Catalytic converter, exhaust. OT

[Guido]

Just passing thru, but the value of a stolen converter can only rise. An insurance claim may increase annual premium, plus be aggravating and expensive.

Question for the electronic gurus here: Could the innards of a metal detector be hidden near a car’s converter so’s to detect the motions of a battery powered saw in action, activating an alarm? ‘Evan Williams annual innovation award.

[JRouche]

My cars have sensors for the factory alarm. It detects movement and sound. JR

Edit: My neighbors prius did not, he lost hit convertor. JR

[reggie_obe]

Thieves must not have known, you were retired police.
Should erect a billboard, "Ex-Cop lives here!."

[old mart]

It's worrying, my car has a DPF as well as a CAT.

[Noitoen]

My Prius catalytic converter was stolen in the middle of the afternoon on a relatively busy street. They were asking for almost 2000 EUR for a replacement, mounted a piece of stainless pipe. The car is 16 years old so it's not worth it. Looking at the new 2023 Prius as a replacement. The new ones have a protection shield and are less value, so they say.

[darryl]

Offhand, the protection shield seems like a good way. It would stall the thief before they do any damage.

[Willy]

Saw one the other day where the thieves cut half way thru the driveshaft before realizing it was not part of the exhaust system.

[Superbowl]

Sometimes these guys get more than they asked for.

https://www.autoblog.com/2023/03/14/catalytic-converter-thief-killed-under-car/

[vpt]

Any normal car alarm should sound from the vibrations of a sawzall cutting on the exhaust.

[Old School]

My first question is who is buying these from the thieves....????? Don't you think they should be also looking at the people that are buying these along with the people stealing them. People that are into scrap must be somehow involved you can't just take a convertor to your local auto junk yard and sell them unless there is something under the table going on. So who's checking and doing something with the people buying them.

[CarlByrns]

Any normal car alarm should sound from the vibrations of a sawzall cutting on the exhaust.

Most car alarms aren't motion-sensitive (or sensitive enough to detect a sawzall) bc a good windstorm will set them off. Nothing like a false alarm at 3 AM to introduce yourself to the neighbors.

[J Tiers]

My first question is who is buying these from the thieves....????? Don't you think they should be also looking at the people that are buying these along with the people stealing them. People that are into scrap must be somehow involved you can't just take a convertor to your local auto junk yard and sell them unless there is something under the table going on. So who's checking and doing something with the people buying them.

Everyplace has laws against it. And sometimes the thieves and "fences" get caught.

Everyplace has laws against stealing, murder, assault, etc, also. You may notice how effective those laws are. Where there is money or "stuff" to steal, there will be thieves. Where there are thieves, there are "fences" to profit from the thieves.

[SVS]

Maybe purchase and ownership of cordless sawzalls should be regulated…..

[Toolguy]

A lot of them are using cordless angle grinders. That's how all the "makers" cut anything.

[J Tiers]

Maybe purchase and ownership of cordless sawzalls should be regulated…..

Less damn laws against secondary parts of the problem, please........

You are allowed to carry deadly weapons on any mode of public transportation, etc... If you go to target and buy a set of kitchen knives, you can take them home on the 'bus. But by another definition they are weapons, and you could not take one out of the package and carry it in your hand in the same places.

It's all in the USE, and not in the nature of the device. Hammers, files, even ordinary wood pencils are usable as weapons. And if you know how, a newspaper is a very useful hand carried weapon.

They all have "dual use", i.e. they might be usable as a weapon, but they have recognized legal uses. It is only when actually used as a weapon that they have a legal issue. Same with tools.