2009 Photos of Exhaust pipes /catalytic converter still there?

You didn't take a picture further up the exhaust line where the cat is so hard to know if it's still there. If exhaust noise was real loud all of a sudden and those wires hanging down are really wires, then yes, they stole your cat.

 

This in Connecticut Hartford New London Even up as far as Western Massachusetts I would say yes your cat's missing

 

The cat sits under the car up next to the driver's seat. If you lived near me and we were friends I could put on of this high quality aftermarket cat with Warranty that @TMR-JWAP recommends that now only costs $103: https://www.ebay.com/itm/193690871378 and then $50 for those wires hanging down / new 02 sensor and cost of labor and you'd be back on the road in a couple hours for a few hundred dollars. But you don't live near me so...

Most muffler shops will do the same for $700ish and the criminals at the Toyota Stealership will try to charge you as much as $4K for brand new OEM which is required by emissions laws in some states, but not yours.

 

Look closer to front of vehicle, catalytic converter in red box , arrow pointing to wire for O2 sensor.

 

You can put this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/194452673457 on so instead of it taking less than 60 seconds to steal it takes more than 5 minutes, which sometimes is enough for the less drugged out cat thief to pass your car by and seek out a less risky vehicle to use a sawzall on late at night.

 

I'm quite surprised insurance will pay for the cheaper part because you'll be chasing a PO420 code for the rest of your life. It's just part of the game it won't affect mileage drivability or nothing but the check engine light will light up and be there pretty much forever I can't get it to go away there's not a flash for the computer that's newer than what I have blah blah blah so I just live with it if I was to ever have the dash out again I would literally disable the check engine light because I scan the car so often and then anything that really happens I don't need the check engine light I need all the other lights The important ones the check engine just means something's been set see the other lights.

 

I'm sorry that your catalytic convertor got stolen.
That sucks. :-P

PriusCamper means well. However, like most of the people, he either doesn't know, or care about, various local emissions laws.
Same with how, not ever square inch of the USA, is like "Nowhere Alaska".

Conn is a CARB state.
Make sure they replace the cat with CARB approved cat.
It's the Conn Law!
Yea, currently, Conn emissions tests just check to see if there's something there that "looks like a cat".
Fwiw, the whole test inspection process is video taped.
If a test inspector wanted to, they could look for a CARB number on the cat. Imho, someone would've had to massively get that inspector PO'd, for the inspector to go through that hassle.


As for a cat protector, you get what you pay for.
Do a youtube search for Milwaukee M18 FUEL Sawzall.
Those aluminum cat protectors are a "deterrent".
For a Gen2 with a CARB catalytic convertor, that deterrent is like putting Kleenex as a guard over $500 of cash.
Ha, ha, ha.


A Milwaukee Fuel Sawsall with a Demo (Demolition) Blade will go through those aluminum cat protectors in under 30secs, with minimal wear to the blade, and minimal additional discharge on the 18V battery.

Depending on where to live, park, visit in Conn (Bridgeport, New Haven, Hartford, etc), having a Gen2 Prius, and parking it, is like having $500 in unmarked $10 bills, and a big neon light saying "FREE MONEY"!


Imho, your best bet isn't cheap.
However, leaving the car is some place where thieves are not worried about 3-5mins of noise, is semi-hopeless for any typical cat protector.
Like any overnight commuter lot.
Imho, that would require custom work, with 1/8"+ steel plates.
Even then, the plates would need to be removable. If you park in the same place, that just means the thief needs to bring the correct tool the next time. Then that sweet $500 in unmarked bills (cough, cough, the cat) is theirs.


Your best options, assuming that you do not regularly park in a high risk area:
The best is a Stainless Steel cat shield.
Stainless Steel is not easy to cut. It's much harder than soft aluminum.

https://catshield.com/products/stainless-steel-millercat-2004-2009-prius-gen-2-cat-shield
Stainless Steel MILLERCAT 2004-2009 Prius Gen 2 Cat Shield™ Complete Package
SKU: CS-SS-TOY-PG2
Price: $330.00


https://catshield.com/products/copy-of-stainless-steel-millercat-2004-2009-prius-gen-2-cat-shield%E2%84%A2-complete-package
MILLERCAT 2004-2009 Prius Gen 2 V2 Cat Shield™ Complete Package
SKU: CS-TOY-PG2-V2
Price: $250.00 USD


https://catshield.com/products/2004-2009-prius-gen-2-cat-shield
MILLERCAT 2004-2009 Prius Gen 2 Cat Shield™
SKU: CS-TOY-PG2-WEB
Price: $180.00 USD



A quick review:
Milwaukee M18 FUEL Sawzall 2821-21 - Gen 2

Code:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjsW834Dnwg
Milwaukee M18 FUEL Sawzall 2821-21 - Gen 2 Update
Oct 15, 2020
A Concord Carpenter / ToolBoxBuzz

Btw, I have one.
Imho, with the correct blade, it'll cut through the Galactic Empire's Death-Star.



Good Luck!

 

Cheaper solution?

Going over board in Protecting my catalytic converter!!!! | PriusChat

 

You live in Canada, and you have to ask?
That's a horrible idea for any snow State.

Imho, for a non snow State, that may be a good custom option.
Note, for people that don't have the experience, nor tools, custom options are often significantly more expensive. Don't forget the ~$100-$200/hour cost just for labor.
It would make cutting the shield a massive PITA.
Still, for a Gen2 CARB cat, it's ?2-10mins? of PITA work, and noisy work, for an ~$500+ cat.
Imho, go back the next day with good wire snips and pliers. It's cut within ~3-5mins, then sawsall off the cat.


Imho, gear-heads that live near "self service" junk yards, and have been at them many times, know many ways to get various things out quickly.
Back before the interweb, that was often required for many older cars, or rarer parts.
Now, I sit on my ******, search ebay, pay for shipping, and no longer worry about hornets nests, freezing in snow, spending 1+hours and not having that one needed tool to finish the removal, and so on.

In fact, that's how I got the 15"x6.5" rims(not easy to find/get) for my snow tires, for my car.
Nothing local for months (and in decent shape). So, I got them from ebay.

 

As far as I know they’re obligated to pay for the Toyota product.

 

cali requires oem, and now, allows one expensive aftermarket, only because of the proliferation of thefts.
it isn't cheap either.
other carb states probably allow 'carb approved' aftermarket. definitely worth investigatiing

 

it's a bummer for people who have to park outside. they even arrested some of these gangs, and metal recyclers.
but it hasn't been a deterrent

 

Horrible idea to drive the Prius in snow where I am, it's the Tacoma instead.