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A Canadian invention to counter the theft of catalysts

In 2022, 153,000 catalytic converters were stolen in the United States, according to the Carfax website. In Canada, although specific data on the subject have not been collected, an increase in thefts of catalysts has been felt across the country over the past year.

This phenomenon is linked to the increase in the value of the rare metals that go into the composition of this part of the exhaust system. The problem has grown to such an extent that a device has been invented, the Converter Defender, to deter catalytic converter thieves. Invented in Canada, this new protection measure avoids a lot of trouble.

An alarm system

The device is actually an alarm system specially designed to monitor suspicious activity on the vehicle’s exhaust system. It is also directly at this place that the Converter Defender must be hooked. Easy and simple to install, according to product designer Rod Newlove, the protection tool saves victims of theft of their catalytic converter money.

How does the device work? THE Converter Defender intervenes if movements or variations are felt when the vehicle is switched off. If it ever detects movement or vibration, a loud alarm will sound to draw attention to the targeted vehicle. Of course, burglars will also be surprised by this alarm, and, according to the inventor, the Converter Defender will be able to deter thugs from committing theft.

As the monitoring tool works if there is movement or vibration, the creator specifies that the system is only activated when the vehicle is turned off. The Converter Defender automatically arms itself after 3 minutes of inactivity, and deactivates when the vehicle is turned on. The protective device retails for $249.95.

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The most frequently targeted vehicles

As a general rule, it is SUVs or pickup trucks that are most frequently affected by the theft of catalysts. Since they are higher, they provide easier access to the room sought by thieves. In Canada, some vehicles are targeted more than others. This is also the case with the Hyundai Tucson and the Kia Sportage, which find themselves at the top of the list of certain insurance companies in the country.

According to the JD Power website, European cars are less likely to be affected by the phenomenon. As the catalytic converter is, most of the time, installed near the engine of vehicles, thieves have much more difficulty in extricating the part.

To give criminals a hard time, it is also possible to install a wire mesh cage around the catalytic converter. This piece, almost impossible to remove, will make the extraction operation even more difficult. At a cost of $500, this additional protection, specially tailored to the make and model of the vehicle, is another solution for protecting against catalyst theft.

Conclusion

The Converter Defender seems like an interesting invention, but it will have to prove itself. In addition to this good idea, the team believes that automakers will have to address the issue of catalyst theft so as not to pass the problem and the bill on to motorists. When will there be standard protection on vehicles to reduce the number of thefts, which are still on the rise?

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