People love to still catalytic converters from underneath large trucks because the converters are bigger. The catalytic converter is made out of precious metals such as platinum and palladium. It is also made out of rhodium. If you think your truck’s catalytic converter was stolen, call the authorities and your insurance company. It’s possible that the theft will be covered under your automobile insurance.
Loud Engine
One way to tell if the catalytic converter is missing is to fire up your truck. If the engine is extremely loud and it roars even louder when you press down on the accelerator, it’s a safe bet that you no longer have a catalytic converter. Unfortunately, your engine will continue to be excessively loud until you replace the missing catalytic converter. There may be additional damage to your exhaust system, as well.
CEL Warning
In addition to the loud noise, you will also see that the check engine warning light is illuminated on your dashboard. The exhaust system cannot operate without the catalytic converter. Consequently, there will be numerous malfunctions that will cause the system sensors to send error codes to your engine control module. The engine control module will turn on the CEL because it cannot fix the problem.
Performance Issues
Before you think about driving your truck, understand that the catalytic converter helps protect you from the truck’s exhaust. When the catalytic converter is gone, the exhaust manifold releases the exhaust into the environment. This makes it easy for the exhaust to flow into the passenger cabin. In addition, you will have performance issues while you are driving your truck.
One thing that will happen is your acceleration will become unsteady. When you press down on the accelerator, your truck will surge forward in spurts that are unpredictable. In addition, the truck will have a hard time producing power at slower speeds. Consequently, driving your truck on city streets will be difficult because the engine will struggle, sputter, and lag.
Noticeable Exhaust
Getting back to the exhaust, if you end up with an exhaust flow into your cabin, you are going to get extremely ill while you drive your truck. You may start to feel fatigued and get a headache. You may also feel cranky and disoriented. As such, we recommend that you have your truck towed to our shop instead of driving it if there is no catalytic converter in the exhaust system.
