You know you have one under your car, but if you’re lucky, you never have to think about it. It’s the catalytic converter, a component of your car’s exhaust and emission-control system usually installed between the engine and the muffler.
What is a catalytic converter?
A catalytic converter is a metal can containing a ceramic or metal honeycomb mesh coated with catalysts, which are components that can induce a chemical change. These catalysts often include small amounts of precious metals like platinum, rhodium, and palladium, and can help make a car’s exhaust less toxic. If you’re wondering where is the catalytic converter, it is located under your car, installed between other components of the exhaust system.
How much does a catalytic converter cost?
Catalytic converter prices vary for catalytic converter replacement. The cost to replace a catalytic converter depends on many factors, such as the make and model of your car and where you’re located. Most estimates for catalytic converters range from about $1,000 to several thousand dollars or more, and a replacement will require several hours of labor, adding another several hundred dollars to the total. Keep in mind that if you are replacing a catalytic converter that was stolen, compared to one that simply needs to be replaced, your parts and labor costs will likely be higher since thieves tend to damage more of the emissions system when they steal a catalytic converter.
What does a catalytic converter do?
A catalytic converter’s catalysts, or the precious earth elements that make catalytic converters valuable, act as a filter for the car’s exhaust gases. Passing exhaust gases over these substances produces chemical reactions that convert pollutants into less harmful substances, which can be either removed from the exhaust or safely emitted into the atmosphere. Both carbon monoxide (CO) and unburned hydrocarbons (HC) are combined to produce carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O), both of which can be emitted out the tailpipe. The nitrous oxides (NOx), on the other hand, have their oxygen removed and are converted into nitrogen. A converter can remove up to 98 percent of the 15 tons of the three substances each year.
Types of catalytic converters
The first catalytic converters were introduced on U.S. cars for the 1975 model year, in response to new regulations limiting the maximum permissible exhaust emissions of new cars. By 1981, all new U.S. passenger vehicles were fitted with catalytic converters, and throughout the next 25 years, catalytic converters spread into most of the world’s production of new vehicles. They are also fitted to other small engines, including those of motorcycles, chainsaws, and lawn mowers, as well as wood stoves. The first “two-way” converters in 1975 controlled carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons; more recent “three-way” converters also process nitrous oxides.
How can you prevent catalytic converter theft?
Experts suggest several strategies to prevent catalytic converter theft. The first and most obvious is parking your vehicle inside, if possible. If your car is parked in a communal garage, try parking close to the wall to make it difficult for thieves to reach the catalytic converter. If you have multiple vehicles, use the vehicle with lower ground clearance to block access to the vehicle with higher ground clearance, so it’s harder for thieves to get underneath your vehicles and reach the exhaust system. If your car’s alarm system has a vibration setting, try using that so your alarm will go off if thieves are messing around with your exhaust system. Some aftermarket parts, such as shields, guards, and cages, are designed to provide an extra layer of protection for your catalytic converter, making it much more time consuming and difficult to access. Finally, a coat of bright, heat-resistant spray paint may deter thieves who don’t want to draw attention to the fact that they’re selling stolen parts.
Signs of catalytic converter problems
Catalytic converters can get clogged or have other problems. Bad catalytic converter symptoms include difficulty starting the car, a check engine light (CEL), a feeling that the engine is struggling to gain or maintain speed, excessive heat from under the car, using more gas than usual, and a smell of sulfur or rotten eggs from the exhaust.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can your car run without a catalytic converter?
Can you drive without a catalytic converter? Technically, yes, your car can be driven without a catalytic converter, but it’s not advisable, for many reasons. Some people replace the catalytic converter with a section of straight pipe, but this is illegal in most places and is very bad for the environment. Furthermore, this can trigger problems with engine sensors. Driving without a catalytic converter or a pipe replacement is a very bad idea. The car will technically run, but likely won’t run well. It will also be very loud and will leak dangerous chemicals directly into the vehicle and the atmosphere.
Why is catalytic converter worth money?
Catalytic converters are valuable to thieves, and expensive to replace, because they contain small amounts of rare precious metals. Stolen catalytic converters may be stripped for these metals, or they may be resold.
What happens if I don’t replace catalytic converter?
The catalytic converter replacement cost for a bad catalytic converter might scare you, but if you have reduced catalytic converter function, you need to deal with it right away. If you continue to drive with a bad catalytic converter, the consequences could include ruining your engine by causing oil leaks or blowing engine seals, or even your car catching on fire from the buildup of excessive heat.
What happens if catalytic converter is stolen?
If you are a victim of catalytic converter theft, there will be signs your catalytic converter is gone. The first and most obvious is that your vehicle will be extremely loud. The second is a smell of exhaust and chemicals. Finally, your engine might start to run poorly. If your catalytic converter is stolen, you should file a police report and call a tow truck to take your car to a mechanic.
What does a vehicle sound like without a catalytic converter?
Catalytic converter problems include very loud exhaust if the catalytic converter is missing. It will be obvious not necessarily that the catalytic converter is missing but that there is something seriously wrong with the exhaust.
Why are people stealing catalytic converters?
If you think back to the explanation of how much is a catalytic converter, catalytic converter theft seems like a lot of work for not much potential payoff. However, the precious metals inside a catalytic converter make them valuable to scrap metal recyclers.
Does painting your catalytic converter prevent theft?
Some experts suggest deterring catalytic converter theft by coating it with a bright colored, heat-resistant paint. Painting your catalytic converter might help prevent theft in two ways. First, it can help disguise the part. Second, it can make the stolen catalytic converter harder to resell, since it will be more conspicuous. This is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to try to deter catalytic converter theft.