We here at C&C Automotive wish we were pulling your leg, but catalytic converter theft is becoming an increasing problem in the United States. The metal out of which the converters are made is in high demand on the black market. Unfortunately, if your vehicle is parked in a public location long enough, you may become the victim of catalytic converter theft. Once you start your automobile, you will know right away that something is wrong. Let’s talk more about the signs of a missing catalytic converter below.
Excessive Engine Roaring
There’s no way to miss how much louder your engine will be if you no longer have a catalytic converter. The engine will roar loudly and excessively. The reason why the engine is so much louder is that the sound of the exhaust being forced out of the engine is no longer being muffled by the catalytic converter. Consequently, you will think that your automobile does not have a muffler.
Check Engine Illumination
Another thing that you are going to notice right away is that the check engine light is going to illuminate on the dashboard and remain on rather than turn off. As you can imagine, your exhaust system has a huge part missing from it, and, as such, system sensors are going to report malfunctions. Because the engine control unit cannot correct the malfunctions, it will turn on the check engine light.
Acceleration That Jerks
Before we talk about this sign that the catalytic converter has been stolen, we want to stress that we do not encourage you to drive your automobile. It is better to have your vehicle towed to our shop if you have been the victim of catalytic converter theft. If you do drive your vehicle, you are going to notice that the acceleration will make the automobile jerk and lunge forward constantly.
Sputtering at Slow Speeds
You are also going to notice that the engine will struggle to run when you want to drive at slower speeds. The engine will perform normally at higher speeds but sputter at slow speeds.
Exhaust Odors/Illness
These performance problems aren’t the reason why we recommend that you have your vehicle towed. Rather, the exhaust manifold no longer has the catalytic converter in which to push the exhaust. Consequently, the exhaust is released into the environment and can make its way to the inside of your vehicle. This can make you seriously ill if you keep driving your automobile.
C&C Automotive in Martinez, Downtown, and West Augusta, GA, and Columbia or Aiken County, SC, is here to help, so call the shop that is closest to you if you need a new catalytic converter.
