I'm returning here with a bad 4runner experience today. I went into a book store in the middle of the day, came out 15 minutes later to find my cat had been stolen! When I started my truck it sounded as if a harley had just fired up right next to me, but when I turned off the car to my surprise the loud noise also stopped. I knew there was an exhaust problem but when I looked under the car, there was no cat! It was cut clean off with my muffler hanging by one hanger. Luckly they didn't cut or take the oxygen sensor. I have actually heard about this kind of theft happening but was still shocked.

This was in a decent area, in the middle of the parking lot, in plain view of a major road just feet away, AND ACCROSS THE STREET FROM THE STATE POLICE HEADQUARTERS! Texas DPS.

I'm sharing this as a cautionary warning to others but have no idea how you would prevent this from happening.

The muffler shop I went to said 2 days ago he saw the exact same thing on the same year 4runner, 1994. Appearently there are only two locations in the US that melt these things down for the elements inside them like patinum and such. The muffler shop owner called a cop buddy of his while I was there and he said they are aware of the problem but dont know whose doing it, but THEY TARGET OLDER MODEL 4RUNNERS.
The muffler guy suspected the leader of this ring to be a truck driver that takes legimate used cats to the recycling place and adds stolen ones. Interesting...

Just thought ya'll might want to know this is going on.

 

Man, that sucks! I hate thieves.

 

Ha, I lol everytime I see one of these. It sucks, but it's just so ridiculous.

I'll probably laugh my a** off if it ever happens to me.

BTW, this has been happening for a while.

You could get one of these b*tchin' locks...

http://www.catprotector.com/

 

Dam!,I imagine the cat. was pretty hot for them to grab it as soon as you got there ..Maybe they god burned @ YAy

 

By the way, they're worth about $100 on the black market...

The whole thing makes me want to park it in the middle of a empty lot in plain view and hide out and wait, armed! Kinda like fishing...for catalytic converter theives! Who knows though, they may have followed me and waited until I went into the store.

 

This happened to my 4runner before I bought it. Now I've started getting the check engine light. They cut the wires on my O2 sensor, so I'm hoping that it's just a wiring problem that needs to be redone.

 

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f123...stolen-159006/

 

I hear you. I'd feel the same way. My buddy live traps raccoons what dig up his garden and leaves them in the trap in the middle of his yard all day with the radio on beside them. He thinks it will make them have bad memories of the area and they aren't supposed to come back (but they do). Maybe you could apply something similar if you catch them, or are you still allowed to string 'em up in Texas?

Seriously though, I have often wondered about welding a piece of 1/4" chain onto the cat, and bolting the other end to the frame with a Torx bit. If you've ever tried to cut chain with a sawzall, its a total pain and it would be impossible to cut with a pipe cutter (which is probably the only tool they have on them). No one would carry around Torx bits to steal bits off a Toyota. Paint the chain bright orange too so they see it.

I've always thought that making your truck a little harder a target than the one next to you probably works really well.

 

They can have mine....save me the time of cutting it myself.

Recently The same thing happend to me as well. Mine was at the shop and they got it over night, didn't even bother the ford setting next to it "can you blame em?'


I understand that it money is in the foreign car and evem more on the higher dollar cars but I think our lower budget trucks are easier to target and easier to get under lol.....

 

I will tell you how to fix that ish from happening again, had it happen 2 days after my new job at a big building, go to AutoChevy(autozone) and get some pipe and reducers, and not have a cat, I havent seen any performance problem with not having one.

YOU PUT ANOTHER ONE ON, AND EVEN THOUGH NOT STOCK IT WILL BE GONE.

 

This BS happened to me on Wed. (2/11)

I came out of school, start the 4Runner up. Massive exhaust leak. Have my friend put his hand over the tailpipe, I look underneath. Some a-hole cut the catalytic converter off some time between 7am and 11am while I was in school. School cameras doesnt catch that far outside. Since it was down the block. So I'm screwed. Gonna install a straight pipe on it. Sucked balls driving on the highway back home. Didn't even get a chance to weld it in school today. Gonna do it tomorrow. I'm pissed that it happened in broad friggen daylight at a place where its usually people around. I guess they did it after 9am when most of the kids are alreayd in school. I was actually planning on lining the cat with razorblades but I guess it's too late for that.

 

I had one flange unbolted, but apparently they couldn't get the rearward flange off.

 

id be pissed...but it wouldnt change much since i have been dealing with a ridiculous exhaust leak for a while now lol.

 

and this is why you shouldn't have your cat declawed. they need to be able to defend them selves..........

but if i lived somewhere where you needed a cat and i had a cat and it got stolen i would be pissed. i hate people who take what isnt theirs

 

i dont like how the exhaust is so low on the pickup's. u can see the cat easily when your walking around the truck. if someone steals my cat, i would just have fun driving home. and then probably stick a pipe in place of the cat.

 

What is wrong with people. I hate theives. When I bought my truck the PO had a large chain with 2 locks on it.

 

or a@#shole mechanic dudes, or illegals, strip them off, then resell them for the ir or their friends' rides, to pass inspections, and they charge about 200 bucks total for the cat, and the install.

 

I would get it fixed then have a friend drive my truck there everyday while I waited in the back seat or nearby car Hate Thieves

 

It can't be that easy or fast to cut off a cat. Can it?

 

terds Hope they got burn bad a holes!