Automotive
13 components in this category. The highest-value item here is ABS, transmission & body control modules at $3–8 per pound.
ABS, transmission & body control modules
Au 0.010–0.030 g per moduleAg 0.2–1.5 g in BCM relay contactsCu 40–120 g in the ABS pump motorBase 1.5–3 lb aluminium hydraulic block
C
Airbag control module (ACM/SDM/RCM)
Au 0.010–0.030 g per unitAg 0.05–0.2 g per unit
C
Automotive relays & fuse boxes
Ag 25–80 mg per mini ISO relayCu 1–3 g coil + terminals per relay
C
Automotive wiring harness
Cu 48–52% recovery stripped; ~35% as-pulledAu under 0.1 g per whole vehicle
C
ECU / engine control module
Au 0.11 g/lb of bare boardAg 0.45 g/lbPd 0.05 g/lbCu ~20% of board mass
C
EV / hybrid battery management boards
Au 0.01–0.05 g per master boardAg ~0.1 g per master boardCu 10–50 g busbar traces per cell-tap board
C
Hybrid / EV traction inverter ⚡
Cu 3–8 kg per inverterAg 0.5–3 g sinter per power stageAu 0.02–0.08 g on gate-driver boardsBase 5–15 kg aluminium housing
C
Instrument clusters & head units
Au 0.008–0.100 g per unitAg 0.2–0.6 g in a premium head unitPd 0.02–0.06 g in a premium head unitCu 20–500 g
C
Xenon HID ballasts & LED drivers
Au 0.003–0.015 g per ballastCu 30–90 g in the HV transformer and inductorsAg trace in thick-film and solder
C
Airbag inflators & undeployed modules ☠
Base none worth recovering
D
MAF, MAP, knock, crank & cam sensors
Pt 0.5–2 mg per hot-wire MAFAu 0.003–0.010 g per MAF boardAg 10–40 mg thick-film paste on MAP hybridsNd magnets in Hall-type crank/cam sensors
D
Oxygen / lambda sensors
Pt 13 mg per sensor (≈0.05 g/lb)Cu 8–20 g in the leadBase steel body
D
Spark plugs
Pt 1–8 mg per plugBase iridium 0.6–3 mg on Ir plugs
D
How this category is graded
Tier S is top material worth sorting out and keeping separate. Tier A is high value and worth the labour to harvest. Tier B is solid in volume. Tier C only pays at scale or as part of the board it sits on. Tier D is near zero — knowing what not to spend time on is half the skill.