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Scary noises from the car.
Dr. Gero
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I have a '97 Hundai Accent that recently broke down. I hit a bump too hard and immediately, I hear a noise similar to that of a powerful, souped up car whenever I apply the gas pedal. Fast forward a few days, and I've been driving the car around in this condition regularly.
On my way to work, the acceleration completely shits out, and the same noise gets fucking loud. I crawled back home without touching the gas pedal, and park on street outside my house. 4-5 days later, I move the car into the driveway, and gurgling noises from the engine scare the everliving piss out of me. I get the fuck out and promptly run away.
I'm planning to get a tow and take it to a mechanic, but I'd like to find out if there's anything (relatively simple) I can do to fix it? Or can I get a rough estimate for a repair? I live in Long Island, NY if that helps.
On my way to work, the acceleration completely shits out, and the same noise gets fucking loud. I crawled back home without touching the gas pedal, and park on street outside my house. 4-5 days later, I move the car into the driveway, and gurgling noises from the engine scare the everliving piss out of me. I get the fuck out and promptly run away.
I'm planning to get a tow and take it to a mechanic, but I'd like to find out if there's anything (relatively simple) I can do to fix it? Or can I get a rough estimate for a repair? I live in Long Island, NY if that helps.
Dr. Gero on
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As for an estimate, you'd be looking at around $500 if you need it replaced, as opposed to simply welded back together.
Fuck me, that's $500 I definitely don't have.
The cat converter is probably the worst case scenario. I'm not familiar with the exhaust on a 97 Accent, but it might be a hole somewhere less expensive, and best case: a hole that can be patched or welded.
In any event, you're not looking at a $50 job here.
I feel somewhat better now, knowing what the problem is. Thanks figgy. :^:
Not to rub salt in the wound (I am well versed in expensive car repairs...I own VW's :x ), but exhaust hangers are cheap.
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A lot of my local shops just basically outsource exhaust repairs to the muffler shop anyway, and tack on some markup. Granted, shops in every area are different, so your mileage may vary with prices and practices.
Good luck getting it fixed!
That's ludicrous. I've never run across anything like that before.
In fact, the muffler specialists often charge way more in my experience. They wanted $700 to replace my cat a while back, and then I took it to a privately owned garage and the guy welded it for $80. The muffler guys said, "There is no way we can fix this. You need a new cat."
The private garage quoted me $350 for a cat replacement before they hoisted it up and said they could just weld it, too.
edit- I should probably add that compression problems can be pricey sometimes, especially when using mechanics that don't know your particular car well. I know I've paid 1200 or so to have the compression problems fixed in one chamber, but god knows what they did for their 1200 dollars as I'm pretty sure that engine still has compression problems. Totally unrelated but is anyone in the market for a 76 porsche 912e/78vw bus engine?
Flex pipe is a good guess. We should start a pool.
He should also be seeing a CEL if that's the case, which will be telling him that he's running ohholyshit lean or rich on bank whichever.
For exhaust things that happened before I could fix them on my own, I always used the mom and pop store on the corner. Those were the nicest dudes, did good cheap work and didn't try to take me for a ride like the big chain in the college town did. I know, big surprise there. YMMV
On a side note, one thing that some people do in areas with no emissions is to bore out or remove the cat to make the car louder. The More You Know.
The mass airflow sensor is what'll give a car its air fuel ratio readings. O2 sensors are emissions only.
edit: NM, depending on if its a 2 sensor system in his car, it could be the case.
Even though, the more I think about it, something like a smashed cat sounds more likely. If the catalyst is smashed and plugging up the exhaust, that would cause the problems he's seeing, My technical reference is the 'banana in the tailpipe' trick from Beverly Hills Cop. Would Eddie Murphy lie to us?
I've had two shops in my area tell me that they used the same muffler shop for all their exhaust work. I'm sure their markup is to cover the cost of towing/transporting the car to the muffler shop. All of the places were mom & pop shops, not big chains. Who knows...like I said, every area could be different.
The cheap deal I got on the complete exhaust could have been because it is my 89 Jeep Wrangler. It's a pretty simple beast and parts are common. I imagine a newer car with all the fancy emissions control stuff intact would be pricier.