Scotty: please do a show on how to prevent catalytic converter thefts. It's becoming a real problem out here, especially for the Priuii.
The theft shield? Put VIN on the cat? Tack weld a rebar across it?
Same company also offers a device called the Cat Eye, motion detector & alarm that mounts underneath a car to detect a thief. Pretty ingenious, not sure I'm sold on the Cat Strap though as it glues to your cat..if some kind of repair was needed on exhaust system working around that might be too difficult.
A shield seems like the most logical choice..some have been redesigned with tougher metals to make cutting more difficult
Is it glued on??? I thought they used some sort of metal zip ties. That motion detector seemed a little hokey to me, but something is better than nothing I guess.
Directly from their website:
"The CatStrap™ is encased in a high-temperature strap that runs down the length of your vehicle's exhaust and converter. Features a heat-activated adhesive strip (black-side) that creates a tight bond to the exhaust system to prevent removal. In addition, exhaust clamps are used to ensure a tight bond and provide additional attachment strength."
Yep! Now I see what you mean.
My personal choice to foil thieves is a semi automatic 9mm Beretta 92FS, and a garage of course.
I hope the Italians make better pistols than cars 😆
I can personally attest to the fact that they do.
Doing time in jail with a felony record < losing a car part
Opinions vary.
Ha!
Etching the VIN on the catalyst won't prevent it from being stolen, but it may help you retrieve it if the authorities find the people running the thefts in your area (if they didn't already gut the internals out...). There really is no proper way to protect your catalyst from theft unless your car has a tilt alarm built into the theft system. Maybe it's best to park your car as close to your residence as possible or park it in a secure garage if possible.
But if it ends up getting stolen, I've heard that insurance companies are covering the replacement cost (it makes sense to have it covered under insurance).
It should be covered under "comprehensive" part of the policy.... so having a low deductible for that would be helpful. I have a car I seldom drive, and park in the driveway, so I have a high deductible for collision, and a low deductible for comprehensive. The car itself is very low mileage, and in excellent shape, but if totaled in an accident I would not get enough payment to buy a like vehicle with such low mileage.
There are shields for sale but it does little to stop theft. More or less just a small annoyance to them if they know what they are doing.
They use security screws..as far as I know the only way to quickly remove them is cutting. That seems like a noisy, tricky proposition
would this put the car's electronics at risk?
yes
The other option might be to place a grounding pad/conductor beneath the car.
they could just yank it out
motion sensor on each side of the car
it will be frequently set off by animals, shadows, etc.
I have considered, largely out of curiosity, if it is feasible to hook a hidden fence charger to the frame of the vehicle. In my case this would be a Ford Excursion.
IF I unhooked the battery cables, and connected a fence charger hot wire to the frame and grounded the charger to the ground (within 3 feet of the car) would this put the car's electronics at risk?
The other option might be to place a grounding pad/conductor beneath the car. In theory, this should result in a good jolt to the person doing the dirty work...although wearing gloves might make it ineffective.
I would plan on combining this with a motion sensor on each side of the car and under the frame stratetically placed.. to set off an alarm to the inside of my house...and/or my phone.
Has anyone here tried this?
My cat was stolen on my 04 prius..insurance covered it but decided to go with a cheap replacement in the Walker brand instead of the $2K OEM cat, one because if it did get stolen again they'd be disappointed (Nelson HAHA) and two, I imagine my insurance would hold that $2K repair against me somehow in the long run.
Got a Miller Cat Shield plate installed. I don't worry about it anymore. Decided if it gets stolen again I'll just get rid of the dang car..more trouble than it's worth in that case
All you can do is make it more difficult so the thief chooses another vehicle. Keep the vehicle in a well light place with lots of traffic. There are also protective shields you could put over the cat.
Maybe the following South African system should be brought back:
It also depends on where you live. Where I live it's catalytic converter theft is very prevalent but police don't do anything about it. It's gotten to the point that the thieves very calmly even cut the shield or even under will lighten areas steal the convertor. People have videos of the criminals and it's a group thing but still nothing happens. So depending on where you live; like where I am; only thing that works is parking in the garage.
Ehhh all these other opinions are “ok” but dude has anyone ever tried to attach the cars alarm sensor with one, that’ll go off if the cat is detached. (Btw this is a joke or is it a good idea?) the world will never know.