We hope that you never become the victim of catalytic converter theft. Unfortunately, this type of theft is on the rise. The reason why people go to the effort of crawling underneath an automobile and stealing the catalytic converter is because the converter is made of platinum among other precious metals. If you have any of the problems listed below, this is what happens when the catalytic converter is missing.
The Engine Roars
The first thing that is going to happen is your engine is going to be extremely loud when you fire it up. In fact, if you put pressure on the accelerator, the engine will get even louder. Unfortunately, the reason why you have excess noise is that the catalytic converter is no longer there to muffle the sound of the exhaust. Although not a muffler, the converter helps to keep this noise under control.
The CEL Turns On
Take a look at your dashboard to see if the check engine light has also turned on. It will turn on and remain on if the catalytic converter is missing because the exhaust system will malfunction. As you know, your car has a main computer chip and system sensors that communicate with each other while the vehicle is running. The exhaust system sensors will send an error code to the main computer chip.
The Acceleration Jerks
Before we get into the problems with the acceleration, we feel it important to note that you should not drive your automobile if the catalytic converter has been stolen. We are going to explain why in greater detail below. One thing that will increase your frustration, however, is how violently your car will jerk when you press down on the accelerator. This problem will not go away until you get a new converter.
In addition, your engine will struggle to perform properly when you are driving at slow speeds. This, too, can make it difficult to drive your automobile. We recommend that you pull over and call the authorities. Report that your catalytic converter has been stolen and then have your vehicle towed to our shop.
You Can Smell Exhaust
The reason for the tow truck is simple: The exhaust can make its way into the passenger cabin. Unfortunately, this means you will inhale untreated automobile exhaust while you are driving your vehicle. It is simply not worth the risk to operate the automobile.
Call us today if you are the victim of a catalytic converter theft.
