Well I was backing my 96 I30 out of my driveway yesterday and I heard a loud crunch. I got out of my car and saw the my muffler was hanging low, figured it was broken (had to be to work in 5 minutes too). Well today I drove it to school and on the way back I heard it dragging and I got out and pulled it off and put it in my trunk (it was only held on by two metal rods that were pushed through these rubber blocks... the pipe was rusted and completely snapped off). Well the pipe that I took off is probably about three or so feet long (guessing this is just called the muffler, please correct me if I am wrong though). Right now funds are kind of tight with bills and other maintenance needs (all four struts are shot), so I am wondering what to do. When I drive the car it is a little louder when I press the gas pedal, but when coasting it is quiet and is quiet at idle although the rpms lower more than they used to (I can see the needle on the tach moving which I didn't see before). So what are the problems in driving with this piece broken off for now? Is it something that is an immediate need or is it ok to put off for a while? I have read people saying their exhaust was running hot, which I'm guessing is something I should look out for. I am also curious what I will need to fix it. Will I need to buy a cat-back and have it put on, or go to a cheapo shop and have them put something on? (Sidenote-anyone in the Cleveland area know of a good shop?) Sorry if this is directly answered in another thread. I checked the exhaust sticky and didn't see anything. It also won't let me search (the free search), which may be a problem because I use my cell phone for the internet (I apologize for the grammar and format also). Thank you in advance for any help!

 

your gonna need a brand new exhaust system, theres no way around it

take it to a muffler shop around you, have them put it on the lift and see whats up under there, also, tell the tech whats the cheapest way to get you back on the road, if cash is tight with you.

 

Had a feeling this is what I was looking at. Now assuming the whole exhaust isn't rusted, I will just need the piece that fell off replaced, right? Will this be ok to drive on tomorrow? Of course this happens a week before finals, its not like I have anything better to do : / Thank you very much for the quick response!

 

first hes gonna inspect the rust on the piece that fell off (im assuming its completely shot)
but if its not that bad, he might weld some new piping to the old pipe and make it work from there.

and yea its ok to drive it like that but not for long

 

Is it bad? No, not really. If its the muffler your talking about, you should notice a sound difference. If not, you could just have them weld a pipe with a tip on if you want to do it cheap.

 

Yeah, I will definitely take what I have left to them tomorrow and see if the can salvage it.



It is definitely deeper when I give it gas, but not as bad as I have heard other peoples' cars get when their exhaust was broken. Would the "pipe with a tip" route quiet the noise at all? Is their any sense in upgrading the cat-back now? I'm guessing no because I am still completely stock, but I was thinking now is better than ever... Thanks a lot for the help guys! It is very much appreciated!

 

it would all depend on what pipe and tip they slap on for you

 

So it sounds like I can't do or plan too much until I have them take a look at it and assess (sp?) the damage/rust? I will take it there tomorrow then. I will get some pics anyways tomorrow, who knows, maybe it will help someone or something down the line. Thanks for the info guys! I'll update with what happens tomorrow (granted I actually get it in and done tomorrow).

 

Well I went to the muffler shop today and found out what was wrong. They told me that I will need a new car back and a new flex pipe. The quote was 230 plus tax. Is this a good price? I know that 80 was from the flex pipe and 150 was for the cat back. Just looking for a little input, thanks in advance!

 

that seems reasonable.

 

the price seems very reasonable, but try to bargain and make it no tax

 

he shouldnt charge extra labor for the flex since he's there ne ways..... should be app 40 for the flex when its being done with the cat... 150 for a cat installed is pretty good... weld? or bolt on?

 

That is just plain wrong. He SHOULD charge extra for the flex, it is going to take him considerable extra time.

 

I AGREE

 

 

I am going through the same thing right now the prices from Advanced auto cat back to muffler is 158.00 and the muffler is 125.00 Why is the muffler so damn expencive . You can get a pacesetter exhaust cat back with muffler for 270 on sumitt

 

Absolutely. When doing exhaust work on rusty parts, every single bolt they touch takes time and money.

I recently had my exhaust reworked. I supplied good used y-pipe (flex section), cat, s-pipe, and b-pipe, and they supplied a new muffler and did installation. Shop charged me $350. I figure the muffler alone was $100.

On a related note, has anyone installed an OEM muffler tip on an aftermarket (OEM style) muffler? Shop pitched mine.

Dave

 

Hey Guys,

Sorry to repeat anything, this was the closest thread I could find to my issue. Yesterday I hit a decent sized pothole and the front end of my exhaust fell off. After closer inspection I found that the flex pipe had ripped and the bracket next to it came undone. I have already redone my exhaust from the cat back with 2.5' stainless steel piping with a muffler. I was planning on installing headers and a y pipe soon to finish the project, but Im currently short on cash (starting a new job) and my struts are long overdue for being replaced. So my question is what do you recommend? If I take the section off completely for a while will that be ok? Or will it get to hot underneath?

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

Man this happened to my old car so long ago lol, I miss my I30

 

glass pack /thread