You start your car one morning and suddenly it sounds like somebody replaced your normal exhaust with a race car overnight.
Except you didn’t ask for that.
A suddenly roaring exhaust can be one of the first signs that a catalytic converter has been stolen.
What is a catalytic converter?
The catalytic converter is part of your exhaust system.
Its job is to reduce harmful gases in the engine’s exhaust before they leave the tailpipe.
Inside are valuable metals, which is also why catalytic converters can be targets for theft and why replacements can be expensive.
How can I tell if mine was stolen?
The biggest clue is usually the sound.
A vehicle with the converter cut out can become extremely loud the moment you start it.
You may also see a check engine light, and if you look underneath the vehicle you may be able to see where part of the exhaust has been cut away.
Don’t crawl underneath a vehicle unless it’s safely supported. If you suspect the converter is missing, it’s easier to let us put it on a lift. If the theft just happened, take a quick look around the vehicle for anything else that appears damaged and avoid driving it more than necessary until the exhaust is inspected.
Replacing the converter isn’t always the whole repair
When somebody cuts a catalytic converter out, they don’t always leave a clean repair behind.
The surrounding exhaust pipe may be damaged. Wiring or sensors near the converter can also be damaged during the theft.
That’s why we inspect what’s left before giving you a repair plan. Two vehicles with the same missing converter can need different repairs depending on where the cuts were made and what was damaged around them.
At Stones River Auto and Exhaust, exhaust work is done here at the shop. We can repair and fabricate pipe as needed instead of being limited to replacing an entire exhaust system because one section was cut.
What if the converter wasn’t stolen?
Converters can fail for other reasons too.
If yours failed instead of disappearing, we want to know why.
An engine that’s running badly can damage a catalytic converter. Putting a new converter on without fixing the original problem can damage the replacement too.
That’s why we diagnose before we replace.
Catalytic converter replacement in Murfreesboro
We’ll inspect the system, explain what was damaged and tell you what it will take to put it back together properly.
Because Dallas Beard specializes in exhaust work, you’re talking to a shop that handles exhaust repair, replacement and custom fabrication regularly, not one that’s sending the job somewhere else.
Contact
Stones River Auto and Exhaust, 1601 Flat Rock Road, Murfreesboro, TN 37130. Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Call (615) 961-6322.
