Auto Catalytic Converter - New Currency Converter?
Criminals crawl under cars and steal the part which in some terms is more valuable than gold.
What is this part? It is a catalytic converter which is a part of cars’ exhaust system (the device is used to filter exhaust emissions). Inside the converter there are small beads covered with platinum, palladium and rhodium which makes them so valuable. The cost of the metals has risen significantly over the past years.
How to find out whether your car has been violated?
It all becomes evident when you start the engine: even a small family sedan starts sounding like a powerful race car.
The amount of platinum inside a converter seems not that high – somewhat between 1/10 and ? of an ounce per each device, but the prices on the metal are really sky-high ($2000 per ounce). The same thing with Rhodium, moreover this very metal is even more costly - $9000 per ounce.
Recently the Cedar Rapids police has reported that 37 catalytic converters were stolen from 6 businesses. It seems quite incredible as the police hasn’t registered similar cases before March 14.
The problem is really new in this area while NYC and Chicago police are aware of such cases for quite long time.
The police are expecting thefts of the kind to become even more frequent as the prices on the metals are rising.
The problem for auto owners is evident as well- the replacement of the broken exhaust system takes from $300 to $1500 (depending on how much the system is affected)
Moreover you cannot just refuse to repair the system. It is prohibited by the law to drive without a converter. A number of local stores require you to have it installed before you can reclaim your car.
The businesses that have been robbed reconsider their surveillance systems. The thing that can help in the situation is Motion-sensitive lights.
The thing is that reading such reports you always think that these thefts happen to almost anybody but not you. You see that it might be the way out not to get too worried, but one morning you might start your engine…and remember all the stuff you have read in this article or in a similar one.
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