Believe us, you will know if your catalytic converter was stolen. The first thing to take into account is where you parked your automobile. If you parked it in an open area that made it easy for someone to crawl underneath the vehicle and remove the converter, it’s more likely that this will happen. Always park your automobile in a secure location whenever it is possible.
Roaring Engine
If your catalytic converter was stolen, your engine will roar very loudly when you first fire up the SUV, car, or truck. In fact, you may be startled by how loud the engine is. If you press down on the accelerator, the engine will get even louder. This is a sign that there is no catalytic converter underneath the vehicle to absorb the noise of the exhaust being pushed out of the exhaust manifold.
CEL Warning
In addition to the excess noise, your vehicle’s main computer chip will turn on the check engine light. The reason why is that the exhaust system is malfunctioning and reporting errors to the chip. Unfortunately, the only way to resolve the errors is to replace the catalytic converter, and the chip cannot do this. As such, you will receive a CEL warning on the dashboard.
Acceleration Issues
A stolen catalytic converter creates issues with your vehicle’s acceleration. Instead of accelerating smoothly, the automobile will jerk and surge as it picks up speed. This is because the exhaust manifold must use excessive force to get the exhaust out of it and into the converter. Because the converter is missing, there is nothing to absorb the force exerted by the exhaust manifold.
Slow-speed Issues
In addition to acceleration issues, your automobile will also have trouble producing power if you are driving slowly. It’s only natural to take it slow because your engine does not sound normal. In addition, the jerky acceleration can be disconcerting. Consequently, you will have engine performance problems until you pick up speed. This being said, it’s not a good idea to drive your automobile without the converter.
Exhaust Odors
The reason why is that the exhaust is released into the environment rather than into the catalytic converter. Consequently, it is very easy for you to end up with exhaust inside your passenger cabin. Unfortunately, inhaling the exhaust will make you sick as you drive your automobile.
Call us today if you need a new catalytic converter installed into your exhaust system. We will also check the system for damage.
