Catalytic converter question

MC.ISF

Ive heard alot of people are having the catalytic converters cut from under their cars with a hacksaw due to the high value of the metal inside. In my estate there has been 12 people that have had this done to them over the course of a month :mad: . If someone was to do this to my car will I notice the sound straight away or does it affect the noise of the car at all?

kildarelad

you will know straight away as your car will have a huge hole in the exhaust and will sound like a boy racer car!

Nissan doctor

It will sound like a car with a bit of the exhaust missing.....very very loud!


12 people and no-one has noticed anyone hanging around or driving around that looks out of place?

MC.ISF

Nissan doctor wrote: »

It will sound like a car with a bit of the exhaust missing.....very very loud!


12 people and no-one has noticed anyone hanging around or driving around that looks out of place?

It was done at night time with 3 or 4 cars being done at once. We got the number of a Green audi it was a foreign reg, the gards said the car wasnt registered here so they would have to come across it in person. A group waited up a few nights and one night caught them about to do the job on a jeep parked along the green and tried to stop them but they scarpered. Atleast we got the reg ! The gards also said they would patrol the area more often but havent seen them once

Thankfully theres been none robbed in the past 2 weeks

andyseadog

Nissan doctor wrote: »

12 people and no-one has noticed anyone hanging around or driving around that looks out of place?

more like, cat cut out from under a car... at night... in a driveway... presumably with nothing more than a trolly jack at best... using a hacksaw...

that sounds like awful heartache for a 50 quid cat (i think thats what a cat is worth these days?) it'd be much easier to get a job like the rest of us :pac:

removing a cat, in good workshop conditions can somethimes be a struggle i'd imagine, never mind as described above.

in answer to the OP's question, it will be immediately obvious if the cat is gone.

McP2011

The thing is there not all worth money in scrap there is different grades for them.

pmcb

had my catalytic converter stolen from my landcruiser in galway last week. jeeps are targeted as the cats are easier to get to. thieves use vice grips and pipe cutter, quiet and done in 2-3 minutes. heard it is common now in dublin. i know that at least 9 jeeps have been done in galway in the past 3 months. parked mine just away from house for the first time as i had visitors between 6pm-11pm. at 11.30pm, reversed car into drive and the engine sound wasn't right. found cat missing. €1500 to replace.

McP2011

pmcb wrote: »

had my catalytic converter stolen from my landcruiser in galway last week. jeeps are targeted as the cats are easier to get to. thieves use vice grips and pipe cutter, quiet and done in 2-3 minutes. heard it is common now in dublin. i know that at least 9 jeeps have been done in galway in the past 3 months. parked mine just away from house for the first time as i had visitors between 6pm-11pm. at 11.30pm, reversed car into drive and the engine sound wasn't right. found cat missing. €1500 to replace.

Would you not have just welded a section of pipe in place of the cat?

Viper_JB

McP2011 wrote: »

Would you not have just welded a section of pipe in place of the cat?

It would never pass the NCT.

Hal1

All they need now is an eml cheater :P. They go to any length's these days to make a few quid :rolleyes:.

pmcb

yes, welding a pipe will work as diesel engine will pass test without cat - smoke test for diesel engines - no need for cat. thought of that option but insurance will cover full cost without affecting no claims.

Viper_JB

pmcb wrote: »

yes, welding a pipe will work as diesel engine will pass test without cat - smoke test for diesel engines - no need for cat. thought of that option but insurance will cover full cost without affecting no claims.

You may pass the smoke test, but I'm pretty sure it would fail on the emissions.

pmcb

i've spoke to number of car dealers and mehanics about it and each one were adamant that the diesel engine would pass on emissions with no converter.

MugMugs

pmcb wrote: »

i've spoke to number of car dealers and mehanics about it and each one were adamant that the diesel engine would pass on emissions with no converter.

With no CAT? I find that a bit odd.

It's true, the only emission test for diesels is smoke test. No cat is needed to pass it, and often the smoke test results are actually cleaner without one.

That said, the tester may fail the vehicle on visual basis if the cat is very obviously missing.

101sean

Yep, no cat needed on diesels, they are there so manufacturers can claim they are meeting EU emissions. Many 4x4 owners cut there own out or knock the middle out as they are no emissions tests on diesels, only smoke. NCT tester cannot fail it if it's missing although the fun police will change the NCT/DOE eventually to ban such mods :rolleyes:

dougie-lampkin

Viper_JB wrote: »

You may pass the smoke test, but I'm pretty sure it would fail on the emissions.

There is no emissions test on a diesel car And a cat with a few miles on it won't be doing you any favours smoke wise either.

And a petrol car is perfectly capable of sailing through the test with no cat. http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=74837351&postcount=14

This doesn't mean gutting or bypassing a cat on a petrol or diesel is legal, under the Irish RTAs any modification to your entire exhaust system is illegal. The NCT man mightn't be able to do anything about it yet, but the guards certainly will if they find that you've removed the cat.

Fishtits

MC.ISF wrote: »

it was a foreign reg, the gards said the car wasnt registered here so they would have to come across it in person.

Next time you're talking to this Copper remind him of INTERPOL and other EU police co-operation agencies... lazy bugger.

MC.ISF

was actually talkin to a woman from the estate while pickin the kids up from school this afternoon. Her husbands jeep was one that was done by these scumbags, she said her husband has third party fire and theft cover with quinn insurance and they wont cover the cost. the "theft" part of the insurance only covers theft of the actual vehicle and not any damage done by the thieves. Had to fork out €1200 to get it fixed.