exhaust question

[bub2006]

Right,have had the Mercedes for three weeks,done about 2000 mile and took shares in bp to keep fuel in it! So far so good. Not let us down,moved house with it in 5 trips too obviously using a roof rack as well as the cavernous boot. The exhaust on it sounds like its blowing when accelerating away but can only hear it when outside the car. Noticed it yesterday when wife drove off. Can't hear anything inside the car. No visible leaks and engine stalls if I hold a rag to the tail pipe. Is it possible it could be a collapsed silencer or cat? Would probably explain the hesitant pull off from junction. Thanks

[Partridge]

Just because you can't see a hole dosen't mean it's not there...what's the general condition of the exhaust, does it look manky?

[bub2006]

No it looks surprisingly clean. No corrosion on joints,only surface corrosion on some parts of the pipe. No black soot anywhere too.

[mercrocker]

Is this a new development since you had the car?    My 1.8 190E has always sounded like its blowing (in a raspy, rattly, kind of way) even with a new system, next doors C180 is the same.    Can you feel a blow, start at front from cold and work backwards....

[HillmanImp]

What mercrocker said. Just run your hand all the way down it like you are wanking it off.

 

If you are feeling kinky sit on your hand first to make it feel like you are checking for a blow in someone elses exhaust.

[fordperv]

i had an e30 that sounded like it was blowing and it was a noisy downpipe

[bub2006]

I've had my hands along the length of the shaft and can't feel a blow! Not sure if its new as I've always been in the car till yesterday and can't hear it in the car. Does sound like the back box but can't be sure.

[Partridge]

My E Class don't sound blowy.

[bub2006]

The young lad near where we moved to said our car sounds gangster. Is that good or bad?! I did check cost of a back box and its not much cheaper than having a exhaust made up!

[Partridge]

Do gangsters having blowing back boxes?

[bub2006]

How would I know? Don't sound far off some of the halfords specials to be honest. Just not as much bee in a tin can as some 1 litre engines!

[Partridge]

 Mine just sounds wheezy and a tiny bit coffee grinder/hairdryer ish.

[bub2006]

Mine feels wheezy pulling off. A bit underpowered I reckon but its behaving so its staying

[bub2006]

A bit of a development. When I mentioned it to the wife the other day,I got the typical response of if I can't hear it,its fine. She come home from work and told me that she thinks the exhaust is blowing as she heard it this morning. After a quick look I think fordperv is close to the mark as it seems to be towards the front of the car and getting louder. The backbox was going to be 170 to replace,dread to think how much a manifold is

[Cavcraft]

Take it to ATS or something and get them to have a look and quote you. Have you checked under the bonnet to make sure no-one's retro fitted a 2.0 Ecotec engine from a Vectra? They always sound blowey when cold.

[bub2006]

No ecotec lump. Thanks for suggestion though. Yes I think it will go ets/ats/kwik fit for a check

[Cavcraft]

Personally I wouldn't go to Kwik-Fit-Up.

[rml2345]

I wouldn't go to Kwik Fit as whilst checking the exhaust they'll condemn the brakes, tell you it needs four tyres and want to sevice it for a low price of £1300...

[bub2006]

that's true. When I had the merc the brake wear light was on. Wife took it to kwik fit and they said needs four discs,pads an 4 wear sensors. Quite funny really as ours only has one wear sensor. After looking at it myself two discs have wear but still servicable and all pads have plenty of meat and the wear sensor wasn't connected properly.

[Sigmund Fraud]

What's all this talk of Kwik-Shit and £170 parts ?

 

The Autoshite way of dealing with exhaust leaks is to simply ignore them until MoT time. If the leak is major and carbon monoxide poisoning is imminent, a temporary* repair can be easily made using a can of Lidl cola, two large jubilee clips and some cheapo exhaust paste.

[r.welfare]

Is there a flexible section at the end of the downpipe, before the cat? If so, my money's on this.

[meggersdog]

Flexi-pipe at the end of the downpipe.

edit

r.welfare beat me to it

[bub2006]

Thanks ill check it tomorrow. Still sounds like its coming from arse end of the motor. Still wondering if silencer or cat collapsed

[r.welfare]

My Accord did it's flexi recently, it started off sounding burbly from the tailpipe but then graduated to blowing properly from under the bonnet.

[r.welfare]

If cat had collapsed you'd surely feel a reduction in power?

[bub2006]

It does feel sluggish pulling off but I think that could be put down to a 2.0 auto in something the size of a barn. Has got a slight hesitation/miss on initial pull off