Make your own Catalytic Converter Theft Alarm!

After months of testing, I can tell you this works so well it's crazy.

I will teach you how to repurpose a shed alarm into a catalytic converter alarm.

It's low cost and you make it in about 20 minutes.

I have spent the last year looking at what is out there for CC protection. There is precious little.

Yes, you can get a cage welded over your converter but it's expensive and only slows them down. They can still get through it if they are persistent.

I suspect the cage will do the trick. However I feel that with enough effort and thought, you can bypass those systems. I live by the thought process that anything can be bypassed.

The good thing is it will make certain crooks think twice about exerting that much effort. It's easier to move onto the next target.

Fair enough.

The cost is a concern to me. I do understand it's an investment. Yet I can't help but believe many people will simply not have enough funds available to get them installed. So instead, they play the Russian Roulette game of hoping they aren't the next victim.

That's unacceptable to me.

My preference has always been to scare the hell out of the bad guys before they do their dirty work.

I'm guessing they are on edge anyway, so I'm going to give them a little push. That push comes from an extremely (legal) loud alarm. Which activates the moment they reach under your vehicle. Everyone and his dog will know someone has attempted to go under your car.

I have tested this now for 8 months of daily driving with no sign of failure. There was the odd false alarm but nothing that would force me not to continue using it.

The alarm consists of the following.

An under-vehicle PIR sensor
(2) actually

An alarm horn outside of your house OR an optional additional alarm wired under your hood that triggers at the same time. This way you are protected by one when away from home. And doubly so when you are home.

2 remote controls to arm or disarm the system.

All I did was use existing hardware I bought on Amazon. A few parts from Princess Auto.

Assembly time 20 minutes. Installation time 30 seconds.

I simply don't understand why something like this has not already been designed and sold on the market.

It just works. Period.

Total cost between 80.00 to 100.00

A justifiable cost to most people. Plus you don't have to go to a shop to have it installed. DIY all the way.

People expect something glossy and retail-looking these days. My idea is decidedly low tech.

But once again, it works!

Questions you may have.

Is the sensor wired under the car?

No. It is held to the frame with a powerful magnet.

How is the system powered?

The sensor uses a lithium battery. 9 volt. Should be good for a year. My tests show no degradation during extremely cold weather.

The horn (alarm)

Plugged in outside of your house

AND

If you want, a second horn is wired to your car battery.

You can have as many horns as you want all on the same remote. All horns will sound when the alarm is triggered.

Will cats, squirrels set off the alarm?

Maybe. The sensor registers body heat to trigger the alarm.

Garbage, leaves, will not trigger it.

The sensor detection area is about 8" square. I did that on purpose. The chances of an animal hitting that exact 8" area are slim.

However, when properly placed, a human will set it off every time. We are too large to avoid it.

Will dirt or sludge cover the sensor so it won't work?

No problem as to date. You can always wipe it occasionally since it's easy to remove.

How far will this work?

I have tested to 150 feet with no problems. That's basically from your front street to the back of your property.

Will it work if I have a horn in the house?

Yes! Although I recommend you have the horn outside to scare the bad guys you can have a horn indoors.

How many horns can I have?

As many as you want. All of them will sound at the same time when an alarm is triggered.

How long does the alarm sound and will it reset itself?

3 minutes and then it resets itself back to monitor mode.

Can someone disable this alarm?

Not really. Even if they find the sensor, the alarm will trigger for 3 minutes. They won't have any idea you even have a monitor until it's too late.

The biggest issue I see is that you remember to disarm when you drive away. If you forget you can do so from within the vehicle.

And of course, you have to remember to arm it.

Parts you will need.

The alarm:

From Amazon

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00OHD15E6/r...

Get the 2 PIR sensor model.

Additional horns can be found on the same link.

Magnets:

From Princess Auto

https://www.princessauto.com/2-pc-cer...

JB Weld Glue

https://www.princessauto.com/kwikweld...

Or

From Home Depot

2 sided tape

https://www.homedepot.ca/product/ook-...