Hi Scotti
My niece has an 2015 Honda Element. She started her car up the other morning and the car made this loud motor boat noise. The catalytic converter had been stolen. They got the oxygen sensors too. If the alarm went off nobody heard it. Is there any way to prevent this or at least make it more difficult so they go on to another car? Do they make cat alarms?
They make kits that make it harder for someone to steal them. When they're installed, the thieves tend to leave the car alone. https://www.napaonline.com/accessories/catclamp-catalytic-converter-lock/1cf1ab01?cid=paidsearch_shopping_dcoe_google&gclid=CjwKCAiA_omPBhBBEiwAcg7smfxgcdqHqsfME7ALYv2YnHj7epG0CLij4fdbfTFpfPLfk0lbwvhTshoCtFcQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Tell her to park her car in a high traffic area or under a security light in the parking lot if she can. Vehicles that are in a busy area or are under security lights aren't as commonly taken. I think you can have the VIN etched into the converter or paint it a fluorescent color. That way if it's stolen, you can call local scrap places and report it stolen. It's identifiable, and they won't typically touch it. If the thieves take and try to sell it, they'll get caught if you report it to people who scrap them.
I have seen a anti theft plate for Prius's. I am looking for one for the Element. Our county of Nassau New York is becoming the cat stealing capital of the world. The new thing is steal the cat and then steal the brand new one that replaced it. They just caught a ring from new Jersey driving across all the bridges and tolls just to harvest what they consider easy pickings at our shopping malls. They walk around with a battery powered sawzall and a inspection mirror with a selfie stick in broad daylight. They look under the car while walking by. The worst they get charged with if caught is vandalism.
Nobody stops the pickup trucks going across the bridges loaded with bright shinny sawed off catalytic converters. The re-claimers know whats going on but take them in anyway. I remember years ago a toll collector at Kennedy Airport said to a co-worker "You know those luxury cars break down an awful lot. They are getting towed out of my lot right and left". Then they looked at each other. Can you say duh!!!!
I'm familiar with Nassau County. My grandma lives one county over on the 'Island, in Suffolk, near Patchogue. I've been through Nassau on the train going to the City a few times. This surprises me and doesn't at the same time. Jersey has always been a more run-down area across from the City, and my grandma says the middle areas of Long Island have taken a downward turn over the years. She's lived in the same neighborhood since at least the 1960s. A $20 toll to cross the Verrazzano is nothing compared to the haul from a few catalytic converters. I believe the eastbound trip is free, it's the westbound that costs.
My 2008 honda element catalytic converter got stolen too after one week from purchasing the car. Now, I am stuck with the car. I am searching for a catalytic converter which is cheap so theives wouldn't be interested in and something would make me pass the inspection with no check engine light creeping out all the time.
If they want it, they'll get it.
the idea is to make them want the cat off the next guy instead of you
I feel like this problem could be solved with a combo of stamping vehicle VINs onto the converters by the manufacturer, or placing some kind of heat resistant label on them similar to the door jamb to identify the vehicle it came from. I'm not sure how interchangeable they are between a brand's vehicles (can a 2.4L engine's cat from an Element be fitted to another Honda with that engine)?. Turning it into a felony to scrap converters from cars you don't own would be a good step. I'd consider it grand theft, due to the cost of repairing the damages inflicted on victims.
They are not even prosecuting felons for armed robbery these days. What makes you think they'll go after CAT thieves?
you can engrave your own VIN into the cat
Get an extremely loud alarm.
I've seen cat theft deterrent kits for Toyota Prius'. Have to see if anyone makes them for your niece's Honda Element.
I found quite a few images of people spray painting their convertors with a high temperature brightly colored paint.
It may deter a few of the would be thieves, and make it a little bit harder to sell at a scrap yard.
You could also engrave the word STOLEN as an additional deterrent. Make sure the engraving is easy for the thieves to see.
What happens if I get pulled over and the policeman see's stolen on my cat?
The stolen ones don't go back in service. They get cannibalized for the precious metals. The police will understand.
Do you really think a cop is going to pull you over, lie down on the ground and look to see if you have a catalytic converter? C'mon man! If this happens, please film it and post it so we can all have a good laugh.
What makes you think a traffic stop can't escalate. In addition what makes you think anyone seeing "stolen" painted on a small muffler would not think it is a joke. I am not anti police but I am realistic. I do like the theft deterrents like cover plated and cables.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj0mtxXEGE8
Yes . They have been stopping people with SUV's and using telescoping inspection mirrors. They don't even have to bend over. I assume something else initiates the traffic stop.
How to deter thieves in metro Atlanta from stealing your catalytic converter
https://www.cbs46.com/news/how-to-deter-thieves-in-metro-atlanta-from-stealing-your-catalytic-converter/article_cec6aa86-8606-11ec-adfe-c32a7a42d62a.html
Police Look To Spray Paint To Curb Catalytic Converter Thefts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wGrB4_i0_4
Police mark catalytic converters in hopes of deterring theft
https://evanstonroundtable.com/2021/11/20/catalytic-converter-spray-paint-deterrent-epd-event/
Yes. Take 6 exhaust u bolts. Bolt 3 or as many as you can each side of the converter. They make it almost impossible to get a battery Sawzall blade to cut thru quickly. Lots of YouTube videos to do this.
There are shields which make it harder but not impossible to get the cat. Some folks added some rebar around the cat too.
One of the best ones I've seen though it looks like it will never come off without a lift at that point.
Bastards! Petty crime now. They wont even pursue.
Every once and a while they catch someone with a pickup truck filled with cats and they lock them up. The other dead giveaway are legs sticking out from under a car at 1:00 AM and a nearby getaway car idling. These guys are fast and they only want cats from certain cars. They have videos showing experienced thieves taking less than a minute. Honda's seem to be the most targeted. They welded a plate over my nieces cat because a lot of times the thieves will strike twice hoping they get the newly installed brand new cat which is worth more money.
That was common when I was growing up with batteries. They would steal your battery and a week later steal the brand new replacement.
is there any way to prevent this or at least make it more difficult so they go on to another car?
If you have a friend who's a welder, that's no big issue.
I think about adding something like this on my car, I think it can be done well if flush with the body.
I recently was a video about it from Donut media but they tend to be vulgar and not family friendly - so viewer beware.
The TLDR was "Just weld a metal steel plate under the cat, it's cheap, it's simple and it works"
