Hi, I'm pretty confident now that I have a blowing exhaust; reason I say this is that my car has always made a loud muffled noise, especially in lower gears when picking up speed(almost like a rally car!) I also notice a lack of power under acceleration, almost a hesitation. After quickly testing for air leaks in the engine(none from what I can find) and initially suspecting it to be one of the lambda's, I now think that a leak in my exhaust is causing this.

I tested it before(the usual hand over exhaust method) and the car becomes quieter but a hissing, like air escaping noise appears - I have tracked this down to where I think its coming from and I was wondering if you guys could help me identify what it is and what needs to be done. When revved, a popping sound can be heard from the exhaust and it has started to produce white smoke(although not sure if relevant).

Iv'e attached 2 images of where I think it to be - the join of where the exhaust meets.

Funny thing is, the car had a whole new exhaust fitted, from the flexi to the end of the centre section just before I got the car.

Thanks.

Should be a gasket here, sometimes with a load of exhaust paste.....

Can you feel leakage?

Btw, you have an oil leak, possibly from coil pack, leaking all the way down

looks like cat flange has rusted through to me
if it is i would bang it up with miggy weld

I had a very similar problem! Turned out to be a huge crack in the manifold cat, just failed the MOT on Friday

Should be a gasket here, sometimes with a load of exhaust paste.....

Can you feel leakage?

Btw, you have an oil leak, possibly from coil pack, leaking all the way down

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Didn't feel it at the time - was too hot to touch but I could see some kind of liquid that has leaked out, also I could see what looked like smoke, like gas escaping (almost like a heat haze).

Yeah I have a leak that runs down the back from the coil

looks like cat flange has rusted through to me
if it is i would bang it up with miggy weld

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Don't have a welder that can use unfortunately!

I had a very similar problem! Turned out to be a huge crack in the manifold cat, just failed the MOT on Friday

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Hmm..sorry to hear that, hope it's not this serious!

Thanks.

If the flanges are intact, it's relatively easy to fix. Loosen two bolts, new gasket and lash on some exhaust paste for good measure.

Not sure what the liquid could be apart from condensation.

Oil leak also easy fix, see any of the 1 billion posts on punto oil leaks....

atom0007 said:

If the flanges are intact, it's relatively easy to fix. Loosen two bolts, new gasket and lash on some exhaust paste for good measure.

Not sure what the liquid could be apart from condensation.

Oil leak also easy fix, see any of the 1 billion posts on punto oil leaks....

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Will check this tomorrow then

The liquid has the appearance of oil, is it possible for oil to run down from the engine to that far down without dripping or burning off?

Yeah had already fixed the coil pack oil leak a few months ago but seems it has started again further back this time!

Thanks

it might not be coil pack but rocker cover seal leaking, both side by side, you cant tell whats what with it when its leaked for a while....

As for the flange
i had the old mk2 flange tidied up
a constant blowing

The mk2'b had a barble, always engine based, never thought why
Eitherway - i ignored it for ages
Till one day it got that little bit louder....
See Post 87 on my thread

£20 had it re-welded, and my god did they put some heat into it.....

The flange, sometimes its easier to chop it off and start again, but often its just a de-mated flange, espically if the engine is able to rock back and forth

Ziggy

Ziggy122 said:

it might not be coil pack but rocker cover seal leaking, both side by side, you cant tell whats what with it when its leaked for a while....

As for the flange
i had the old mk2 flange tidied up
a constant blowing

The mk2'b had a barble, always engine based, never thought why
Eitherway - i ignored it for ages
Till one day it got that little bit louder....
See Post 87 on my thread

£20 had it re-welded, and my god did they put some heat into it.....

The flange, sometimes its easier to chop it off and start again, but often its just a de-mated flange, espically if the engine is able to rock back and forth

Ziggy

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When I got the car it had leaks from both these areas, fixed em both up(so I thought) but there has always been some oil leaking down the pack, will investigate further after this is solved.

Will take a closer look, jack it up and that and if it is as you have suspected then I will get it welded..hopefully for a price similar to yours!

Judging by your situation and how similar it sounds to mine, I best get it sorted asap.

Will it be plainly obvious if the flange has de-mated or worse? When I seen it briefly earlier it didn't seem as if it had come apart, is there anything specific to look out for?

Thanks.

it will splatter water out on first start up so use this to ascertain the leak,a helper with wifes best duster wanged into rear pipe helps too as you know

s and b said:

it will splatter water out on first start up so use this to ascertain the leak,a helper with wifes best duster wanged into rear pipe helps too as you know

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Yes good advice

Just tested it now and it is clear to me now that it has defaced itself, quick phone call and a trip to the garage tomorrow for a quick weld should do the job

Thanks.

s and b said:

it will splatter water out on first start up so use this to ascertain the leak,a helper with wifes best duster wanged into rear pipe helps too as you know

Click to expand...

Would the magic smoke machine help here?
Bung it up the exhaust - let it fill it up and watch it pour out?

Ziggy