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Catalytic converters stolen


Peter2673
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When SWMBO had her Gen 2 one stolen we didn't even bother with insurance, her excess is £250 and the subsequent probable rise in premiums for the next 3-5 years makes it not worthwhile claiming. The replacement CAT cost her £800 fitted and warranted, at the dealers. It was an aftermarket CAT they sourced, not a Toyota one, so no waiting for parts, it was back on the road the next day. I can understand why they upped the premium David, two claims for the same thing means you're a high risk, but the amount they increased it by is ridiculous.  Insurance is a big rip off these days, if you claim they claw it back with ridiculous increases in premiums.

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I'd seriously consider removing CAT myself and putting a straight pipe, refit for MOT..

If your government is too lazy to fix the problem, which does not exist in EU states.

We have laws here which says mandatory ID check and they write down your info, cameras on places where they weigh the scrap metal, etc, due to this, cat stealing gangs are long gone.

If country is too lazy to help it's citizens, why must one spend extra money for a catloc and fitting, only to have it stolen, so to pay more money for a new one and a higher premium if you involve insurance which likes to take money, but never to give.

That's so absurd..

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There is legislation in place to prevent the illegal sales of precious metals to scrap metal merchants, etc. However, due to budget cuts and so on, the required checks on scrap metal merchants aren't being done by Local Authorities. There is also an illegal export trade in these metals,which provides another avenue for stolen cats to be disposed of. 

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Had Catloc fitted to our Gen 4 Prius today. 

Dealer receptionist told me 13 Prius cars had catalytic convertors stolen recently. These cars were parked in a High Wycombe car park. Aylesbury super markets and hospital car parks had also been hit by the roaming gangs. Police do not appear to be doing much about these thefts. The thieves do not care about damage they cause in the jacking up process. 

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Friend of mine in the motor trade recently had one stolen off a Prius on his forecourt. Forecourt was floodlit and he has full colour HD cctv of the theft.  Police say not much chance of catching the culprits!  Seems like the give out a crime number and give up...

Obviously his insurance (already sky high) will increase further if he makes a claim.

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On ‎12‎/‎3‎/‎2019 at 7:26 PM, Chris Dance said:

Dealer receptionist told me 13 Prius cars had catalytic convertors stolen recently. These cars were parked in a High Wycombe car park. Aylesbury super markets and hospital car parks had also been hit by the roaming gangs.

What Prius generation? All 13 are Prius 4s?

A police flyer advise to park front first into a space so it is harder for thieves to access.

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The receptionist at the dealers did not specify which Mks of Prius the cars were. She did say the cars which had the convertors stolen were all supplied by them. Prius 4s have been targeted that is why I had a Catloc fitted. I do try and park front first whenever I can. This crime is now a major problem.

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On 12/3/2019 at 8:22 PM, mrfixer said:

Forecourt was floodlit and he has full colour HD cctv of the theft.  Police say not much chance of catching the culprits!

From the videos I've seen published (including some on here) the culprits always have their faces covered and use cars that are either stolen or at least have false number plates.  The thieves don't seem at all bothered about being filmed, and at 55 sec on the video in the link below one seems to thank the people they held up while blocking the road to do their dastardly deed!  For this reason, I'm not convince alarms will deter them much either.

 

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1 hour ago, Chris Dance said:

This crime is now a major problem.

It is for owners of certain makes - Toyota, Honda, etc - although no more of a problem that numbers of owners of Corsas and Fiestas have had, who have had their front ends stolen (wings, bonnet, bumper and valance) when parked on the street or on drives - 

 

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There two options first claim will be free. Check first with insurance company. You will pay excess. Depending your insurance history. Or if gen 2 it will cost you around £700. Buying bits and pieces. Put aftermarket cat on gen 2 and put oxygen senor and lambda sensor original Toyota. The car will work and the thieves will not touch your car again. 

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44 minutes ago, Jedi knight said:

There two options first claim will be free. Check first with insurance company. You will pay excess.

Not quite accurate. Depending on your insurer and history, any claim whether first or otherwise, may result in your premium being increased at next renewal, and, of course, if you pay an excess, that isn't free.

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On ‎12‎/‎3‎/‎2019 at 7:26 PM, Chris Dance said:

Had Catloc fitted to our Gen 4 Prius today. 

I booked mine to be done today. Now I got told Gen 4 catlocks aren't available and they mistakenly booked me for a Gen3 😞

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 11/26/2019 at 3:45 PM, David Kent said:

 Back in March this year I had the cat stolen from my 2008 Prius.  It took a month to get the parts from Japan and installed.  I also paid for a Catloc to be fitted which cost £200.

Some time during last night/this morning the cat was stolen again while parked in my front garden.  So I have wasted £200 on the Catloc.  It's for you to decide if it's worth having one fitted.

I'm waiting to hear from my insurance company.

The car has been driven less than 70.000 miles and is in great condition.  It's a pleasure to drive, but now, once repaired it will have to go as I can no longer trust it.  Sad.

I've had the same thing David. It cost me £2000 for a new cat and a cat lock - and then it happened again just before Christmas. Now I have no car. My Prius is old - 2005 - but with only 40,000 miles on the clock and I thought I'd have it for the next ten years. But I'm going to get rid of it, even though I love it - and have no idea what car to buy to replace it. The first theft happened in London - the second (I don't know if they got the actual cat, but they certainly had a good go at it) in Sainsbury's car park in Cambridge. I'm gutted.

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Why not call in at a exhaust specialist, the type who make stainless exhausts for performance cars. Get them to give you a price for a dummy cat. you can even buy them on eBay. It`ll keep the mot man happy when he looks under the car and you can keep your favourite car. I know of a guy that had the cat stolen form his rx400h and has simply fitted a straight pipe....and he`s a mot tester. He says hybrids don`t have there exhaust emissions tested.

Now I know all the keyboard warriors will be straight on....but these thefts are righting cars off for no good reason but the cost and availability replacement. Insurance companies are not paying out on these so owners are left to sort it out themselves. Good luck 

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Removing the cat Is illegal, but you may get away with it as hybrids are emissions exempt but be aware it may cause a fault code as the pre and post cat 02 sensors will be reading the same

As for the Cat lock it was only a matter of time until they got around them perhaps it needs a more secure way of fixing it to the car like shear bolts/nuts

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They may have not emission tested but the testers goes under the car and will spot it straight away so it will not pass the legal way mot. 

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A exhaust specialist could fit a universal cat if you like...or a dummy (empty) cat, he`ll know how to keep the engine light off with a defouler or non fouler. Now I hold my hands up and say a dummy cat is not legit, But if people want to be "holier than thou" about it, they could make a donation to toyota on your behalf for a new catalytic converter and exhaust system.

 

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  • 1 month later...
On 12/2/2019 at 4:45 PM, Gerg said:

That's terrible, you have my sympathies.

Just as a suggestion, the Yaris hybrid has a catalytic converter that is integral to the exhaust manifold, so it is much, much harder to steal. It would be a bonnet-up job and take ages by comparison to your Mk2.  I have never heard of a cat. being stolen from a Yaris hybrid.  Perhaps others know different?

I wonder if the insurance quote is more competitive for that car?

I looked under a Yaris Hybrid not long ago, and the catalytic converter is hard to access. I have the photos. Not sure why Toyota use a different design, but catalytic theft was not in the plan! There are cars where the catalytic converter can be easily accessed but not targeted as much as Honda Jazz/Toyota Prius and Auris hybrids. 

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3 hours ago, Konrad C said:

Not sure why Toyota use a different design

This is going seriously off-topic, and you probably know this, but anyhow...

An influence on this exhaust design, as I always understood it, is that there is an economy/efficiency benefit to having separate exhaust pipes for each cylinder (in an in-line 4 cylinder engine, at least), and then joining them together at a calculated length. Each positive exhaust pressure pulse has a negative pulse following it down the pipe, and this pulse can be used as a scavenging aid to another cylinder that is in a different part of its cycle - if the exhaust pipes are joined to be the correct 'tuned' length, anyway.

I think there is a design conflict in 'losing' these separate lengths of pipe when having the catalyst close to the engine as possible, for rapid heating. With a turbo fitted, this pulse scavenging opportunity is lost, but then the exhaust energy is recycled mechanically through the turbine instead.

On the Yaris they would seem to have fitted the cat. integral to the end part of the manifold (called a 'manicat'), perhaps there was more space available for the pipe length?

On three cylinder engines (and so 6 cylinder also?) the exhaust pulses aren't phased correctly, so there are little/no benefits to be had through tuned lengths (new Yaris hybrid 1.5 triple?), so the exhaust manifolds can be short, keeping the cat. close to the head, and the warm-up cycle short.  I think on some small modern engines the exhaust manifold is actually part of the head, to make this engine smaller, cheaper and 'cleaner'.

The shorter manifolds allow the catalyst to be close to the head/block, and therefore much harder to steal.

Happy to be corrected if any of this is wrong, obviously.

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