imported_BlitzSix

Ok, I need advice here...I swear I hate 90% of mechanics, they all try to screw you over.

Anyways, my Civic needed an oil change so I took it to midas cause it's the closest thing to my house.

Well the guy tells me my exhaust is ****ed, which it is SLIGHTLY. I mean, it has the tiniest hole in it, maybe the size of a dime, in the muffler, and also the pipe that goes into the muffler is kinda corrded right where it comnnects to the muffler. Honestly the only time I can hear my car a tiny bit louder than it should be is on a cold start when it hasn't been driven for 12 hours. Any other time it sounds perfectly fine not really any louder than it should. I have had freinds with exhaust problems and their car was 20x louder than mine.

Anyways, this guy is telling me that, a) I'm getting REALLY bad gas milage this way because the lack of backpressure is ****ing up the ECU and it's sending way more fuel than it should among other things and that I'm screwing up my car and it's going to die and explode if i drive it for another 2 days (ok I'm slightly exaggerating the last part but he basicaly said i shoudln't drive it until i fix it).

So how true is this ? I was under the impression that the only thing that happens when you have a busted muffler is that the car is louder, and your emissions are not that great, but overall I thought it even makes your gas milage better as there is less restriction ?

Can someone help me out here? Am I actually harming anything by driving like this? Am I actually getting worse gas milage? If anything I was going ot pick up a muffler in the summer and put it there myself, or wait until the problem gets worse...

imported_weiRtech

why not fix it BEFORE it gets worse? i'd say you are harming the environment by driving like this.

imported_BlitzSix

Well, because it's cold, and because I'm poor... I go to school full time, and work full time in the summer... so now I don't have money for these things... I will fix it in the summer when it's warm enough.

How come I ask a question about having a TINY hole in my exhaust, and get flamed for harming the environment, but when people talk about removing cats to gain 0.1fwhp no one says anything? Removing a cat is about 1000x worse than driving like this. I EASILY raped a legit etest 2 months ago so even if it got a bit worse it can't be that bad...

imported_2join performance

Your fine, dont worry about it. If you want get some sheet metal from canuck tire, some high heat epoxy, and patch it up. Temporry solution, and cheap.

I would definatly look into replacing it eventually though, so start saving. Even if its just a muffler. You can get them for $100-150.

chris_si98

Well an exhaust leak definately affects gas mileage, he wasn't lying. But where the leak is placed and the size of it has a great affect on how it affects your ECM. Personally you said its in the midpipe and its the size of a dime.. I wouldn't really bother with it, unless you score a used midpipe for dirt cheap.

And don't worry about the environment, there are guys running open dumptube's, high boosted cars, etc. those guys are doing much more harm to the eniv. then a hole in the pipe small enough that zeeman can stick his ***** in. (sorry i had to lenny) lol

VTEC_Thunder

Don't worry about it for now.

As long as the leak is after the cat, your doing no more damage to the environment than if your exhaust had no leaks.

imported_mikepasini

hahaha, i run without a cat and probably never will as long as i own a Honda. and who knows how much hp you gain if any, but it sure as hell does shoot FLAMES out of the back which I have never seen, but my friends tell me its pretty cool. lol

VTEC_Thunder

LOL....damn! I gotta try that!

Bryce

i dont know if your b16 will pop thunder hahahaha.
maybe up displacement by 2 points haha..

jk my friend.

Its not about gaining horsepower by removing a cat, its about improving the flow of exhaustgasses. Especially when you have a motor thats revving to 8-9grand i dont want my motor to be choking. Anyways.

bbarbulo

iTrader: (2)

how is he harming the environment?? cuz the exhaust is escaping through a hole in the muffler instead of the tailpipe?? please, get real

you are hurting nothing, and you can drive like that all you want. all the sensors are well before where the leak is, and the change in back pressure is so minimal it's ridiculous. everything is just fine.

if you want, you can use a muffler bandage kit available from canadian tire to patch the hole.

VTEC_Thunder

LOL...well I've gotten some good bangs out of it where I'm sure if it was minus the cat...you would have seen something...

Anyways, I'm not gonna do it just to see fire out the exhaust....For that I'll just take my 87 mr2 s/c, straight-piped, out for a spin....hehe. FIRE!!!! ppl at the autcrosses always tell us it shoots flames all the time during our runs....lol.

bkoch89

Lets just say that minor hole is nothing compared to what I'm driving with right now ... the end of my muffler is corroded and rusted so much that it is half an oval shape and no longer a full oval .. no extra noise or leakage ..

Although im sure it'd be a good idea to get that fixed before your hole gets worse it won't kill you to drive with it you know..

Funny thing is that my dealership sold me the car with this and I didn't even notice because there was a muffler tip on it before .. but I'm not complaining other then that my car is in great shape both exterior & interior wise .. plus with only 130 000 clicks on it, I'm greatful.

Bryce

s/c? i gotta see pics of this car or a video i love mr2s.

I have a ct26 turbo and thats the closest i get to a mr2.

imported_Nanase

The problem is right there.

imported_Mashimaro

i wouldn't worry about your minimal loss in backpressure. you could patch it or you could leave it and just buy a new system when you have the cash.

if anything, it'll probably help your smog testing cuz i assume they get readings from your tail pipe only? hopefully they won't see the small hole if they inspect it before testing...

zex_civic

Hey, im running a b16a and she doesnt throw flames, but it did when i had a 75 shot of nitrous hooked up. Zex Dry set-up, hollowed cat and flow through muffler. thats the only time it did tho. having little to small exhaust leaks wont hurt anything.

imported_mikepasini

yeah, flames are sick.

Sutton

hmm... im running a hollowed out cat and stock exhaust system.. i wonder if the d15 would shoot some flames haha, power wise, i think no cat or a hollowed out cat frees up a little bit of power

FearlessVtec

so theres a hole in your muffler who cares. thats not hurting anything its way to far from the engine to matter.

I had a 95 civic si with 320xxxKm on it. i cracked the exhaust manifold in 2 places im suprised it didnt just fall apart but i drove it for a year like that befor i replaced it. did it hurt the engine no. did it rob a bit of power and sound like **** YES.

Lesson here is take your car to the dealer. they are the least likely to try and screw you. midas employees work at midas because they suck to much to get hired by a dealership. they never know what they are talking about and they are always looking for the extra buck because they only make 10-12$/hour.

and they never do what they say they are doing. its their job to **** up your car so that you have to spend more money there.

imported_janz3n

huh??? id like to see your reasoning for a hole after the cat is harming the environment.