Sometimes affectionately referred to as a \u2018cat\u2019, your catalytic converter is a hugely important part of your car \u2013 far more so than many people give it credit for! Essentially, it plays a vital role in your emissions system by removing the most harmful elements of your car\u2019s emissions, so if it goes missing, that means your vehicle can easily start producing emissions above its legal limits.<\/p>\n
The thing is, it\u2019s not unheard of for catalytic converters to go missing occasionally. They make a very lucrative target for thieves because of the abundance of precious metals they contain, like rhodium, palladium and platinum. They\u2019re also (unfortunately) very expensive to replace, and some particularly unlucky drivers have found themselves shelling out thousands for them. Sometimes the job is expensive enough to write off the car entirely.<\/p>\n
Here at Scrap Car Network, we firmly think that a theft should never be the thing that finally causes you to think \u2013 I need to scrap my car<\/a><\/strong>. In that spirit, here are a couple of useful tips to help you keep your catalytic converter safe.<\/p>\n If you can, it\u2019s always best to keep your car in a locked garage \u2013 let\u2019s be honest, it\u2019s pretty difficult for anyone to look like they\u2019re just taking an innocent wander past your car in there. If you typically use on-street parking though, or if you\u2019re out and about, you can still protect your car by being very selective with your parking.<\/p>\n Try and leave your car backed up against a wall if you can, or hemmed in by fences, high kerbs, or other cars. It may not be the easiest to get in and out of, but at least you can be sure that nobody\u2019s going to find it very easy to get a jack or power tools in there (the average catalytic converter theft typically requires at least one of them).<\/p>\n On a similar note, try and avoid mounting the pavement on two wheels, if at all possible. Keeping all four wheel squarely on the ground once again makes it just that little bit more difficult for thieves to gain access.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re concerned about the possibility of your catalytic converter being stolen from your car at home, investing in your home security can give you peace of mind.<\/p>\n Top of the list for most people are usually a set of sturdy garage doors, CCTV systems, and alarms. Even something as simple as a motion-activated security light can be hugely effective \u2013 most thieves don\u2019t tend to like being lit up like a Christmas tree, especially since removing the converter isn\u2019t always an easy job.<\/p>\n You may even want to consider some of the more sophisticated driveway security systems, some of which will alert the police automatically when they detect an intruder. (That can make it that much more difficult for the person in question to escape, especially if they don\u2019t realise they\u2019ve been seen.) In all cases, keep an eye out for the Secure by Design accreditation; it\u2019s a police-owned initiative which acts as a guaranteed seal of quality and reliability.<\/p>\n If it makes you feel safer, you could focus your efforts on your vehicle itself, with locks and guards for the underside. Before we go any further though, we should say \u2013 it really is important to first check with your insurer, as some of these changes can technically be classed as car modifications, which can invalidate some policies.<\/p>\n If you\u2019d prefer your garage to do the work for you \u2013 it\u2019s often safer that way \u2013 you may find they\u2019re able to fit a dedicated cage over the catalytic converter. Or else, they might be able to weld the bolts shut, making them considerably more difficult to loosen. It\u2019s probably all chargeable time though!<\/p>\n Alongside some of the measures we\u2019ve outlined above, one simple and often effective tactic is to mark the catalytic converter itself. It\u2019s not going to prevent it from being stolen, but it can make it easy to identify, and much more difficult for thieves to sell to Authorised Treatment Facilities for scrap. The Scrap Metal Dealers Act makes it very tricky to sell them anonymously, as it obligates scrap metal dealers to collect basic information from sellers. That way, if they later realise the catalytic converter has been stolen, they can pass those details on to police.<\/p>\n These are just a few of the handiest tips, directly from the experts. It\u2019s probably not going to be hugely practical (or cheap!) to implement them all at once, but even one or two could make all the difference to protecting your car.<\/p>\n And on the day when your beloved motor does finally pack it in (hopefully for non-catalytic-converter-related reasons), rest assured we\u2019re always here to help you get the very best price for it. Just enter your car reg and postcode<\/a><\/strong> into the fields on our site, and you\u2019ll be looking at your very own instant scrap car quote in no time. Ready to find out how much your car is worth?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sometimes affectionately referred to as a \u2018cat\u2019, your catalytic converter is a hugely important part of your car \u2013 far more so than many people give it credit for! Essentially, it plays a vital role in your emissions system by removing the most harmful elements of your car\u2019s emissions, so if it goes missing, that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":113,"featured_media":6345,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[16],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n1. Choose your parking spot very carefully<\/h2>\n
2. Revitalise your home security<\/h2>\n
3. Revamp your vehicle security<\/h2>\n
4. Mark your catalytic converter<\/h2>\n