Catalytic converters are essential pieces of automotive equipment that need to properly operate for a vehicle to safely drive – and are now, more than ever, a major target of automotive equipment thieves. In this blog entry, the Chicagoland towing service experts here at Towing Chicago will detail the important things you need to know about catalytic converters.
What are catalytic converters?
Catalytic converters are emissions control devices that help to remove dangerous gasses from vehicle exhaust. Catalytic converters are one aspect of a vehicle’s exhaust system, located behind exhaust manifolds. Catalytic converters were patented in 1950 by Eugene Houdry, and weren’t required to be installed on vehicles in the United States until the year 1975 when more stringent environmental regulations were mandated to help lower smog and depletion of the planet’s ozone layer.
Why do people steal catalytic converters?
People often steal catalytic converters due to their ease of removal, and the expensive and precious materials like rhodium, platinum, and palladium that catalytic converters are constructed with – sometimes even more expensive than gold! It’s very easy to sell scrap metal from catalytic converters on the black market.
How are catalytic converters removed?
Catalytic converters are very easy to steal – thieves usually just slide under a car with a reciprocating saw and cut the device straight out of the exhaust line – which can take between 2 and 3 minutes, and can be very quiet.
How do you tell if a catalytic converter is stolen?
You can easily tell if your catalytic converter is stolen if right when you turn your car on, it makes a loud roaring noise. This is even louder if the muffler is also removed. If you notice these issues, turn the car off and look under the vehicle. You can prevent getting your catalytic converter stolen by parking in garages, by engraving your VIN number on your catalytic converter, always report anyone trying to illegally sell spare parts to law enforcement, and to always ask to verify a catalytic converter is new before installing it on your vehicle. Additionally, you can make sure to program your car alarm to sound when any vibration is detected.