Exhaust Life?
- Thread starter abre
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batchers
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I was going to ask the same question myself. I,m considering the milltek exhaust. I don't want to change the old unit untill I need to. Our cars done 27000 miles in just under 3 years. Our previous car a laguna started falling apart below 40000 miles. By 50000 miles all three sections had corroded. (it was rubbish) Costing us well over £600.
An OEM exhaust may last as little as 3-5 years I think. But a stainless ones have a life time guarantee. So if you’re changing your exhaust but think you’ll keep your car less than 3 years get a cheap steel one, but if you’re planning on keeping your car, spend the extra cash and go for stainless.
2004 1.4 TDi (90) SE, Cobalt Blue, Climate control, Cruise control, DIS, Sport seats, Winter pack, Symphony II.
2004 1.4 TDi (90) SE, Cobalt Blue, Climate control, Cruise control, DIS, Sport seats, Winter pack, Symphony II.
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daveyjp
Guest
Exhaust life depends entirely on how many miles you do. The more miles the longer it lasts. Exhausts rot due to moisture build up, so constant running keeps the exhaust warm and prevents this build up, short journeys allow moisture from exhaust gases to hold in the exhaust causing corrosion. My Ford Fiesta exhausts used to last 2-3 years , but my father has never had a Fiesta exhaust changed despite doing 30,000 miles a year as a driving instructor. A colleague who owned an Audi 80 had almost 10 years out of his exhaust, he replaced it for a stainless which didn't cost much more than an OEM part.
ianjohnsonws14
Member
Have no experience with stainless but my father bought one of the original Grundy?? ones about 20 years ago which was guaranteed for the life of the car. Had 3-4 replacement sections over the next 10 years, all FOC. One side effect was that because it had less weight in it than the mild steel exhaust it had a different, more aggressive, exhaust note.
On long life the Passat I gave back after 4 years and 96k miles was still on the original (long runs), the A2 which was traded in December at 27 months and 17k (mainly short runs( was still on the original. When we had a car which needed replacement sections I used to buy Bosal Aluminised and on a low milage car (nearly all short runs) they used to last 2 years - could not afford the capital outlay for a stainless one.
Generally OEM original fit last longer than basic aftermarket but OEM aftermarket can be the same as the factors so why pay OEM price. e.g. the Sierra factory fit was one piece from the manifold downpipe but Ford's after market system was two piece and not the same manufacturer as the factory fit!
1.4 Petrol Special Edition, Ebony Black, grey leather, heated seats, climate, opensky, five spoke alloys for SWMBO (Replaced a 2002 1.4 Petrol SE) Honda Accord Tourer 2.2 iCDTi for me.
On long life the Passat I gave back after 4 years and 96k miles was still on the original (long runs), the A2 which was traded in December at 27 months and 17k (mainly short runs( was still on the original. When we had a car which needed replacement sections I used to buy Bosal Aluminised and on a low milage car (nearly all short runs) they used to last 2 years - could not afford the capital outlay for a stainless one.
Generally OEM original fit last longer than basic aftermarket but OEM aftermarket can be the same as the factors so why pay OEM price. e.g. the Sierra factory fit was one piece from the manifold downpipe but Ford's after market system was two piece and not the same manufacturer as the factory fit!
1.4 Petrol Special Edition, Ebony Black, grey leather, heated seats, climate, opensky, five spoke alloys for SWMBO (Replaced a 2002 1.4 Petrol SE) Honda Accord Tourer 2.2 iCDTi for me.
bye_bye_alfa
Member
70 thousand miles, and still going strong on original... fingers X'd!
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marcusfrench
Member
Last weekend I spent some time repairing the Exhaust on my other car, a 11 year old Audi 100 2.8 Quattro, with 125k miles. The failure was not due to rusting through, but down to a fatigue crack around one on the welds on a CAT and the bolts and flanges rotting away on the joint from the CAT to the back pipe.
Local garage said only genuine Audi parts were available at £500+ for the CAT and £350 for the middle section. After inspecting the system myself, I decided to replace the CAT (although re-welding would probably have sufficed) from cats-direct for £140 (inc. VAT and delivery) and welded a new flange onto be back pipe and replaced bolts. Job done for a lot less than the quote and as the CAT has a two-year guarantee it should do for an 11-year-old car.
What struck me was how solid the exhaust still was after 11 years as it was definitely still the original and had never been touched. Hope the one on our A2 is of the same high standard ...
Local garage said only genuine Audi parts were available at £500+ for the CAT and £350 for the middle section. After inspecting the system myself, I decided to replace the CAT (although re-welding would probably have sufficed) from cats-direct for £140 (inc. VAT and delivery) and welded a new flange onto be back pipe and replaced bolts. Job done for a lot less than the quote and as the CAT has a two-year guarantee it should do for an 11-year-old car.
What struck me was how solid the exhaust still was after 11 years as it was definitely still the original and had never been touched. Hope the one on our A2 is of the same high standard ...
skyman
Member
I've had a stainless steel exhaust on my classic mini for three years it's brilliant no more exhaust replacement, unfortunatley i did't replace the manifold with stainless and have to change that every year-year1/2, this time though it will be stainless it was the cost putting me off before but my hands are losing mm of skin everytime i change it.
The biggest problem is the constant urge to polish it, i go through huge amounts of autosol keeping it gleaming, my mot inspector thinks i polish it so he is blinded to the cars faults but as usual he never finds any. One little nigle is i need to track down a supplier of stainless exhaust clamps because they look ugly when they rust and need changing every so often.
I'm about to change my MX5's exahaust to a stainless twin exit, and will probably replace the A2's with one too when it needs replacing(but probably before, I must polish, i must polish, i must polish)sometime in the future.
The biggest problem is the constant urge to polish it, i go through huge amounts of autosol keeping it gleaming, my mot inspector thinks i polish it so he is blinded to the cars faults but as usual he never finds any. One little nigle is i need to track down a supplier of stainless exhaust clamps because they look ugly when they rust and need changing every so often.
I'm about to change my MX5's exahaust to a stainless twin exit, and will probably replace the A2's with one too when it needs replacing(but probably before, I must polish, i must polish, i must polish)sometime in the future.
Andrew Smith
Member
50K on A2 Tdi and 20 months, replaced under warranty as rusted through on first bend before it hops over back axle. exhaust is single piece from manifold all the way through including cat!
Audi replaced it from manifold to where it hops over axle where they had to join it on to the original back box etc. as other wise would have to remove axle. The latter is common, but it is daft to have to replace the cat. Most cars have a down pipe from the manifold, a flange joint to the cat then a flange joint to the rest of the system. Look carfully at the options, if you have to replace the cat every time a stainless front section may be a good idea.
Audi replaced it from manifold to where it hops over axle where they had to join it on to the original back box etc. as other wise would have to remove axle. The latter is common, but it is daft to have to replace the cat. Most cars have a down pipe from the manifold, a flange joint to the cat then a flange joint to the rest of the system. Look carfully at the options, if you have to replace the cat every time a stainless front section may be a good idea.
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