Your Toyota Tacoma needs a functioning catalytic converter in order to run at peak efficiency.
In This Article...
Do thieves target Tacomas to steal catalytic converters?
The Prius, Tacoma, Lexus SUVs, and the Accord are reportedly some of the vehicles that catalytic converter thieves target the most. Therefore, if you own one of them, make sure your car is securely locked.
Are there catalytic converters in Tacomas?
The primary and secondary catalytic converters are both found in the mid-pipe assembly on Tacomas with four cylinders. You can either get rid of the secondary converter or both converters by using aftermarket mid-pipes.
High flow converters can also take the place of one or both converters. You’ll need some more hardware to trick the oxygen sensors if you opt to remove both converters. The check engine light will continue to be on the dash without these accessories.
The primary converters are integrated into the exhaust manifolds, while the two secondary converters are situated in the mid-pipe on V6 trucks. The secondary converters can be fully removed, resonators added, or high-flow converters can be used in their place with the help of an aftermarket mid-pipe. The oxygen sensors can be screwed into these pipes using bungs. As a result, the system can be used without the check engine light being on.
Consider the repercussions if you are fully removing ANY catalytic converter. These configurations are solely intended for usage off-road. In states with safety and/or emissions inspection programs, removing any catalytic converter may make your car ineligible for inspection.
On a Toyota Tacoma, where is the catalytic converter located?
The catalytic converter is often found in the exhaust system on the underbelly of an automobile or truck, between the engine and the muffler.
How much are catalytic converters on Tacomas worth?
Catalytic converter replacement price range for the Toyota Tacoma. Catalytic converter replacement for a Toyota Tacoma typically costs between $1,789 and $1,819. While parts are priced between $1,717 and $1,728, labor is predicted to cost between $72 and $91 per hour.
What types of trucks are most susceptible to having their catalytic converters stolen?
According to Carfax statistics, all regions of the nation, with the exception of the western U.S. states, target Ford F-Series trucks the most for converter theft (their high ground clearance makes them especially easy to purloin in this regard). The most popular vehicle there is the Toyota Prius hybrid, which is most common when petrol prices are high and emission rules are stringent. The complete report is available here.
How simple is a Toyota Tacoma to steal?
Both a blessing and a curse stem from the success of Toyota trucks. They are capable, dependable, and robust. They have a high resale value. There are many components that can be used with other Toyota models. As a result, they are highly desired by many thieves.
It’s not extremely simple to steal a Tacoma. Exactly the same as any other contemporary pickup vehicle. However, due of their great demand, thieves are prepared to make the effort to steal them. Sadly, there are many dishonest people in the world who will do everything to make money.
Tacomas are stolen for a variety of reasons, not just because they are well-liked in other parts of the world. The fact that many of its pieces are interchangeable is another justification. Additionally, they have a reputation for lasting a very long time, making replacement parts more appealing. Replacement parts are in high demand since they are likely worth repairing even when they are worn out.
Toyota trucks are frequently stolen, moved to other nations, and then sold. In Canada, this was a significant issue a few years ago. All types of vehicles, including Tundras, Tacomas, 4Runners, Sequoias, and FJ Cruisers, were being stolen and sent abroad, primarily to the Middle East.
My acquaintance, who works at a Toyota dealership, informed me that one night four Tundras and a Sequoia went gone. Additionally, he claimed that the same night, several trucks were stolen from at least 2 nearby Toyota businesses. It was evident that a professional team had organized the scheme.
Another coworker of mine had his gorgeous black FJ Cruiser, which was also a manual, stolen while he was spending the weekend in Montreal. Fortunately, the cops located it; they discovered it at a loading dock, preparing to be placed into a shipping container alongside several other Toyota trucks.
The anti-theft measures used by Toyota today are quite good. I suppose they were. But thieves aren’t easily discouraged, and they developed new strategies for getting around these defenses.
What is the scrap value of a Toyota Tacoma catalytic converter?
Oh no! I’m sad to learn that this is taking place in your community. When sold as scrap, Toyota catalytic converters can fetch between $75 and $700. Depending on the brand and model of the car, a catalytic converter’s value can change.
The Toyota Prius has some of the most expensive catalytic converters. These are among the items that are most frequently stolen because they are made of precious metals, such as:
- Platinum
- Palladium
- Rhodium
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Are there two catalytic converters in a Toyota Tacoma?
HI CAR TALK, My 2004 Toyota Tacoma SR5 has a little over 85,000 miles on it. At around 75,000 miles, my check engine light illuminated, and the cause was a faulty catalytic converter. Because they are so expensive to change, the dealer advised letting it go. As I was leaving the dealership, the light started to come on once more, but like any college student, I disregarded it and postponed the maintenance. I had the catalytic converter checked when I drove the car to a separate technician to have some other work done on it to make sure the code wasn’t being sent off by a faulty O2 sensor. Definitely the catalytic converter, but there are actually two of them, he added. He claimed that it is impossible to determine which converter is defective and that both will require replacement when I do decide to part with the cash. Ist das so? Is there any way to distinguish between the good and the bad? The mechanic said he would tell me to keep driving it if I were his college student and didn’t have any performance problems. Thanks.
You are contaminating the air that the rest of us have to breathe, I would warn you if you were my college student. And that you owe it to your friends and neighbors that you take care of this and cease doing that.
Naturally, if you were my child, you would come back and borrow the money from me, teaching me a valuable lesson about keeping my nose out of other people’s affairs.
In any case, this Tacoma has two converters. The six-cylinder engine has three converters, so you must have the four-cylinder engine!
Additionally, using Toyota parts will run you about $1,500 to repair both oxygen sensors and converters. But you can complete it in pieces. The converter that the computer is watching in this truck is the front converter. That person carries out the bulk of the labor-intensive tasks (i.e., the converting of polluting compounds to less-polluting compounds). I therefore begin with that.
Even though you cannot purchase a used converter, you can search for businesses who remanufacture used converters. They reassemble them, replace the catalysts, and sell them for significantly less than brand-new convertersperhaps even for less.
Due to the fact that they don’t always fit well, we rarely use them for the majority of our clients. They also don’t last nearly as long as factory converters, in our experience. However, that might be a smart alternative for you if you’re strapped for cash and trying to buy yourself a year or two for a few hundred dollars.
And when that converter fails, you can assess the condition of the truck and your finances to make a decision. Perhaps by that time, you’ll have received your degree, gotten employed on Wall Street, and have transformed this Tacoma into a Bentley Continental GT.
Ben, good luck. But remember to take into account your fellow man and woman when making decisions, particularly if you’re going to Wall Street.
HI CAR TALK, My 2003 GMC Sonoma ZR2 is powered by a 4.3-liter Vortec V-6 engine. It had 145,000 miles when I bought it secondhand, and it’s a fantastic truck. But it has a peculiar issue. I made a repair. I replaced the plugs, wires, distributor cap, and other components. Then, two weeks later, it began to misfire while driving. When I opened the hood in the pitch-black, I could see sparks flying from the arcing wires. Okay, so I assumed I had faulty cables. After a month, the same thing happened even after I changed them. Oh, and I bought the original equipment wires and plugs. Long story short, I am currently wearing my fifth pair of wires. I’m stumped as to what’s wrong. We would be grateful for any suggestions.
It’s exceedingly unusual that you would receive five defective sets of wires in a row if they are GM Delco original equipment wires. Therefore, something in your secondary ignition system is producing a significant amount of resistance.
Like most husbands, electricity favors to go down the easiest way. So, I’m assuming there’s a huge amount of resistance at your plugs if electricity is leaping off all of your plug wires to get to ground.
One option is that you gapped them incorrectly all together. If your plugs are supposed to have a.040-inch gap, but you’ve gapped them all to.100 or more, the spark won’t be able to jump across that gap to reach the ground and will instead go for an alternate route.
Perhaps it takes a few weeks for the insulation on the wire to degrade to the point where the arcing can start. Or perhaps the wires aren’t properly connected to the plugs, which prevents the spark from trying to leap the gap and instead causes it to leak out through the wires. Another possibility is that your coil is producing far too much voltage.
How can I prevent the theft of my car’s catalytic converter?
Three measures to prevent the theft of catalytic converters
- 1) Write the number from your license plate onto the catalytic converter. Law enforcement can identify the part because of this.
- 2) Park in locations that are well-lit.
- 3) Set up a theft prevention system.
How can I stop someone from taking my catalytic converter?
Use a locked garage, regularly shift your car’s place, or park in well-lit areas close to exits for the general public. Install a theft prevention device. Install cameras and motion-activated lights in your parking area. Some local police departments even provide free painting programs to dissuade purchasers by painting your catalytic converter.
How should a catalytic converter be parked to prevent theft?
When feasible, always park in well-lit locations. When the automobile is not in use, park it in your garage if you have one and keep the door closed. When parking in a public lot, pull up close to the door of the building or the closest access road. This is a result of the higher volume of foot traffic in those regions.
There are security accessories that can be attached to the converter to deter theft. The converter is considerably more challenging to remove when it has been welded into place. If your car has a security system, tune it such that vibration activates it. This makes sure that if a criminal tries to saw off the converter, the alarm will go off. If you have the money, video surveillance surrounding your garage or driveway is also handy. If your catalytic converter does get stolen, engrave your VIN number on it to make it easier to identify.