3 CAT's stolen in 14 months!

[Scoobs]

This is getting old. I have just had my third Catalytic converter stolen in 14 months. The first two were from my wife's 2003 Tacoma. Yesterday mine was snaked from my 1997 4Runner Limited.

My insurance is going to replace it (@ $1500) but my agent tells me to expect either my deductible to go way up come renewal time or my insurance to be canceled altogether. BTW I've had 3 windows replaced in those same 14 months so my insurance co. is looking at 6 comprehensive claims in just over 1 yr.

I live in Southern Kalifornia. My question is this. Can I have a straight pipe fitted in and then swap in the CAT when it's time for the Smog Check? Has anybody done this? I'm wondering if this would cause any performance problems?

I looked into buying an aftermarket CAT but I can only find "49 state legal" ones. And of course CA is the missing state. The not CA legal ones can be found at around $210. Dealers are getting about $900 for the CA legal ones.

Over at HondaPilot.org ... ops Piloteers.org, the comments from California residents who have checked with their insurance companies, indicate that they were told that in Cali comp claims do not affect ratings

quote:Originally posted by N_Jay


I doubt it.

Comprehensive rates are not affected by claims.



You doubt it and you're right!
Just called my insurance company. Used to be AIG, after merger they are 21st Century.
They told me that in California comprehensive doesn't effect ratings. So I started new claim and will send them bill.
I owe you N_Jay

Charly - you most likely also covered!

M

http://www.piloteers.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=336312#post336312

 

[43242code1]

i've heard that spot welding works enough to keep someone from stealing your cat, and if you can't do it i'm sure any muffler or auto repair shop could do it for a reasonable price. it would be worth a quick phonecall to whoever your mechanic is.

 

[GlennD]

Spot welding does nothing to protect the idiots with the battery sawzalls. I think a cage or a lockrd garage is the only solution.

I work with police and at least in my city they would not go looking for a cat bypass but if you are pulled over for another violation they may do a through check. Same goes for tinted windows.

Off topic, the motor officers I deal with use 9 mph over the limit as the deciding factor. Do ten over and get detected, you are dead.

 

[G.I.G.]

Hey Lefty,
Don't be so sure that CAT thieves don't carry guns. A buddy of mine saw the exact scenario go down at the race track. A guy coming out went into the parking lot and saw someone under his car. He hollered at the guy and the spotter pulled a gun. Maybe it was only a BB gun but he who's going to bother to check. Just get the heck out of there!

I'll look into a Clifford alarm. Do you know of any specific kind, model, etc?

Yet another reason why I don't live in CA. Sh!t like this happens all the time (I used to live in Long Beach, so I speak from experience) and they have the strictest gun laws in the country. So, you can't protect yourself and crime runs rampant. And don't get me started on the whole illegal alien debate...I don't want to turn this into a political thread. :infidel: (Hey, I needed an excuse to use this new emoticon, LOL).

I frig'n hate thieves and hope this stops happening to you guys out in CA. I think the car alarm is the best way to go. At least it will alert you if someone starts hacking on your car and hopefully send them running before they do too much damage. Best of luck.

 

[GlennD]

In a previous life I worked for a company that installed car alarms. In Southern California anyone hearing an alarm going off simply says to themself that some idiots alarm is falsing again and they ignore it.

The only good thing about an alarm is ignition kill. Since all new vehicles come with an imobilizer I have doubts about even that.

 

[blaniac22]

Friend of mine went to Home Depot in the middle of the afternoon, busiest time of the day. In the time it took him to go in to Home Depot and buy a screen door someone had lifted his CAT.

They aren't just stealing them in California.

As far as alarms go - if someone responds to it, fine, if not, that's fine too. But in my experience it does at least serve as a little deterrent. If they want something bad enough, they are going to get it.

I usually keep both vehicles in the garage, but just the other day I had to leave my car out in the driveway. Well, my neighbor, with no alarm and nothing exotic as far as stereo, radar detectors, iPods or anything like that had their car broken into, as did another person across the street. I'd like to think the flashing red light on the dash and the fact that the car was parked under a bright light had at least a little something to do with it.

 

[shawnstcyr]

You don't by any chance live in Palm Springs do you? That is the stealingest place I have ever been to. No offense. Those people will steal a water hose out of your yard. We had to put up 7000V fences around the wind sites to deter them. It only worked marginally.

 

[juiceboxer]

People do ignore alarms but if you have a two way, your remote will start vibrating/beeping and you can go check for yourself. Hopefully you have a baseball bat ready.:twak:

 

[Stick Figure]

something set off my alarm a while back, and it had a few neighbors outside, even before i got out there lol .... i do have it hooked into the factory horn though, so it may be a bit louder than the generic viper siren. If you are doing it to protect the cat, add a secondary siren more under the vehicle ..... if the alarm doesn't stop them from stealing it the noise under the truck should at least make it a very uncofortable experience!

 

[WVUfaninDC]

CatClamp

Has anyone had any luck with CatClamp or any other catalytic converter protection systems? I live in an area that has had a rash of cat thefts and would like to try to avoid it happening to me if possible.

 

[Duhockey]

Has anyone had any luck with CatClamp or any other catalytic converter protection systems? I live in an area that has had a rash of cat thefts and would like to try to avoid it happening to me if possible.

You found it!! been looking for this one for awhile..

 

[90toytruck.]

Over at HondaPilot.org ... ops Piloteers.org, the comments from California residents who have checked with their insurance companies, indicate that they were told that in Cali comp claims do not affect ratings



PILOTEERS .ORG - windshield chip

sounds like its time to buy a gun or figure out how to hook up twelve volts to the trk and watch someone get zapped :vader:

 

[kinnakeettom]

wire the truck with 120vac and let them be the ground.
keeping the pavement a little wet will better the circuit.
remove the cord after he's fried, and claim he had a heart attack.

 

[Duhockey]

sounds like its time to buy a gun or figure out how to hook up twelve volts to the trk and watch someone get zapped :vader:

could that backfire?? wouldnt the voltage follow the exhaust to the engine where it would get grounded??

 

[jca21]

just curious why people would steal cat converters? :|

 

[MikesToy]

just curious why people would steal cat converters? :|

There's platinum inside. Gold prices are going up and platinum cost more than gold.

 

[jca21]

There's platinum inside. Gold prices are going up and platinum cost more than gold.

ahh thanks for the info.

 

[xskydivingdudex]

ya a guy in SA, TX got his cat jacked from his grand cherokee and it was on the news and so i no its only time til the homos start to get around town. Im hoping they wont get my runner but am thinking of trying to get the Catclamp since itll at least make it harder to steal...

 

[wjamyers]

Post office in Parkton, MD, cats stolen off the postal vehicles recently.

 

[nordicwarrior88]

This is getting old. I have just had my third Catalytic converter stolen in 14 months. The first two were from my wife's 2003 Tacoma. Yesterday mine was snaked from my 1997 4Runner Limited.

My insurance is going to replace it (@ $1500) but my agent tells me to expect either my deductible to go way up come renewal time or my insurance to be canceled altogether. BTW I've had 3 windows replaced in those same 14 months so my insurance co. is looking at 6 comprehensive claims in just over 1 yr.

I live in Southern Kalifornia. My question is this. Can I have a straight pipe fitted in and then swap in the CAT when it's time for the Smog Check? Has anybody done this? I'm wondering if this would cause any performance problems?

I looked into buying an aftermarket CAT but I can only find "49 state legal" ones. And of course CA is the missing state. The not CA legal ones can be found at around $210. Dealers are getting about $900 for the CA legal ones.

Damn, I feel your pain. Someone tried to steal my catalytic converter 3 times. I live in a really nice neighborhood and I think I'd shoot the person if I caught them. It's cost me a fortune.

Other than an intense alarm system, maybe the catlock can work, but I love my 4runner. It really stinks that this is an epidemic. I live in Annapolis, MD.