When you take into account the materials out of which catalytic converters are made, you understand why their theft is so common. The catalytic converter underneath your car, truck, or utility vehicle is made out of palladium, rhodium, and platinum. These metals fetch a pretty penny on the black market. Consequently, if your vehicle is doing any of the following, your catalytic converter was stolen.
Roaring Engine
You will understand immediately that there is a problem. When you turn the ignition key or press the start button, your engine will roar much louder than it normally does. If you press down on the accelerator, the roaring will get even louder. Unfortunately, this is an indication that the catalytic converter is no longer underneath your automobile because it is not muffling the exhaust sound.
CEL Warning
In addition to the loud noise, your vehicle’s engine control module is going to turn on the check engine light if the catalytic converter is missing. The reason why is that the converter is a crucial part of your vehicle’s exhaust system. The system will malfunction without the catalytic converter. As such, exhaust system sensors will send error codes to the engine control module until the converter is replaced.
Acceleration Trouble
If you attempt to drive your automobile, you will immediately have problems accelerating the vehicle. Unfortunately, when you press down on the accelerator, the engine will not only get louder but your vehicle will jerk forward. It will do this several times as it tries to pick up speed.
Lagging Slower Speeds
Speaking of speed, you will also notice that your automobile has a hard time operating when you are driving slowly. This is because the catalytic converter is no longer underneath the car, SUV, or truck. Both of these performance issues should discourage you from driving the vehicle, but there is one more crucial problem that is the reason why we recommend you have your automobile towed.
Strong Exhaust Odors
The catalytic converter is located behind the exhaust manifold. When it is stolen, the manifold releases the untreated exhaust into the environment. The exhaust rises and ends up inside your automobile. Consequently, you could become seriously ill when driving the vehicle if you are inhaling its exhaust. This is why we recommend you avoid driving your vehicle until the catalytic converter is replaced.
Do not worry. We can do that at our auto repair shop. Call us today to schedule an appointment.
