Catalytic converters were fitted beneath the hood of a car, near the engine. This is because a catalytic converter needs an 800-degree temperature to convert harmful gases to inert gases, and the heat released by a running automotive engine would heat up the catalytic converter more quickly. However, this caused a number of automotive problems, including vapour lock. The second option was to leave catalytic converters under the hood, but move them further away from the engine, Which still caused problems. Catalytic converters are now kept beneath the automobile to absorb heat generated by the vehicle without generating too many problems. What Drives Individuals To Steal Catalytic Converters? There are two simple explanations for this. To begin, stealing a catalytic converter is a very simple process that requires only a brazen disregard for the law and other people’s property, a jack, an angle grinder, and a few seconds of your time.