Stolen Catalytic converters

[cookie man]

Just an FYI,
our bakery is in the Seattle Area.
3 of our Sprinters had the Catalytic converters cut off a week ago.

list price is $2200.00 each plus install

I have heard of welded cages for protection from being ripped off but haven't found a place to purchase them. any leads?

I hope this doesnt happen to you! Seattle Sprinter owners beware!!

 

[jdcaples]

I'm sorry to hear about the theft.

Will the costs of replacement/installation be covered by insurance?

Did the instrument panels light up, did the difference in sound or starting behavior clue in the drivers or did something else call attention to the missing parts?

-Jon

PS: You might try contacting "Exhaust Specialties" about the rumored cages to protect exhaust system parts.

Exhaust Specialties
4901 15th Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98107

(206) 782-3836‎

 

[mean_in_green]

Many reported cases here too, one today infact:

The entire exhaust gone, including dpf, the three sensors and part of the pressure pipe which leads up into the cab. Basically everything from the turbo rearwards.

The cost to fix this here is £1,900 in parts, the bulk of which is the exhaust system itself. Plus three hours of labour to remake the three electrical connections which were cut.

What a nightmare some poor soul has to deal with.

How can an exhaust come to £1,900? This could be a real timebomb for future owners to be aware of. Suggest welding some framework around yours lest some lowlife try to relieve you of it. There are more than a few exhaust varieties for the model, so be cautious if you find a supplier for such a thing.

 

[Nate]

That had been happening around here also when the scrap prices were really high back in mid 2008. I haven't heard much about it lately.

What's wanted is the Cat which can yield a few hundred dollars at the scrap yard.

It was great when the local news showed how easy it was to slide under an SUV or van with a cordless sawzall.

And they wonder where people get the ideas from.

 

[amauri]

The Cat for a NCV3 retails for US$1200, the particulate filter another $3500

Is that filter supposed to last forever or is it a consumable?

 

[mean_in_green]

Upon model launch it was declared that the DPF would last the life of the vehicle.

Now the recommendation is to replace it every 100,000 miles, or less if the performance has noticeably tailed off or the wrong oil has been used.

Theft of cats is more commonplace, but in this instance that it appears as though they definitely wanted more than the cat (you can liberate that in seconds with a cordless grinder). No, I understand they took the care to remove the complete system with sensors, mounting rubbers, dpf - the lot!

I wonder if ebay is about to begin featuring complete Sprinter exhausts...

 

[kubikdaniel]

1. putt add on Craiglist ...I need to buy part like Catalytic converters,
2. go and visit recycles like,(scrap company) or if anybody is buying for cash. Ask them if anybody sells any Catalytic converters recently a maybe you can find yours parts.

 

[cookie man]

I'm sorry to hear about the theft.

Will the costs of replacement/installation be covered by insurance?

Did the instrument panels light up, did the difference in sound or starting behavior clue in the drivers or did something else call attention to the missing parts?

-Jon

yes insurance covered the cost, minus dedectable, luckily they only charged the deductable on one van not all three.

no dash lights set off.
you could definately tell there was no muffler/cat. the sound is what clued in the driver.
at idle it sounded like someone was tapping on the frame with a small hammer.
driving it at 2k RPM it was reasonably quite though.

i gave those 3 vans mon and tues off and we had them back on the road by wed morning.

install was $175 each at midas.


we are considering this company for a little security.
http://www.catclamp.com/

 

[GPSTrans1]

Just an FYI,
our bakery is in the Seattle Area.
3 of our Sprinters had the Catalytic converters cut off a week ago.

list price is $2200.00 each plus install

I have heard of welded cages for protection from being ripped off but haven't found a place to purchase them. any leads?

I hope this doesnt happen to you! Seattle Sprinter owners beware!!

quality sprinter top of the forum has assorted, persay only because its not legal to sell used catalyic converters,so you buy a used exhaust and the catalytic converter,just so happens to be still atached. call 800 838 6953.

 

[miko666]

I have had my whole exhaust system stolen last friday. I live in Liverpool and the cop who dealt with it said it is happening quite a lot around her. The recovery driver said it is happening more frequently on the Wirral where the cars in a Lexus garage had most of their cats stolen.

The cost through the insurance is in the region of £3,000 pounds plus the inconvenience of being without a van while mine is being fixed.

I am looking to fabricate a cage for the whole exhaust system just to slow them down.

We will see how that goes

 

[SullyVan]

I've got a story on the board about this one already. Caught someone stealing mine!

https://sprinter-source.com/forums/showpost.php?p=173150&postcount=6



Little story bout meth heads...

From 4 years ago or so.

I was sleeping in "generation one" of my truck conversions. Currently, I have a converted Sprinter that is like a RoadTrek. Previously, for "generation one" I had a box truck I converted to an RV.

My wife and I were asleep in a "Park and Ride" (commuter lot) with the wood stove going. It was around 2AM. I awoke to the strangest scraping sounds. Couldn't figure it out, but soon figured it almost sounded like a hacksaw.

I tiptoed up to the front of the RV and got in the driver's seat. Could still hear the scraping. So, I started the truck. It was very loud and growly.

A very VERY frightened thief jumped up from under the truck and stopped for a brief second to look in my window. He saw me and started running, but he couldn't run directly out of the parking lot because this was in Maine. Snow banks were higher than your head. He had to run up to the top of the parking lot, so I tried running him down - kind of.

He ran for his life for a good 1/4 mile with a box truck nipping at his heels.

At the last moment, when I got very close, he scrambled up and over one of the snowbanks, then ran as fast as he could through the woods to another parking lot (for a car dealership) where he was apparently parked, or maybe was just hiding.

He wasn't running so fast through the woods because it was that kind of snow that is all powder below, but has about a 1/4" thick sheet of ice on the top. You know... the kind you step on and you can almost stand on, but then you fall through and it cuts your shin? Yeah, he had hundreds of very *very* fast steps through that stuff, falling down several times along the way to his hands and knees while he scrambled to get away.

I drove up to the car dealer parking lot to try and find him. It didn't work out. I never found him.

He did about $1000 worth of damage to my exhaust because he had already destroyed the longest exhaust pipe and catalytic converter by the time I got him to stop cutting.

$1000 in exhaust damage trying to get $75 for his meth habit. Should have ran him right over, in retrospect.

 

[miko666]

I was actually up at 2.30am and heard a noise that sounded like car doors shutting outside my house (its not unusual where I live) but I never looked out to see who it was.

I could kick myself now as it must have been the B*****DS who nicked it. The police said it only takes them 2 minutes to take it off as its only secured by 2 bolts at the manifold end and a couple of rubber exhaust hangers.

Damn Mercedes for having such a good ground clearance

 

[220629]

...
I am looking to fabricate a cage for the whole exhaust system just to slow them down.

We will see how that goes

Slow them down is the key concept. Given enough time they can get it anyway. Maybe include a trigger wire or switch to a vehicle alarm.

There are commercially available cages for Sprinters.

https://sprinter-source.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17723&highlight=catalytic+converter+theft

Scrap metal theft is definitely on the rise. I've heard stories about older travel trailers, homes for sale, remote cottages/cabins, and even in service power stations having copper robbed. I heard that one of the bastards was found dead after cutting into a live power cable. Can't say as I feel very sorry for him.

Good luck. vic

 

[miko666]

I have ordered a piece of kit from EBay, it may not be any good but nothing ventured nothing gained as they say.

I will post when i have fitted it as to how easy or hard it is to fit.It looks a bit more substantial than a Catloc and it covers both the Cat and the DPF.

As I said in my previous post I am fabricating a cage of sort and fitting an alarm so we will see how it works out. I have attached photos of the aforementioned cover

 

[mendonsy]

That problem isn't just the Sprinter. I made a set of catalytic guards a while ago for my Toyota Tundra.

 

[miko666]

I find it sickening that these scumbags get £50 or £60 for the Cat yet it costs me more in terms of higher insurance premiums and loss of work while my van is in the shop.

I would have thought that the car/van manufacturers would have come up with a solution to the problem given all of the resources they have. It is bound to have a knock on effect in terms of sales as people will be reluctant to buy their vans if it is going to cost them money because the cats are easily stolen,

 

[surlyoldbill]

meth/crack addict scrap metal zombies are a real problem in the Bay Area, too.
I sort and save up scrap to take to the buyers about once a year. while there last time, I watched zombies sell a brand new aluminum ladder for $20 scrap instead of the $300 it was worth as a ladder (no doubt snagged off someone's truck or from their backyard). There is a restored vintage airstream on one street I travel sometimes. It has been stripped of it' shell up to 5' high by the zombies. They have taken public statues and monuments because they are made of brass or bronze. Cemetaries have had plaques stolen. And of course there's the wire theft. The latest thing is to take the plumbing from restrooms, which is usually nickel plated brass. Commercial toilet valves are about $500 to replace, and the zombies get about $10 for them. They leave the restroom flooded because they remove the stuff with no way to turn off the water. A neighbor who works for a park district said they went to plastic because the replaced fixtures in the parks would only last a day.

I can't think of a way to stop the zombies; catching them doesn't work becaus the jails are already over-full. Fining them doesn't work because they have no money. Sting operations on the metal buyers haven't shut them down, they just pay the fine and continue business because it's so profitable.

 

[Boater]

Years ago I knew a guy who worked for the power infrastructure company, even then thieves were trying to steal copper busbars - throwing a chain over lines on a substation to trip it out and then setting about the busbars with a hacksaw. They had accidentally fried a couple - didn't spot them on their check around before resetting the breaker.....

I reckon my car should be alright, need to lift it to get to the exhaust and even then I can replace the lot for a couple of hundred (already have in 2 phases) - plus they would have to saw the cat off, would take a thief too long to get in and unbolt from the turbo outlet.... it's a nightmare!

My van doesn't have a cat, but that doesn't entirely reassure me because some of neds would probably be at the scrapyard with the whole exhaust before any one pointed that out to them.....

Here is a laugh - a de-cat pipe for my car (which wouldn't be legal, and actually isn't legal to sell now for my year of car but there is very little chance of anyone getting caught so the trade continues) would have cost more than the type approved section with a cat. I went for the cheaper totally legal option.

 

[tbirsen5039]

Very unique and effective product for preventing Catalytic converter theft. Has flexible, heat resistant that runs along exhasut. Try to cut, sounds alarm

 

[lindenengineering]

Years ago I knew a guy who worked for the power infrastructure company, even then thieves were trying to steal copper busbars - throwing a chain over lines on a substation to trip it out and then setting about the busbars with a hacksaw. They had accidentally fried a couple - didn't spot them on their check around before resetting the breaker.....

I reckon my car should be alright, need to lift it to get to the exhaust and even then I can replace the lot for a couple of hundred (already have in 2 phases) - plus they would have to saw the cat off, would take a thief too long to get in and unbolt from the turbo outlet.... it's a nightmare!

My van doesn't have a cat, but that doesn't entirely reassure me because some of neds would probably be at the scrapyard with the whole exhaust before any one pointed that out to them.....

Here is a laugh - a de-cat pipe for my car (which wouldn't be legal, and actually isn't legal to sell now for my year of car but there is very little chance of anyone getting caught so the trade continues) would have cost more than the type approved section with a cat. I went for the cheaper totally legal option.

Boater/guys
I have a nephew who is now a detective sergeant in Gloucester.
His career has been with Surrey Police, the London Met and back home to Gloucester.

His recent "bag" of seven arrests, (he and was on TV for it) surrounded a gang of copper thieves. These blokes from south Wales were getting into power sub stations and cutting the high voltage cables and nicking tons of copper before the Coppers could respond!

Blotting out huge areas of power they apparently would skillfully remove the cable and transfer it by truck to the Cardiff area. there to be chopped up into manageable lengths for weighing in!

He made a comment on the the interview that everyone was surprised the thieves hadn't been turned into carbon during the cutting of the cables/contacts.

Funny a few hours earlier before the arrests my brother had asked him what are you doing today---Offhandedly he simply stated "Well I am going down to South Wales to kick some doors in"

The thieves were could red handed cutting the stuff up in the back yard of a house in the town. Nicked!
Dennis