You slide into the driver seat and turned the ignition key. The engine is much lower than normal. In fact, it sounds so strange that you are tempted to turn it off. Vielhaber’s Garage advises that the reason why your engine is so loud is that the catalytic converter has been stolen. The converter is made of precious metals like platinum and rhodium. We can replace your catalytic converter if it has been taken.
Roaring Engine
If you keep the engine running, you will notice that it is roaring and much lower than it normally is. If you press down on the accelerator, it will roar even louder. Unfortunately, although the catalytic converter is not a muffler, it muffles the noise of the exhaust being pushed out of the exhaust manifold. Your engine will be extremely loud until you replace the catalytic converter.
Illuminated CEL
The check engine light is also going to come on and stay on until you replace the catalytic converter. This is because there is a series of malfunctions in the exhaust system that cause the system sensors to report error codes. Not only do they sense that the catalytic converter is gone but also that the exhaust has not been treated by the converter. Consequently, it will be high in hydrocarbons.
Lurching Acceleration
Your vehicle is going to lurch when you accelerate if you try to drive it after the catalytic converter theft. When installed, the catalytic converter buffers the force from the exhaust manifold as it releases exhaust into the converter. Consequently, when you press down on the accelerator, the exhaust is forced out of the manifold and your vehicle lurches forward in a jerking motion.
Slow-Speed Sputtering
Once you get the vehicle going, you will notice that it sputters at slow speeds. This, too, is attributed to the catalytic converter theft. Unfortunately, your engine will not regain the ability to produce power at slow speeds until you have the catalytic converter replaced.
Wafting Exhaust
Finally, we believe that it is safer to have your vehicle towed to our shop than to drive it without a catalytic converter. The reason why is that the exhaust is released into the open air underneath your vehicle. Naturally, the exhaust will rise and can enter your passenger cabin. You may be inhaling exhaust without realizing it and this may make you sick.
Vielhaber’s Garage in Findlay, OH, is here to help so reach out to us after you have reported the catalytic converter theft to the authorities and your insurance company.
