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Cat theft

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by lexidium, Feb 20, 2019.

  1. lexidium

    lexidium Active Member

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    Had my catalytic converter stolen this week in north Manchester and within two days, my friend, who also has a gen 2 had his stolen in south Manchester.
    When I informed the police, they said that was the second report that morning.
    I wish I could catch one of these barstewards in the act.
    Of course they cut the wires on the lambda sensor and it took me a while to realise that two of the wires were crossed on the new one so that the engine light kept coming on . . . . Sometimes, being colour blind is a nuisance :(
    All back to square one now although I'm paranoid about it happening again and now I've just realised that the alarm has stopped working. Quel dommage!
     
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  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    time to start arming all prius with 360 degree cams
     
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  3. kens97uber171

    kens97uber171 Active Member

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    How did they get under the car?. I've got a set of 8 inch high roll ups and getting under it to get the cat would be possible. Because that's how I change the secondary O2 sensor. But the lambda sensor is much higher up and well before the cat. As is the wiring for it.
    Sorry that happened to you. I'm surprised they would bother with a car that's that difficult to get under when there are so many SUVs and trucks that they could just crawl under

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
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  4. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    A recent dashcam video linked here showed the perp removing some form of quick jack.
    I think OP is in the other Manchester, east side of the pond. Not nearly as many SUVs and trucks there, plus a vastly lower risk of getting shot or otherwise stopped in the act.
     
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  5. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    They're branching out, new franchise? See @Data Daedalus's thread, London thefts.
     
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  6. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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  7. Devdas

    Devdas Member

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    They come with a trolley jack and battery operated saw not an angle grinder it does not make much noise they cut the pipes either side of the cat the metal is not thick at all it takes under 2 minutes the alarm won’t ring as it has no tilt sensor
     
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  8. Hybridization

    Hybridization New Member

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    Had the cat if the wife's geb 2 prius last night in Birmingham now trying to source a replacment
     
  9. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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  10. T1 Terry

    T1 Terry Active Member

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    I had the CAT replaced on my ex-taxi Prius with a generic after market unit here in Australia and the cat itself was only around the $100 mark. It can't be for their rare metal value so it must be an attempt to buy the vehicle cheap so they can refit the stolen CAT and resell the vehicle as suggested by others.
    I wonder if anyone is game to fit a hidden GPS tracker to their CATless Prius before they sell it and trace where it goes and see if the thieves can be caught red-handed. Do the Police seem interested, or just going through the motions of filling a report?

    T1 Terry
     
  11. iron-icman

    iron-icman Member

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    This happened to me in Leeds a few months back I feel your pain I got an aftermarket one put on to which the mechanic told me that they don’t normally bother with these as they aren’t worth that much.
     
  12. Data Daedalus

    Data Daedalus Senior Member

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    Time to start arming all Gen 2 Prii with laser weapons - the type that can easily and skilfully relieve a thief of his gonads.

    I know it’s totally illegal - don’t ruin my fantasy!!


    iPhone 6s +
     
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  13. Data Daedalus

    Data Daedalus Senior Member

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    The original OEM catalytic converter under a 2nd Gen Prius is filled with a bounty of rare metals deemed ripe for plundering by your average CAT Burglar.
    At a cost of approximately £2,000 including fitting for an OEM replacement (UK), that tells you all you need to know about the OEM Prius CAT, and why unscrupulous scummy parasites in the UK have spent the last year harvesting them with criminal malice aforethought.

    The OEM CAT is filled with Platinum, Rhodium and Palladium. The sheer amount of these metals which are used in the catalytic matrix are what these low life weasels are after.
    Scrap value in the UK is about £400.

    However, the organised crime syndicate crooks making a killing in stolen Prii catalytic converters are not stealing them to sell on as scrap; they’re spiriting them out of the country by sea cargo vessels, disguised as almost worthless scrap metal - and then extracting the rare metals abroad and doubtlessly selling on the recovered metals for a proverbial arm and a leg. Or two.

    The replacement non OEM catalytic converters are worthless to these parasitic worms in vaguely human form.

    If you have one of the latter stolen from under your Prius in the UK, the perpetrator wouldn’t be one of the original Grand Theft CAT syndicate, but instead one of our local wannabe illiterate criminals who cannot differentiate between an OEM cat bristling with untold riches, and worthless non OEM one.
    They only succeed in unwarranted damage to other Prii and financially gain NOTHING from such stupid thefts.

    Unfortunately, you can’t cure stupid.


    iPhone 6s +
     
  14. T1 Terry

    T1 Terry Active Member

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    Unfortunately, you can’t cure stupid. But well applied gaffer tape will quieten the noise it makes :lol:
    Pity they can't be caught in the act and just let the jack down on top of them and go back to bed. That might go part way towards curing the probem ....

    T1 Terry
     
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  15. Nobby Stiles

    Nobby Stiles Junior Member

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    I'm also in North Manchester, Moston I think it's only a matter of time before my cat goes walkies during the night