This article answers the following 10 frequently asked questions about the catalytic converter:
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- Why do people steal catalytic converters?
- How much does a catalytic converter cost?
- Can I drive my car without a catalytic converter?
- Which cars are most likely to have catalytic converters stolen?
- How long does it take to steal a catalytic converter?
- How much is a stolen catalytic converter worth?
- How do I stop thieves from stealing my catalytic converter?
- How many catalytic converters are stolen each year?
- Is it worth buying a new catalytic converter?
- Who buys vehicles without catalytic converters?
Vehicles contribute a significant amount of pollution to the air every year, impacting the environment and human health. Therefore, the United States Environmental Protection Agency released the Clean Air Act back in 1963 to restrict vehicles emissions and keep them within a range that does not hurt the environment.
That's why many automotive experts and manufacturers are asked and required to add certain features to maintain the emission of chemicals and prevent any release of harmful gases to the environment. The catalytic converter is a must-product in every car among these different features.
You might be familiar with the engine, transmission, and other common car elements. Still, fewer people are familiar with the catalytic converter, although it's one of the most critical elements in your car that you must maintain.
This article serves as basic guidance and helps you understand a couple of things about the catalytic converter. We will provide you with this in the form of the 10 most frequently asked questions about the catalytic converter.
Once you understand these basic questions, the next step is to get more details about other things to keep in mind regarding the catalytic converter and maintaining it so we don't get into legal issues. Thus, have to do with releasing harmful gases into the environment.
What is the catalytic converter, and what does it do?
Before we go into some of the frequently asked questions about the catalytic converter in 2022 and two which are derived from some issues related to the catalytic converter theft, let's step back and get an idea about the basics of the catalytic converter if you're a
In any vehicle equipped with a combustion system, the internal gas and fuel mixture gets burned, causing some release of harmful gases. These gases are supposed to go directly to their environment. However, before they do so, they must run through something like a filtering machine if you would want to think about it this way. The catalytic converter is that machine that allows these harmful gases to get inside the machine and clean without any extremely harmful gases. Then this gas can be released into the environment safely without causing any issues.
The catalytic converter contains several valuable elements that make it very expensive, which is the common reason why catalytic converter repairs are not cheap. Unfortunately, many people take advantage of these valuable components. There is a very common trend of catalytic converter thefts nowadays; we all hear the news about these thefts in many locations around the United States.
10 FAQs about the catalytic converter
Learning one or two things about your catalytic converter helps you maintain these elements and prevent damaging it to keep your car working and prevent getting into legal issues that have to do with driving the wrong vehicle.
This section will answer ten of the most asked questions about the catalytic converter to help you understand what you need to understand about this element in your vehicle.
1. Why do people steal catalytic converters?
As we indicated earlier briefly, there is a common trend nowadays for people to steal catalytic converters from vehicles parked outside. Unfortunately, this has become a very lucrative trend in many locations in the United States. Yet, surprisingly, several of these locations are considered one of the safest areas in the US, which makes people more curious about why people use catalytic converters?
As we indicated earlier, the catalytic converter contains specific valuable metals that you can sell for a very high price. This is a strong reason for thieves to focus on selling this component separately rather than stealing the whole vehicle insert instances.
The other thing is that the catalytic converter is located underneath the car in a location that is easy to access. In other words, the thief doesn't necessarily have to open the hood or reach inaccessible areas to get this valuable component. Instead, the thief must use a certain tool that easily cuts around the catalytic converter and takes it out. Unfortunately, this easy access issue also encourages people to steal more of the catalytic converter, considering the very high price of this part.
The third thing that encouraged thieves to steal catalytic converters is securing. Most security systems are focused on preventing thieves from getting inside the car. However, there are minor systems that would detect if somebody when touching something underneath the park beard keep in mind that taking out the Catalytic converter does not cause severe shakes to the vehicles, and therefore, the sensors that text vibration might not be able to detect anyone taking out the catalytic converter.
2. How much does a catalytic converter cost?
Unsurprisingly, the catalytic converter cost is not cheap. In most scenarios, replacing the catalytic converter costs you somewhere between $1000 and $2500. Keep in mind that this price jumps significantly if you're driving a luxury car.
The other thing to keep in mind is that repair costs, in general, are divided into parts and labor costs, whether related to replacing the catalytic converter or any other components in your vehicle. So, therefore, depending on where you get this catalytic converter replaced, you will need to add up the labor cost to your bill.
You'll see on the tire number if you get your catalytic converter replaced at a dealership versus a small independent shop. Unfortunately, replacing the catalytic converter is not something you can do on your own, like any DIY project. There is no way to eliminate labor costs unless you are an experienced mechanic and have the right tools.
Even if you can't place the catalytic converter, many experts recommend that you always leave this to professionals because there's a very high chance that you will introduce some mistakes that will cause more complications which means more repair costs.
3. Can I drive my car without a catalytic converter?
Your vehicle will function without a catalytic converter. In other words, taking out the catalytic converter will not stop your car from running but do you want to do that?
The first thing you got to be prepared for is driving without a catalytic converter is illegal. If a police officer catches you for any reason, you'll be in significant trouble. The other thing is that driving with a bad catalytic converter involves listening to very loud noises coming from the vehicle because it's designed in a way that it has a catalytic converter. So whenever somebody steals Your catalytic converter, the first thing you'll notice is weird loud noises once you start your car.
Finally, whatever is preventing you from replacing the catalytic converter should not be a strong reason for driving without the catalytic converter. This is because you'll end up needing a smog test at some point in time, which means that there is no way you can get it or pass it. In addition, these mug tests cannot be passed without a perfectly running catalytic converter. Therefore, if you can drive your car without a catalytic converter, be prepared to fail the emission test.
4. Which cars are most likely to have catalytic converters stolen?
According to recent statistics about catalytic converter reported thefts, most likely luxury vehicles, hunt hybrid, older, and SUV vehicles are more likely to get their catalytic converter stolen.
However, if you're interested in a specific list of vehicles by make and model who got their catalytic converter more than others, look at this list:
- Ford F-250
- Honda Jazz
- Ford Mustang
- Lexus SUV
- Honda Accord
- Toyota 4 runner
- Honda CRV
- Toyota Tundra
- Honda Element
5. How long does it take to steal a catalytic converter?
Unfortunately, stealing the catalytic converter does not take more than two minutes. It is a very simple process that many thieves are now experienced in. Therefore, if you think parking your car in a dangerous area without paying attention to the catalytic converter for a couple of hours is safe, that is not true. Therefore, you might want to investigate something to keep you awarded to anything that could happen to your vehicle to steal the catalytic converter.
The other thing is that you should prevent parking your car in unsafe areas or partly get inside as long as you can do that.
6. How much is a stolen catalytic converter worth?
Stolen catalytic converters are not worth buying a brand new or used catalytic converter. Typically, most thieves can only make between $50 and $250. Still, the problem is that many people buy these catalytic converters from these thieves, which makes the process evolve more and puts many vehicles at risk of stealing catalytic converters.
7. How do I stop thieves from stealing my catalytic converter?
There are tons of recommendations on protecting your vehicle from stealing the Catalytic converter. For instance, you'd better start parking your car and see the areas and parking it inside as much as possible.
Another thing to consider is installing certain security systems that allow your vehicle to detect thieves. These systems are designed specifically for detecting catalytic converter thefts. Consider checking these systems and understand the budget that will take you to install them because sometimes they can be pricey.
8. How many catalytic converters are stolen each year?
Unfortunately, the number of catalytic converter thefts is increasing significantly. If we compare the statistics for the number of catalytic converter thefts in 2019, you can imagine several 3389 thefts in the United States. Unfortunately, this number increased significantly as of 2020 to approach 14,433, a massive increase.
9. Is it worth buying a new catalytic converter?
If you got to the point where you lost your catalytic converter, or it got damaged, you got to install it in the world, and there is going to be no doubt about this. However, the question remains whether it's worth installing a new converter or not.
According to your situation, things can be treated differently. For example, if all the problems you have in your vehicle are just the catalytic converter and this converter is not very valuable when compared to your vehicle's overall value, then you should install a new one; however, if the repair costs approach 75% or more from their vehicle's value that's when it's not worth it to install this new converter.
10. Who buys vehicles without catalytic converters?
The challenge begins once you confirm that you're ready to sell your car with a catalytic converter issue or without a catalytic converter. However, the good news is that cash cars buyer is one of the limited companies that guarantee to buy your car that is missing the catalytic converter no matter what type or condition! So, you hear that if you're ready to sell your car with a damaged or without a catalytic converter, all we have to do is to give us a call at 773-791-4363.
Final thoughts
Considering the importance of the catalytic converter interval, this article walked you through ten of the most frequently asked questions to provide you with some understanding about things to know about the catalytic converter.
As you might notice, the catalytic converter is a must component in your car, and it's not rare to deal with complications requiring you to install a catalytic converter. Unfortunately, with the skyrocketing increases in catalytic converter prices, it becomes challenging for every driver to install a new converter when it goes bad. Therefore, you might get to a point where you want to evaluate your situation and see whether you want to buy the catalytic converter or sell your vehicle instead, depending on your own circumstances.
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