Turn the ignition and, "BOOM!"
An explosion arises from the guts of a truck or SUV where a catalytic converter, a standard pollution-control device, has been carved out by an enterprising thief with a Sawzall or pipe cutter. The clatter announces the car or truck all the way to the repair shop, where the bill can reach $3,000.
Josh Sorensen, an Ogden junked auto dealer, calls the culprits "tweakers."
"It's the ultimate business," he said, "for the petty thief."
And their work has been the focus of a task force of Salt Lake County law enforcement for nearly a year.
"We need to get the word out," said Salt Lake County District Attorney Lohra Miller.
"It's part of an overall issue we've been dealing with of metal theft."
Police and prosecutors are developing a strategy to go after the thieves. But they don't have much to go on.
Catalytic converters have no identifying marks. There is no way to screen the stolen catalytic converters offered to metal recyclers.
Miller notes that catalytic converter thefts go up when precious metal prices do.
Catalytic converters use platinum, palladium and rhodium to help scrub pollution from vehicle exhaust. And, while there is just a small amount of those metals, the units contain enough to make them attractive to thieves.
Some metals dealers pay cash for them without asking where they come from.
Late-model Toyota trucks and SUV's are common targets because of their high ground clearance and easily accessed catalytic converters, said Sorensen.
In July, some fetched $230, as an ounce of platinum reached nearly $2,300, palladium climbed to $579 an ounce and rhodium skyrocketed to more than $10,000. The local price for catalytic converters has dropped in recent weeks to about $150, Sorensen said.
"In 30 seconds, I can have one of those cut out of a Forerunner and get a couple hundred bucks," he said.
In Miller's office, they're calling it "epidemic" - not just stealing catalytic converters but thefts of all types of precious metals, including copper wire used by utilities, aluminum parts sold by retailers and pipe needed by builders. And sometimes the thieves sweep car dealerships, parking lots and neighborhoods for catalytic converters.
"In Salt Lake County alone, we're looking at millions of dollars of losses from the theft of metals," said the district attorney, noting that a tally of retailers in her county exceeded $500,000 last year alone. "It's incredible, the amount of loss."
J.D. Mair of Wasatch Metal Recycling says businesses like his do what they can to avoid creating a market for stolen catalytic converters.
His company at 205 West 3300 South requires personal details, such as a license plate number and identification, from sellers. People who try to sell suspicious parts are either scared away or turned away, Mair said.
"If it seems even a little bit shady, we don't want to be involved in that."
Miller's task force is also exploring more options for nabbing thieves.
Meanwhile, her office hopes to raise awareness so vehicle owners can be on the lookout.
Yet many agree that the problem will continue as long as the selling and buying of catalytic converters remains a cash business.
Forcing people to present identification to sell a catalytic converter might help. So would stamping the pollution-control devices with vehicle identification numbers that can be used to trace stolen ones.
Others remain skeptical that there is anything that can be done.
Sgt. Allan Shinney of the Utah Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division Shinney calls it sad but true: "The only protection you can do is not drive your car, park it in your garage."
