IS Cat theft or Catloc anyone?

[byrnew2007]

1 hour ago, ColinBarber said:

It's something that the manufacturers state; newer vehicles use less precious metals than older ones. That combined with a lot more Prius and CT200h around where they know exactly where to jack them up and cut etc.

And reading that they know to pull the wires out behind the grill to cut them to stop the tilt alarms going off They dont miss a trick . Shame that there are scrap yards that buy them off them . Just a question if you would have any knowledge on if they robbed the secondary one can you just put on a straight pipe instead of replacing it until the car test or would that throw up lights on the dash . I dont see any sensors at the front or behind the secondary cat. Thanks . 

[ColinBarber]

19 minutes ago, byrnew2007 said:

And reading that they know to pull the wires out behind the grill to cut them to stop the tilt alarms going off They dont miss a trick . Shame that there are scrap yards that buy them off them . Just a question if you would have any knowledge on if they robbed the secondary one can you just put on a straight pipe instead of replacing it until the car test or would that throw up lights on the dash . I dont see any sensors at the front or behind the secondary cat. Thanks . 

Sensors are before/after the primary cat not secondary. You could therefore replace with a straight pipe and not throw a CEL and it would also pass an emissions test if the engine is hot (not that hybrids are emissions tested on the MOT anyway.

However you make be breaking the law:

Quote

Under the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations (Regulations 61(7) and 61A(3)) and the Road Traffic Act 1988 (Section 42) it is an offence to use on a road a vehicle which has been modified in such a way that it no longer complies with the air pollutant emissions standards it was designed to meet.

 

You could fail an MOT if the person knows what they are looking for as they check that a catalyst isn’t missing where one was fitted as standard.

[byrnew2007]

10 minutes ago, ColinBarber said:

Sensors are before/after the primary cat not secondary. You could therefore replace with a straight pipe and not throw a CEL and it would also pass an emissions test if the engine is hot (not that hybrids are emissions tested on the MOT anyway.

However you make be breaking the law:

 

You could fail an MOT if the person knows what they are looking for as they check that a catalyst isn’t missing where one was fitted as standard.

Thanks for the information Colin I would want the car fixed right if it did happen I was just thinking worse case scenario incase there was a waiting time ordering one in from lexus . So it would be like driving around with a diesel with the dpf gutted out that so many cars are going around with due to people been forced to take thrm out because there not doing the milage.  I did ring lexus the other day asking did they provide some sort of cover for the cat and he told me they put covers over thr screws so they can't bolt it off which I presumed thats thr main one up under the engine baby . I said I was more concerned about the second cat under thr car and he said that's just part of the exaust but in ur diagram it clearly states there are 2 cats. Il ring around and see is there anyone that puts some sort of cover/ Shield over it like they do with the prius just to be safe. The lad in work that got his lexus jeeps robbed put after market cat on which was cheap but what I read there not realy any good and dont last long .

[Maxz]

Colin is spot on in regards to the MOT emissions test, my local garage even told me they don’t do it on my 300h last time around! Might be partly due to the fact the engine does not run constantly (although you’d think they’d have an emissions test mode where it did!?), anyway not complaining of course 😁

Last time I checked (about a year ago), Prius and Ct200h Catlocs are not conventional Catlocs, just plates that fit over the Cat. When I approached Catloc directly, their generic locks do not have a small enough diameter/circumference to secure the “UE6” unit. My measurement around the centre as below (please double check this for yourself if needed). If you do find something or a solution to secure it, please share! 👍🏻

If mine gets nicked I will most likely straight-pipe, as I service at Lexus but MOT at an independent, the latter less likely to know, care or even notice such a “modification”. Fingers crossed the IS300h continues to remain unscathed.

 

[Maxz]

Also, for pesky cable cutters, you can do this with some galvanised mesh, using existing fixings on the radiator bulkhead and bumper impact bar to secure it. It’s a bit “Mad Max” and with persistence and the right tools someone could still cut through it, but like the Catloc itself, is more a deterrent than anything else.

 

[byrnew2007]

On 4/18/2022 at 9:25 PM, Maxz said:

Colin is spot on in regards to the MOT emissions test, my local garage even told me they don’t do it on my 300h last time around! Might be partly due to the fact the engine does not run constantly (although you’d think they’d have an emissions test mode where it did!?), anyway not complaining of course 😁

Last time I checked (about a year ago), Prius and Ct200h Catlocs are not conventional Catlocs, just plates that fit over the Cat. When I approached Catloc directly, their generic locks do not have a small enough diameter/circumference to secure the “UE6” unit. My measurement around the centre as below (please double check this for yourself if needed). If you do find something or a solution to secure it, please share! 👍🏻

If mine gets nicked I will most likely straight-pipe, as I service at Lexus but MOT at an independent, the latter less likely to know, care or even notice such a “modification”. Fingers crossed the IS300h continues to remain unscathed.

 

Hi, thank you for the information and time to reply . I have the car 4 years and never once had to worry about this until now because it happened close to home with a couple of cars at work.  I guess it opened my eyes and I just need to be aware where I park. Always parked away from cars so I dont get other cars hitting against it when opening doors now that seems to be the wrong thing to do as its worse been isolated away on its own so I can't win 😉

Lexus said the cost of a replacement would be €1,250 I was expecting more considering there are 2 cats or i wonder was that a price for just the primary one maybe .

  Thanks again  .

[ColinBarber]

1 hour ago, byrnew2007 said:

Lexus said the cost of a replacement would be €1,250 I was expecting more considering there are 2 cats or i wonder was that a price for just the primary one maybe .

I believe both the manifold (with the primary cat) and the front section of the exhaust (with the secondary cat) are both around that price. You are extremely unlikely to get the primary cat stolen as you cannot get to the front of it to cut it away as it is deep within the engine bay with very little room around it.

[Bluemarlin]

On 4/18/2022 at 9:25 PM, Maxz said:

If mine gets nicked I will most likely straight-pipe, as I service at Lexus but MOT at an independent, the latter less likely to know, care or even notice such a “modification”. Fingers crossed the IS300h continues to remain unscathed.

Would that not affect the Relax extended warranty though?

[ColinBarber]

14 minutes ago, Bluemarlin said:

Would that not affect the Relax extended warranty though?

The complete exhaust is excluded from the Relax warranty anyway.

[Maxz]

1 hour ago, ColinBarber said:

The complete exhaust is excluded from the Relax warranty anyway.

I bet it has a comprehensive list... ...of exclusions 🧐

[byrnew2007]

9 hours ago, ColinBarber said:

I believe both the manifold (with the primary cat) and the front section of the exhaust (with the secondary cat) are both around that price. You are extremely unlikely to get the primary cat stolen as you cannot get to the front of it to cut it away as it is deep within the engine bay with very little room around it.

Thanks Colin

[Bluemarlin]

On 4/20/2022 at 6:10 PM, ColinBarber said:

The complete exhaust is excluded from the Relax warranty anyway.

Yes, but is it possible that an engine fault, for example, could be blamed on a non standard exhaust installation?