Missing Catalytic Converter?
Let me spin a purely hypothetical story:
A 2001 Kia Rio was ambling down the highway when the right front wheel bearing seized bringing a very abrupt and exciting end to the trip. After much trial and misdeed, the car (and I use that term loosely) ended up at (just for the sake of the story of course) Kaufman Tire. Upon delivery, the towtruck driver verified the presence of the battery, radiator and catalytic converter. Apparently these are high theft items. Who knew?
$1000 later, both front wheel bearings, the right front wheel, and both front tires had been replaced. The car was happily retrieved (by the driver rather then the person paying $1000 on a $2000 car). Upon cranking up the car, it made a sound somewhere between a lawn tractor and an anemic 454. While this despicable vehicle has made some surpassingly odd noises in its checkered past that probably shouldn't be made by a real car, this was a new noise. It obviously originated from the exhaust system so the question was put the the hypothetical manager of the hypothetical Kaufman Tire.
"Gee, there's no catalytic converter."
"Really. Do you usually remove the catalytic converter when you install wheel bearings?"
The hypothetical discussion deteriorates from there so I'll spare you. I scarcely believed this story when I heard it. Have any of you experienced (A) the theft of a catalytic converter, (B) issues with this happening while the vehicle was being repaired, or (C) the complete shafting (sans lubricant) from a hypothetical Kaufman Tire?
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Originally Posted by TRYMY4.0
