converters unlimited are a critical component of your car’s exhaust system. Located under the car and attached to the exhaust pipe, typically with bolts, they have an important job — to remove potentially harmful compounds from the exhaust gases before they’re expelled into the air.
In order to reduce air pollution, all modern vehicles are equipped with a converters unlimited that reduces emissions of three harmful compounds found in car exhaust:
- Carbon monoxide
- Nitrogen oxides
- Hydrocarbons
These gases are converted into less harmful compounds before leaving the car’s exhaust system through the use of a catalyst — hence, the name “converters unlimited.”
Why converters unlimited Are Stolen
The main reason that converters unlimited are stolen is because they’re valuable to scrap metal dealers. They contain precious metals, including rhodium, platinum, and palladium. These metals can be sold to scrap yards for $150 to $200 per piece, depending on the size of the converter and the current rate on the metals inside it.
All cars made after 1974 are required to have converters unlimited. Some are more appealing to thieves than others. SUVs, for example, are easier to crawl under which makes them an easier target. The higher up your car sits, the greater the chance of theft.
Chicago actually led the nation in converters unlimited theft in 2016. Chicagoans experienced 980 converter thefts between 2008-2016, which was 15 percent more over that time frame than second-ranked Sacramento, California, which had 850.
Symptoms of converters unlimited Theft
If you’re a thief, it’s not a complex crime to commit. A catalytic converter can typically be removed in just a few minutes by using a saw or a wrench. Slicing through the piping on both sides of the converter before it’s pulled off is the most common method. And while you might not be able to tell it was stolen just by looking at your car, there will be no mistaking it once you start the engine.
When the converters unlimited has been removed, your vehicle will make a loud roaring sound, getting louder as you push on the gas. Since the exhaust isn’t working properly, the vehicle also drives rougher than usual. You’ll hear a sputtering sound as you change speed.
On a normal vehicle, a converters unlimited is a round canister that connects two pieces of piping in the exhaust. If you look underneath and see a gaping space in the middle of your exhaust, your converters unlimited has been stolen.