Theif!

[alchemyprime]

Someone took the catalytic converter from my Toyota Tacoma when I was at work! And they backed behind me and we never got a good look at them! So now my amazing red truck Mon-El is dead.

Yes, I named my truck for the Daxamite hero Lar Gand. Don't judge me, I was just robbed by some fellow with a hack saw!

So I'm pissed. Any idea where to get a good cheap new back catalytic converter for a 2003 Toyota Tacoma in souther California? Preferably Moreno Valley, Redlands or Riverside.

Or just some comforting words? I like those too.

[Haruki-kun]

Aww, man. That really, really sucks... :smallfrown:

I'm so sorry to hear it.

Here, maybe you'll feel better by seeing something punny.
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t288/Vaarsuvius89/wellwellwell.jpg

[Skeppio]

Damn, that sucks. My friend had a similar experience, but all that was stolen from his was the ashtray and built-in lighter. We were still pretty pissed. I mean, what was the point of even breaking into his car to steal the most useless parts? :smallmad:

But yeah, I'm real sorry to hear it. Hope you can find the parts you need. :smallfrown:

[arguskos]

...they stole just the converter? Seriously? Damn, that's some cold ****.

Ok, places to check for a new one include local scrapyards and calling your mechanic. The Interwebs is great for finding scrapyards, by the by.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Um...what's a catalytic converter? :smallconfused:

[Lycan 01]

Did you call the cops? They should be able to check for finger-prints. Did they guy have to open the hood or anything? If so, there should be prints.


Fun fact: Cops will touch cars when they pull them over, usually as they approach them, in order to leave their fingerprints on the car in case something happens to them and the police have to search for the car.

My dad saw that on TruTV, and told me about it yesterday...

[Gullara]

Damn that sucks. Seems like a strange part to steal though.


Um...what's a catalytic converter? :smallconfused:

Google is your friend

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Catalytic+converter

[alchemyprime]

Did you call the cops? They should be able to check for finger-prints. Did they guy have to open the hood or anything? If so, there should be prints.


Fun fact: Cops will touch cars when they pull them over, usually as they approach them, in order to leave their fingerprints on the car in case something happens to them and the police have to search for the car.

My dad saw that on TruTV, and told me about it yesterday...

My model truck you can get the rear cat (it has two of them) off by being on the floor and cutting off the exhaust pipe on either side.

So they only took the rear one, not both. But still!

Plus, I live in California, so instead of the 70 dollar US converter, I need to buy the 345 dollar one at least!

[Lycan 01]

Still, the guy might have grabbed the pipe or surrounded metal for anchorage, or grabbed somewhere under it while moving around. Plus, a police report should be filed anyway, so they have it on file in case the guy gets caught and they need to know what else he's possibly done.

[alchemyprime]

Still, the guy might have grabbed the pipe or surrounded metal for anchorage, or grabbed somewhere under it while moving around. Plus, a police report should be filed anyway, so they have it on file in case the guy gets caught and they need to know what else he's possibly done.

Sorry. I did file a police report immediately, and apparently also hit two other folks in my work's parking lot and two other people at a store up the street.

[Lycan 01]

No security cameras or anything? The cops didn't check for prints or other evidence? No witnesses?


On the plus side, it could always be worse. It may be 345 bucks for a new one, but Wikipedia said it can cost up to 1000 dollars to have them replaced. :smalleek:

Have you checked a local junkyard or anything? Does your insurance cover it?

[alchemyprime]

No security cameras or anything? The cops didn't check for prints or other evidence? No witnesses?


On the plus side, it could always be worse. It may be 345 bucks for a new one, but Wikipedia said it can cost up to 1000 dollars to have them replaced. :smalleek:

Have you checked a local junkyard or anything? Does your insurance cover it?

Security cameras didn't catch what he looked like, except he was wearing a white shirt (stupid window glare).

It's 345 for the part. We weren't counting labor, the tow truck, etc.

And being a male, under 25, with a red car, my deductible is huge and claiming it (which would likely still be under my deductible) would make my rates go even higher.

So I'm getting a loan from my folks to help.

[SDF]

A catalytic converter has a lot of rare elements in it that can be of value, so it isn't a very odd thing to steal.

If you have decent insurance they will often cover that.

[Adeen]

Damn that sucks. Seems like a strange part to steal though.



Google is your friend

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Catalytic+converter

I love lmgtfy!

Catalytic converters can sometimes be the most expensive single part on a vehicle, especially cars that are 5-10+ years old.


I work graveyards, and I had my distributor stolen off the engine of my '97 civic. That's a 10 minute job at least, someone knew what they were doing.

And yeah, I try to have full coverage whenever I can. But the one month I couldn't afford it, and only had liability, was the month I had a $350 part jacked. Yay situational irony!

Good luck with your truck!

[Jimorian]

Did you call the cops? They should be able to check for finger-prints. Did they guy have to open the hood or anything? If so, there should be prints.

Despite shows like CSI, police won't even bother taking prints on petty theft cases, and the underneath of a car is not a good place to find clean prints anyway.

[xPANCAKEx]

a lot of catalytic converters are being stolen for the copper at the minute - very odd

[Jimorian]

a lot of catalytic converters are being stolen for the copper at the minute - very odd

It's not so much the copper as it is the platinum at $1700/ounce.

Edit: There are about 3-7 grams of platinum in a catalytic converter (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_total_amount_of_platinum_in_a_typical_ catalytic_converter), or about 1/10 - 1/5 of an ounce.

[Jack Squat]

Yeah, it's the platinum in them. Tweekers steal them all the time, it's not really uncommon.

The part I don't get is how does your car cease to function without one? It's not vital to operations - the car I drive has the converter clogged and cracked, and my brother's car doesn't even have one in it because it costs too much to replace.

[Syka]

I have a feeling it has to do with Cali's regulations.

Also, Oz mentioned that if he runs out of gas it's the catalytic converter that screws up him being able to restart (ie, he would have to take it to a shop or something rather than just being able to fill it back up and go). Maybe it's an oddity of the Firebird, though. Them cars are picky.

EDIT: The wiki also says that when they are stolen, the wiring or fuel line sometimes gets screwed up in the removal, making it dangerous (and I'm assuming sometimes impossible) to drive.

[alchemyprime]

I have a feeling it has to do with Cali's regulations.

Also, Oz mentioned that if he runs out of gas it's the catalytic converter that screws up him being able to restart (ie, he would have to take it to a shop or something rather than just being able to fill it back up and go). Maybe it's an oddity of the Firebird, though. Them cars are picky.

EDIT: The wiki also says that when they are stolen, the wiring or fuel line sometimes gets screwed up in the removal, making it dangerous (and I'm assuming sometimes impossible) to drive.

There is this as well.

By California regulations, if you are obviously not up to smog standards, you can be pulled over. Beyond that: the way my car is set up, with a huge freaking chunk of the pipe missing, I'm getting pure exhaust, ie not converted or resonated, pumped right into my cab because instead of letting out of that cool little pipe six feet behind me, it's letting out under the passenger seat.

Beyond that, like Syka said, once my tank is gone, it'll be gone. And the cat messes with performance as well. I'm normally driving about 200 miles a week, so this makes me a sad little superhero today.

I'm about to shop around the stores in town to see if I can find a whole set up for under 600 bucks including labor. Stupid smog laws (please don't turn this political, I'm just saying it's stupid that my state is the only one that won't allow the cat that only costs $80 instead of $345.)

[Lady Tialait]

Poor Alchy. Well, *hugs* that help?

[Mr. Moon]

Oh man, that sucks. =/ Hopefully the cops get the guy...
Good luck getting it fixed.

[drakir_nosslin]

That sucks. On the other hand, I first thought that they had stolen your galactic converter which would have been even worse!

[Ranger Mattos]

Man, that sucks. Um, well, at least they didn't steal your whole car, right?

[Karoht]

Yeah, I read that as galactic converter too. What's with that.


Lovely thing about Toyota, lots and lots of previous years parts will fit, and a catalytic converter doesn't change much from year to year.
Also, a catalytic converter has to be welded in if I recall correctly, so a welder could jury rig in a different model. But, your muffler shop or the dealership is probably the 2 best places to go to find out your options. You aren't likely to find one in a scrap yard unless it's extremely back compatable, you'd have to look into that. Still, Toyota's are highly flexible in their parts, typically for a good decade or so in any given direction, sometimes longer.
I have a friend with an 84 corolla, he can grab parts from just about any toyota up until 2000, in some cases he can grab ford and mazda parts, and the odd nissan.

[drakir_nosslin]

Yeah, I read that as galactic converter too. What's with that.

Great minds misread alike?

[Asthix]

Practical advice: Craigslist. Network with Californians. Could be free...

[alchemyprime]

I ended up finding one for 350, and got it installed. It works a little weaker than it did, but that might just be me being careful.

Don't worry, my galactic converter wasn't taken, and is in full working order. :smallwink:

[Miklus]

I feel for you. I once had my license plates stolen. The worst part was several trips to the motor office for new ones. I hate paperwork.

Always secure you license plates with screws, not that black foam stuff.

[Mystic Muse]

I feel for you. I once had my license plates stolen. The worst part was several trips to the motor office for new ones. I hate paperwork.

Always secure you license plates with screws, not that black foam stuff.

What's the point of stealing license plates?:smallconfused:

[Teddy]

What's the point of stealing license plates?:smallconfused:

They can be used to make an escape car harder to trace, but I think it's easier just to steal the entire car for that purpose, and just burn it later. Color and make of car won't change just because you change license plates...

[Mystic Muse]

They can be used to make an escape car harder to trace, but I think it's easier just to steal the entire car for that purpose, and just burn it later. Color and make of car won't change just because you change license plates...

Ah.

Yeah, that last sentence there is why I didn't think of that.

[Generic Archer]

Round here they're more likely to be stolen to facilitate driving off from a petrol (gas) station.

At $1.20/L or more it can get quite expensive, a few years back it was even higher and this kind of thing happened fairly regularly. All that a camera will pick up that can pick a car out from all the others the same model/colour is the number plate... switch it for someone elses, free $100 tank of fuel

[Jimorian]

That's why gas stations around here don't activate the pump until AFTER you pay.

[Extra_Crispy]

Um...what's a catalytic converter? :smallconfused:

It is a box like device that attaches to the exhaust of a car, usually around mid car that helps catalyze the carbon monoxide that the car puts out into carbon dioxide. It uses metals like copper, platinum, etc to do just like it sounds, catalyze.

All cars have to have them but I have only ever seen cars with one, not two unless you had a completely dual exhaust then there would be 1 for each exhaust pipe. I have never heard of a car that had one forward and one back, the back one is usually a muffler not a catalytic converter but I also only work on older cars so maybe I just have not see it.

[Zeb The Troll]

It is a box like device that attaches to the exhaust of a car, usually around mid car that helps catalyze the carbon monoxide that the car puts out into carbon dioxide. It uses metals like copper, platinum, etc to do just like it sounds, catalyze.

All cars have to have them but I have only ever seen cars with one, not two unless you had a completely dual exhaust then there would be 1 for each exhaust pipe. I have never heard of a car that had one forward and one back, the back one is usually a muffler not a catalytic converter but I also only work on older cars so maybe I just have not see it.I'm pretty sure a lot of cars have two of them nowadays. The "back" one is, like Alchemy's, actually just the last one before the muffler and not actually near the rear of the car.

[OracleofWuffing]

Great minds misread alike?

I misread it as a cataclysmic converter, so I had this crazy image in my mind of a curly-mustachioed character monologuing to himself about how he would reverse the polarity of the device to destroy the world. :smallredface:

[horngeek]

I misread it as a cataclysmic converter, so I had this crazy image in my mind of a curly-mustachioed character monologuing to himself about how he would reverse the polarity of the device to destroy the world. :smallredface:

This is awesome. :smallbiggrin:

[alchemyprime]

I misread it as a cataclysmic converter, so I had this crazy image in my mind of a curly-mustachioed character monologuing to himself about how he would reverse the polarity of the device to destroy the world. :smallredface:

No, that device was destroyed by those accursed Planeteers!

*twirls mustache*

[Tinkee]

what a strange thing to steal...