What is a catalytic converter and why are they suddenly in the news for being stolen so much?
Oh, so you’ve also recently read about how catalytic converters are getting stolen very often? Okay, so while we wait for our ‘teh tarik’ to arrive, let’s quickly establish what a catalytic converter is.
In simple terms, it is an exhaust emission control device that converts toxic gasses to less toxic pollutants in internal combustion engine vehicles. Ah, nice, the tea is here, now let’s “spill the tea” on why people are stealing catalytic converters.
So we all know that there are many important components in a car but what makes a catalytic converter so important that it’s worth stealing? While the catalytic converter by itself is nothing to ride home about, the precious metals used in building it are another story completely.
Catalytic converters are made with precious metals such as rhodium, platinum and palladium. These metals are worth more than gold and will fetch a pretty penny on the black market. That is the main reason as to why so many catalytic converters are getting stolen in the United States.
That is interesting, so you think that another major factor behind the theft of catalytic converters is the fact that many cars are left in secluded places especially at night which makes them easy targets? I agree.
Times are tough right now, and we can all benefit from every small amount of money we can get our hands on, however, theft is still a crime and against the law, so is it really worth it?
What’s that? You want to get my expert opinion as a motoring journalist on how to prevent your catalytic converter from getting stolen? Well I’m no expert but, *sips tea aggressively,* the first thing to do, in my opinion, would be to simply park your car in an open place where there will be constant passers-by.
On top of that, you could install a catalytic converter anti-theft device in your car or just install any typical alarm or anti-theft system that alerts you as soon as any unwanted contact is made with your car.
Have you heard of Tesla’s sentry mode? The gist of it is the cameras on Tesla vehicles will record any activity around the car when the proximity alert is set off and deter any would-be thieves by flashing the lights and making loud alarm sounds.
Imagine how much fewer catalytic converter thefts there would be if all cars had a similar system.
Well would you look at the time? I have to get home before the boys start gaming without me, thankfully this only seems to be an issue in the United States at the moment but we should also take steps to prevent our own catalytic converters from being stolen.
Find out more about this here and remember to always take active steps to keep your car and catalytic converter safe.
