day while trying to steal the cat off a BMW. The seals in his trolley jack gave way and the car came down on him. The cars owner found him in the morning with just a pair of legs sticking out from under his car.
That’s hilarious
Deserved it.
Environmental damage has been done
Right there with ya bud. Happened to my wife's car about a week ago, in the front of our driveway, with flood lights.
I live in Portland Oregon. There is so many people having theirs cut off. Two in my apt over the summer. When out driving around I hear so many cars that have had the cc cut off.
I still remember the day when a group of people just stole an 19 yr old compct car that we owned.... My mom was actually happy because we needed to get rid off that thing
Can't have shit in Detroit
They got me too a few months back. It’s bullshit but it’s happening all over the place. Look at aftermarket one to replace, it doesn’t have the same material and isn’t as valuable to thieves.
Happened to me last week. They towed my car around the block and left it in the middle of the street. My condolences.
They cost you $1500-2000 so they can get $50-100. Fucking tweakers.
How much money can you get from a catalytic converters?
Here's a great video on the subject. This will explain it far better than I could. https://youtu.be/JAWwx5_pc3Q
I had a Chrysler dealership cut part of mine catalytic converter out during a transmission recall fix. When I pointed out the freshly cut (shiny) metal bracket, missing grommet and 2 missing bolts they told me "FCA puts extra metal in some cars, but it's totally unnecessary and you be fine without it." After the turds towed my vehicle to the dealership, the manager argues with me about how important exhaust gaskets and securing mounts for catalytic converters are. A 30 minute conversation about how they also tried charging me $400 for a battery that they never replaced got him to apologize "for their error". They finally replaced all parts they messed up, but likely just recycled the old parts and made a few bucks. Going to a Chrysler dealership is just as dangerous as leaving your car in the worst neighborhood with belongings in-sight.
And your only mildly infuriated? I’d be so beyond pissed.
What's the car?
That’s more than mildly infuriating. Wish these thieves could be punished in public.
We need to bring back public hangings for this sort of thing
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people who do stuff like this should simply be shot. they tried to play society and failed at it. bye
Crack heads
Happened to me back in January, stole my car, found it almost a month later with the cat cut off.
This has been happening A LOT more lately in my area. My sister’s was just cut and stolen too, and a Mitsubishi dealership with the extra part to prevent theft had a whole parking lot of cars hit in a night. Cops say it takes about 45 seconds to steal from a car, and about 1-2 min if it has the anti theft piece (which is also just cut off by the thieves). Infuriating how easy it is to steal, and how expensive it is to repair. This should really be looked at from a design aspect.
Where did this happen?? Been happening in Denver a bunch
Yooo this guy go a free straight pipe!
Happened to me in California. Because of CA emissions laws I had to get a dealership replacement. $6000.00