If your catalytic converter is stolen or needs repair, the Meineke Car Care Center on Paxton Street in Harrisburg will help you.
Philadelphia police announced this week that thieves stole 24 catalytic converters from grocery delivery vehicles. The thefts come on the heels of an announcement last week that the Department of Justice had arrested 21 people in five states in connection with a $545-million theft ring of catalytic converters that spread across nine states.
The DOJ explains that thieves are after the precious metals in the catalytic converter: "Catalytic converters are a component of an automotive vehicle's exhaust device that reduce the toxic gas and pollutants from a vehicle's internal combustion engine into safe emissions. Catalytic converters use precious metals in their center, or 'core,' and are regularly targeted for theft due to the high value of these metals, especially the precious metals palladium, platinum, and rhodium. Some of these precious metals are more valuable per ounce than gold and their value has been increasing in recent years. The black-market price for catalytic converters can be above $1,000 each, depending on the type of vehicle and what state it is from.
"They can be stolen in less than a minute. Additionally, catalytic converters often lack unique serial numbers, VIN information, or other distinctive identification features, making them difficult to trace to their lawful owner. Thus, the theft of catalytic converters has become increasingly popular because of their value, relative ease to steal, and their lack of identifying markings."
The problem for car and truck owners is the fact that you generally can't tell that your catalytic converter is missing just by looking at the vehicle but, as allstate.com explains, "you’ll know as soon as you start the engine. When the catalytic converter has been removed, your vehicle will make a loud roaring sound that’ll get louder as you push the gas pedal.
"Your car might also make a sputtering sound as you change speed, or you'll notice it's not driving smoothly. An increase in the exhaust — or the exhaust smells — can be a definite sign of a stolen catalytic converter.
"In summary, here are the key symptoms that your catalytic converter has been removed:
- "Loud roar when you start the car, louder as you accelerate
- "Increase in exhaust fumes, or unusual exhaust smells
- "Missing parts under vehicle leading to muffler
- "Uneven or sputtering acceleration due to lack of exhaust regulation
- "Check engine light or inspection failures."
If your catalytic converter is stolen, there's not much you can do other than reporting it to the police and your insurance company before taking it to a Harrisburg auto repair shop like the Harrisbug Meineke on Paxton Street for replacement.
If the Harrisburg Meineke is inconvenient, then you can easily consult one of our other 12 Meineke service centers in south central Pennsylvania:
- Meineke Car Care Center - Pleasant View Road
331 Pleasant View Rd, New Cumberland, PA 17070 - Meineke Car Care Center - Rodney Road
1775 Rodney Road, York, PA 17408 - Meineke Car Care Center - South Queen Street
855 South Queen Street, York, PA 17403 - Meineke Car Care Center - 2nd Street
201 N. 2nd Street, New Freedom, PA 17349 - Meineke Car Care Center - Baltimore Street
871 Baltimore Street, Hanover, PA 17331 - Meineke Car Care Center - Carlisle Pike
6510 Carlisle Pike, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050 - Meineke Car Care Center - Carlisle Street
1125 Carlisle Street, Hanover, PA 17331 - Meineke Car Care Center - East Chocolate Ave
1401 East Chocolate Avenue, Hershey, PA 17033 - Meineke Car Care Center - Gettysburg Road
2236 Gettysburg Rd, Camp Hill, PA 17011 - Meineke Car Care Center - Jonestown Road
4509 Jonestown Road, Harrisburg, PA 17109 - Meineke Car Care Center - Manheim Pike
1220 Manheim Pike, Lancaster, PA 17601 - Meineke Car Care Center - Market Street
2301 E Market Street, York, PA 17402 - Meineke Car Care Center - Paxton Street
3098 Paxton Street, Harrisburg, PA 17111