Technical '08 1.3 exhaust blown flexi

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Technical '08 1.3 exhaust blown flexi

Kekybobo

1.3 mjet 500 sport
Joined
Jun 21, 2016
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Over the past week or so I've noticed on start up an awful exhaust fume smell In side the cabin. I initially put it down to a cold start issue with the warmer weather now behind us but I then started smelling it when starting up to go home from work. The car had been sitting all day, but afternoon temps are higher than early morning temps.

This morning I popped the bonnet, started the car and ran round and pointed a torch into the bay. A waft of smoke crossed the beam of light on the right hand side in amongst the pipework but then disappeared. The smell was still there tho.

This evening I got the other half to start the car whilst I had a good hoke around. I got her to jab at the accelerator and that's when I noticed little puffs of smoke blowing out the front of the flexi section of the exhaust piping under the car.

I'm partly relieved as it's a more straight forward fix than something within the engine bay.

My question is, on a well known auction site there's a replacement flexi section for £35. That's a good bit cheaper than from a euro car part wholesaler (£70). Has anybody had to do this fix and used the cheaper of the parts?

I'm thinking of either doing it myself or when getting my mechanic to fit it, getting them to bolt or weld in something to protect the flexi. I'm an archaeologist and currently working on a site with a crappy pothole ridden lane. I've a feeling I bottomed out the car and the flexi was damaged as apposed to it blowing with wear. It seems to be the lowest most exposed part of the whole car. (It doesn't help that my 500 is on lowered springs although in my defence when I had it lowered earlier in the year I wasn't working on that site).

Tom
 
Is the flexi not integral to the centre pipe? hence the price difference.
I guess it is however it can be chopped out and a new one pieced in rather than swapping the entire pipe section.

I've called in to an exhaust specialist and he's fitting a new flexi section as I write. £70 + VAT all in.

With the amount of flexi sections they had on their shelves I'm guessing the cut and swap fix is quite a common option.

Tom
 
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