Can I Change My Own Catalytic Converter

For the past two years, law enforcement has tried to put the brakes on a worldwide wave of catalytic converter thefts.

It has remained a crime and so rampant and costly, it has some agape to park their vehicles in front of their own homes.

To the naked middle, a catalytic converter may look like an ordinary piece of auto machinery.

The device, which converts frazzle into less toxic byproducts, contains discs with small amounts of precious metals that have a large toll tag. Those include platinum, palladium, rhodium, and others that hat can go for as high every bit $thirty,000 per ounce.

They are often stolen in seconds by people using battery-powered saws.

Afterwards, vehicles take been left with a distinct sound and so loud that it substantially renders them undrivable.

"Y'all won't forget it, and you'll know it when yous hear," said Corey Meyer, mechanic at JFB Machine Repair & Tire in South Windsor, referring to the audio.

Investigations

Last summertime, Plainville small business concern possessor Taj Semhi said he caught and confronted a pair of men with a rental truck who cut a catalytic converter from one of his vehicles on his property in broad daylight.

"It takes them at to the lowest degree less than one infinitesimal to cutting information technology out. And that $1,500 downwards the bleed," Semhi said.

The video Semhi provided shows the suspects nearly ran him over every bit they sped off.

"Right at present, they have no fear," Semhi said.

Experts say thieves will oft target cars with college amounts of these rare metals in the catalytic converters, including the Toyota Prius and Honda CRV -- plus larger trucks, vans, and buses that have larger catalytic converters, and in some cases, more than one.

Bryony Chamberlain, vice president for school double-decker at DATTCO in New Britain, recounted one morn during the winter of 2021 when DATTCO plant forty of its school buses out of committee with their catalytic converters stolen.

"We had one of our locations where people came in at two in the morning. So far, we're upwards to seventy catalytic converters stolen the last year, and the toll that is about $100,000. That'southward not chump change," Chamberlain said.

Since then, DATTCO has invested in security measures, including movement sensors, that accept reduced catalytic converter thefts to near nix.

"But information technology is boosted cost that nosotros're having to incur. And it's not perfect. So, we all the same run some risk," Chamberlain added.

Not every homeowner or small businessperson can afford that kind of protection from catalytic converter thieves.

That has put pressure on lawmakers on both a national and state level to propose changes.

Indiana Congressman Jim Baird only introduced a nib that, amongst other things, would require auto manufacturers to etch a vehicle'due south identification number, or "VIN" into its catalytic converter.

"I feel that there are enough instances of this, that we volition get bipartisan support," Baird told NBC Connecticut Investigates.

Federal law already requires an identifying number on doors, bumpers, engines, and more.

"If law enforcement finds someone with those parts, then they tin identify or they can trace that back to a VIN number. Without that, nothing really happens," Baird said.

At this signal, just a few automakers appear to exist making moves toward marking catalytic converters, but it is non standard practice in the industry.

"Stamping a number on a catalytic converter doesn't appear to me to be that hard. But I'm not in the auto manufacturing business. So, I'thou willing to work with that. But it starts the process and then that we can correct this", Baird said.

Members of the International Clan of Auto Theft Investigators (IAATI) believe information technology is worth the wait.

"Every bit long every bit they remain untraceable, it's going to -- it makes information technology almost impossible for us to practise anything virtually that as an investigator. Yous have to believe that the auto manufacturers recognize this is a problem for their prototype also, and they're going to need to do something to you know, protect the consumer," said IAATI member Joe Boche.

Nosotros asked The Brotherhood for Automotive Innovation, an auto industry trade group, almost Baird's bill, known as the Office Act.

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation told NBC Connecticut Investigates:

"The entities that purchase stolen catalytic converters are the logical kickoff pace in curtailing this criminal activity. Nosotros are reviewing the issue very closely and engaging with policymakers and police force enforcement government concerning how legislation or other efforts to increase public awareness can help deter such criminal activeness."

NBC Connecticut Investigates drilled down on Connecticut auto recycling and chip metal laws. There appear to be holes in the statutes when it comes to preventing catalytic converter theft:

There are prohibitions on purchasing metallic or cable that came from railroads, power lines, phone lines, even beer keg, but not catalytic converters
Catalytic converter recycling is essentially a greenbacks business; and then, there's no paper trail of traceable payments for officers investigating thefts
Fines for getting defenseless with stolen catalytic converters are between $100 and $500 for auto recyclers, and less for scrap metal processors

Cheshire State Representative Liz Linehan said she wants to fund more officers to investigate crimes, including catalytic converter theft, and she wants to introduce legislation to slow the catalytic converter theft trade.

"Correct now they've got us, but we're on to them. And we're gonna put along legislation that makes it harder for them to exercise what they're doing now," Linehan said.

Linehan has proposed a pecker that among other things, would:

Create a more than robust database to track catalytic converter sales
Require people recycling catalytic converters get paid past check through the mail to create more traceable payments
Require a five-solar day waiting period before the payment is sent out

"That'south important because when you are stealing something, you desire that immediate payment," Linehan said.

NBC Connecticut Investigates too spoke with the merchandise group representing scrap metal recyclers, known as the Found of Fleck Recycling Industries (ISRI), about the proposed federal and land legislation targeting catalytic converter thieves. ISRI said in a statement:

"The industry is happy to see the Connecticut legislature discuss opportunities to crack down on catalytic converter theft. ISRI and our stakeholders partner at the federal and country levels to arts and crafts and enact meaningful legislation that attacks this offense at its core. We're already seeing tangible results. Connecticut's work on this issue should be robust and not limited to waiting periods and payment restrictions. ISRI hopes to partner with stakeholders in Connecticut to bring meaningful solutions and tools for police enforcement to auscultate and successfully prosecute the thieves."

It has always been all well-nigh speed with catalytic converter crimes, whether it'south getting the payment, or getting nether a vehicle and stealing the appurtenances.

That'south why across new laws, mechanics, and law enforcement have been looking for other ways to deter these thieves.

"I call back the biggest thing with that is when the thief being underneath your car, unless they have some kind of scout or something like that, they have no idea what's going on outside of their purview," Meyer said.

Meyer showed NBC Connecticut Investigates 1 of several security products yous tin can have put on your catalytic converter to slow downwardly catalytic converter criminals.

"A thief wants to get in and out pretty chop-chop. And if y'all do something to make information technology take longer than they're comfortable with? They're going to think twice near it," Meyer said.

Couple that with another way to mark catalytic converters that has gained steam.

Cities beyond the U.S. have received grants to distribute stickers to put on catalytic converters that etch a unique serial number into it, that tin can be traced back to its VIN number.

The hope? These measures and others tin assistance the public become a handle on a crime that is out of command and multiplying by the day.