Tips

Should I Call the Police if My Catalytic Converter Has Been Stolen?

Yes, Advanced Automotive advises that you should call the local authorities if you believe someone has stolen the catalytic converter from underneath your automobile. The next call you should make should be to your auto insurance company to see if they will pay for the repairs. Finally, give us a call so we can replace the converter and make sure your exhaust system was not damaged by the theft. The following are signs that a criminal has taken the catalytic converter from underneath your automobile.

Excessively Loud Engine

You likely won’t know anything is wrong until you start your car, truck, or utility vehicle. Stealing a catalytic converter simply requires sawing the part out of the exhaust system. Once you turn the key in the ignition, the engine is going to roar loudly. In fact, your engine will be much louder than normal if the catalytic converter is missing.

Check Engine Warning

Another thing that you are going to notice is that your check engine light will remain on after you have started your automobile. This is because the sensors in the exhaust system have detected numerous problems due to the missing catalytic converter. Consequently, your vehicle’s main computer chip is going to turn on the check engine light and leave it on.

Jerky Acceleration

If you attempt to drive your automobile, which we do not recommend, you will notice that the acceleration is extremely jerky. In addition, the engine will roar loudly with every jerking motion. The thing that is causing this is the exhaust manifold pushing the exhaust forcefully out of it and into the space where the catalytic converter once was.

Sputtering at Slow Speeds

You will also discover that your automobile is not going to want to operate when you are driving at slower speeds. As you pick up speed, the engine performance will smooth out. The problem is that the catalytic converter helps with the engine’s torque production when you are driving slowly. You no longer have a catalytic converter to help with this production.

Strong Exhaust Odors

Finally, we mentioned above that we do not recommend that you drive your automobile if you are the victim of catalytic converters theft. The reason why is that the exhaust manifold pushes the exhaust that is untreated into the open air. The exhaust can waft into the passenger cabin and make you sick.

Call Advanced Automotive in Stanwood, WA, today if you need to have a new catalytic converter installed in your automobile.

Photo by deepblue4you from getty images via Canva Pro
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