stock tailpipe question

[pasadena_commut]

Several years ago, shortly after I bought my P5, it was rear ended. The collision center repaired it on the other guy's dime, but I always thought the tailpipe was a little high (attachment 1). I crawled around under the car at the time and didn't see a problem. There is (and was) an indention around the tailpipe on the muffler, but it looks very regular, so I assumed that it was that way stock. Is that the way it looks on your cars, or did the collision shove the tailpipe up and into the muffler? Today I noticed that there was black stuff not only near the tip of the tailpipe, but also caked on where it enters the muffler (attachments 2 and 3.) Anyway, I didn't see a crack back then where the tailpipe joins the muffler, but I'm wondering if maybe there isn't a fine one anyway, since it looks to me like exhaust gas has been leaking out there. The big crack in the third picture is in the deposits, the metal is maybe a third of an inch below that and isn't visible.

 

[pasadena_commut]

Bump.

Nobody has been under their car lately????

 

[mx-p5]

What are you asking? Is the exhaust tip high from the accident? I think you answered that question yourself. And, judging from the deposits around the exhaust, I think you answered the question of a crack yourself also.

I'm running a Magnaflow exhaust with corksport hangers, so, pics of my car won't help any. But, it does appear to sit higher than my wife's exhaust. Her's is stock

 

[i12drivemyMP5]

2 high, off center.

 

[pasadena_commut]

What are you asking? Is the exhaust tip high from the accident? I think you answered that question yourself. And, judging from the deposits around the exhaust, I think you answered the question of a crack yourself also.

Thanks.

[i12drivemyMP5 noted that it was off center. Actually it isn't. The picture is taken at a slight angle because my camera for some reason wouldn't focus on it straight on. The tailpipe height is as it appears in the picture.]

Does a normal P5 muffler have the indentation visible in the second picture, or is that a ding from the collision?

I have never chopped open a muffler, so please bear with the dumb questions. There is a weld around the tail pipe where it meets the muffler "can". Is that weld all that is holding the tail pipe on, or does the pipe pass through the "can" and do something on the inside? If it is just welded on at the surface, hopefully a muffer shop can just yank down on the tailpipe to reposition it and then reweld it to seal the crack.

 

[P-Funk!]

Yes, you should not have accepted the car from the repair place like that. But you did. Oh well. Keep driving it. If it has not bothered you for years - why now?

 

[pasadena_commut]

Yes, you should not have accepted the car from the repair place like that. But you did. Oh well. Keep driving it. If it has not bothered you for years - why now?

It isn't the aesthetics of the high tailpipe position, that doesn't bother me. The issue is the leak where the tailpipe meets the muffler. This isn't much of a leak, but something must be coming through the crack to deposit carbon there. Also, it came up now because I just noticed the carbon deposit at the muffler. I did inspect the muffler when I took the car back and there was no crack visible at that time.

 

[mx-p5]

upgrade time!!

 

[P-Funk!]

^x2! Racing Beat FTW!

 

[bazooka joe]

the other thing to consider...if you sit and idle the car a lot you could get some of the CO in your car..

 

[Rusty]

Time for a new muffler. The one on my '02 is about shot and it's never been damaged.

 

[idrift4wd]

looking for a mazdaspeed axle back very soon.

yes the tip is pretty much burnt

 

[pasadena_commut]

Looks like the P5 will be getting a new muffler for Christmas.

My daughter drove it into another car while backing out of a parking space last night. (Nothing major, nobody hurt and no obvious damage to the P5 bumper, with a little ding to the right front panel on the other car.) This morning when there was finally some light and a few minutes without pouring rain I looked under the car to see if the "energy absorber" (ie, styrofoam) under the bumper cover was more or less intact. It seemed to be (will take it apart to check for sure when the rain stops), but the tailpipe is now loose where it was just cracked before. I can move it around with my hand. The muffler "can" is stable, just the tailpipe bit is loose. Unclear if it was already like that before the accident, since I never fixed the original crack. Really have to fix it now.

 

[tweety2300]

So since its obvious its cracked why wouldn't you just take it to a muffler shop have it welded for a few bucks and be done with it? It could be bent from the actual pipe if you replace that it should straightn it out. Mufflers don't do much other than make it quieter so unless you won't to I wouldn't replace it unless its rusted out which it doesn't look like it is. Have it welded and forget it ever happned and buy it something else for christmas

 

[P-Funk!]

Or get the Racing Beat FTW!

 

[tweety2300]

Well if his daughter is driving it I doubt he is going for performance. But it would be a present his car would love