If you have a junk car or two on your hands, the fastest way to turn a profit is to sell them directly to a junk car buyer. They will pay you a fair price for your vehicles because they want the metal inside them. Vehicles contain all sorts of metal, both ferrous and nonferrous kinds. But what many people do not realize is that junked cars also contain various traces of precious metals.
Continue reading to learn which precious metals are found in junk cars so you know what to expect when you are given an offer for your vehicle.
Catalytic Converters
The two most abundant precious metals found in a vehicle are gold and platinum. However, there are a few others in trace quantities. A vehicle that still retains a catalytic converter is more valuable than one that does not because catalytic converters are primarily compounded of platinum. It also contains traces of other precious metals and valuable alloys, such as palladium, rhodium, cerium, manganese, and nickel. As for gold, you can find it in any vehicle that contains a computer or circuit board.
Automotive Computers
Any vehicle that has an onboard computer system that controls engine and other functions, it also contains printed circuit boards. Circuit boards are valuable to junk car buyers because they retain gold-plated contact “fingers” at the ends where the connectors slide on. These types of computers, called powertrain control module (PCM) or engine control unit (ECU), monitors a vehicle’s engine functions, such as anti-lock brakes (ABS), transmission shifting, fuel injection, ignition timing, emission controls, and more.
Electronic Devices
Other components of a junk car that may contain precious metal are electronic. Electronics systems that contain circuit boards include GPS navigation, stereo systems, CD changers, electronic displays, screens, and more. With a few simple hand tools and years of experience, these circuit boards can be removed in a short amount of time.