Cat Shield(s)?

[JERisBRISK]

I haven't crawled around under my Stinger yet, but some searches online and a flip through the service manual would seem to indicate that there is an iceberg's chance in hell that an aspiring cat thief could access the catalytic converters on the Stinger 3.3T.

Am I correct about this? Is there no need for a cat shield because they're snugged up next to the engine, rather than strung along the belly of the beast?

 

[General_Vodka]

I haven't crawled around under my Stinger yet, but some searches online and a flip through the service manual would seem to indicate that there is an iceberg's chance in hell that an aspiring cat thief could access the catalytic converters on the Stinger 3.3T.

Am I correct about this? Is there no need for a cat shield because they're snugged up next to the engine, rather than strung along the belly of the beast?

The primaries are indeed very close to the engine. A royal pain even with access from up top. However the secondary cats are pretty open under the drivers and passenger seats. Don't bother me though, as I already removed my secondary cats myself. Big brain move: can't steal what's not there.

 

[JERisBRISK]

The primaries are indeed very close to the engine. A royal pain even with access from up top. However the secondary cats are pretty open under the drivers and passenger seats. Don't bother me though, as I already removed my secondary cats myself. Big brain move: can't steal what's not there.

I was recently read the riot act by a local muffler shop doing work on the Murano I traded in… they said our local regulations don’t allow them to do any work on a car that has had its cars eliminated or removed, unless the work is to first restore the cats to factory configuration.

There’s perhaps a degree of “don’t ask don’t tell” but he said the penalties for violating those laws could cost him his shop, so he doesn’t go there, and he turns people away with modified cars all the time because of it.

Does the car’s computer deal with the elimination of secondary cats with aplomb, or does it require some custom tuning to keep it from freaking out?

 

[General_Vodka]

I was recently read the riot act by a local muffler shop doing work on the Murano I traded in… they said our local regulations don’t allow them to do any work on a car that has had its cars eliminated or removed, unless the work is to first restore the cats to factory configuration.

There’s perhaps a degree of “don’t ask don’t tell” but he said the penalties for violating those laws could cost him his shop, so he doesn’t go there, and he turns people away with modified cars all the time because of it.

Does the car’s computer deal with the elimination of secondary cats with aplomb, or does it require some custom tuning to keep it from freaking out?

My stinger has no sensors for the secondary cats. So basically anything goes. I even pass smog (the scan not the visual lol). My local exhaust shop said we normally don't do work on catless cars but just don't say anything and all good.

 

[oddball]

I was recently read the riot act by a local muffler shop doing work on the Murano I traded in… they said our local regulations don’t allow them to do any work on a car that has had its cars eliminated or removed, unless the work is to first restore the cats to factory configuration.

There’s perhaps a degree of “don’t ask don’t tell” but he said the penalties for violating those laws could cost him his shop, so he doesn’t go there, and he turns people away with modified cars all the time because of it.

Does the car’s computer deal with the elimination of secondary cats with aplomb, or does it require some custom tuning to keep it from freaking out?

The EPA rules are getting extremely strict and they are ramping up the penalties because folks kept ignoring them.

Secondary cats are purely for emissions. The ECU doesn't care about them and they aren't monitored. States that do tailpipe sniffing on new cars would be able to tell if the secondary cats were removed/altered and might fail that emissions test.

 

[G70LEbyAdoom]

I was recently read the riot act by a local muffler shop doing work on the Murano I traded in… they said our local regulations don’t allow them to do any work on a car that has had its cars eliminated or removed, unless the work is to first restore the cats to factory configuration.

There’s perhaps a degree of “don’t ask don’t tell” but he said the penalties for violating those laws could cost him his shop, so he doesn’t go there, and he turns people away with modified cars all the time because of it.

Does the car’s computer deal with the elimination of secondary cats with aplomb, or does it require some custom tuning to keep it from freaking out?

Sounds like California

 

[JERisBRISK]

Sounds like California

Oddly, Washington. We don't even check emissions anymore because all the vehicles check their own. And yet, they insist.

 

[G70LEbyAdoom]

Oddly, Washington. We don't even check emissions anymore because all the vehicles check their own. And yet, they insist.

Sounds like you need a new shop

 

[JERisBRISK]

Yeah. They're hardly my regular shop. I just used them because they offered to weld my Murano's tailpipe for cheap.

 

[oddball]

back to the original question, yes, cutting out the primary cats to steal them would be crazy difficult. The secondaries are very easy to get to, but you can buy bolt-in replacement pipes if you want. Yes, they are small and worth less, but if someone is dumb enough to lift a car like this to steal cats then they'll go ahead and take whatever they find.
Around here the trucks that are tall from the factory are at risk. Slide under, cut, run. Crazy how quick they can do it. Rash of Ring camera postings a few weeks ago in my neighborhood.

 

[JERisBRISK]

back to the original question, yes, cutting out the primary cats to steal them would be crazy difficult. The secondaries are very easy to get to, but you can buy bolt-in replacement pipes if you want. Yes, they are small and worth less, but if someone is dumb enough to lift a car like this to steal cats then they'll go ahead and take whatever they find.
Around here the trucks that are tall from the factory are at risk. Slide under, cut, run. Crazy how quick they can do it. Rash of Ring camera postings a few weeks ago in my neighborhood.

Yeah, our area has been hit hard of late. My car being parked outdoors 100% of the time makes me wary. Not sure if I should just invest in a cat-back exhaust that eliminates the secondaries from the outset so they won't find anything of interest, or if I should just wait for them to give me a reason.

 

[stoopid]

Yeah, our area has been hit hard of late. My car being parked outdoors 100% of the time makes me wary. Not sure if I should just invest in a cat-back exhaust that eliminates the secondaries from the outset so they won't find anything of interest, or if I should just wait for them to give me a reason.

Maybe you'll luck out and they'll do a clean job stealing the secondaries and the car sounds good with them removed.

 

[JERisBRISK]

Sadly, they don’t tend to be gentle about it.

 

[oddball]

Sadly, they don’t tend to be gentle about it.

I dunno, maybe leave out some pre-bent pipe and welding supplies, maybe they'll do good work!

Wouldn't it be nice if that type of dirt bag was like a gnome of some sort? Leave out a gift and they do work you don't want to do! Leave nothing and they steal your soul.......

 

[SoCalSHO]

Just place an old exhaust on the ground, under whatever car. Thieves will think you have already been hit, and skip your vehicle.