Been hearing a noise coming from my exhaust and realized today that my A-pipe was shot! Anyone else had this happen?

 

Stock or aftermarket? Pipe rusted through or flex pipe busted? More details please, pics if you can.

 

Details:

Car is a 2004 6MT
Stock A-Pipe
Braided steel over the flex pipe is tearing over the edge toward the front of the car
Noise it makes occurs mostly when shifting uphill

Pics:

 

That does look like a problem. You'd think I know these things (I don't) but doesn't our powertrain warranty extend to 70k? Even if you're just out of warranty, this may be worth a dealer look to see if they will goodwill warranty the issue for you.

 

I had it to a dealer Saturday. They said 50k/4yr is the coverage. No bulletins about this either... This type of failure after 3 years is disappointing. The tech at the dealership told me to picture this twisting for 70k. Been doing ALOT of highway driving... I doubt it was twisting the whole time. I still have 5mm of pad on the original front brakes, and got to 70k in under 3 years...

 

Damn I still have my stock header a pipe i think lemee go check maybe you can take that from me.

 

Did you get a header package that elimiates the stock A-pipe?

 

Yea, I still have it I got comptechheaders, so it replaced that whole section.

 

Do they use a lot of salt on the roads in the winter where you live? My old '97 Civic had a heat shield that protected the oil pan from the heat of the resonator, and it was replaced at least 4 times over the 9 years I owned it. Every two years, some part of it would rust away and just start this bad clanging.

Looks like Honda hasn't figured out how to keep the exhaust system intact in all conditions yet again.

 

I hear a weird sound when i accelerate hard, i better go check.

 

it looks like it just simply rusted off, i think that acura covers rust for like 10 years or unlimited milage, take it to acura and tell them, they should fix it under the rust warranty.

 

The exhaust is covered from rusting plus it is an emissions issue - 100L warranty I believe. Don't let them charge you for that repair. Get Corporate involved.

 

Do you have an experience with this? Here is the link to the warranty information:

http://www.ahm-ownerlink.com/Documen...s/bwl24729.pdf

I cannot find a specific reference to this coverage you're mentioning. The rust warranty talks specifically about body panels rusting from the inside out and causing perforation. Even the section "Federal Emissions Warranty Parts List" states 4/50 for everything but the Cat, ECM, and Throttle Acutator Control Module (those are covered up 8/80).

But there's hope (p5)...

"Some Repairs May Be Covered Beyond the Limited Warranty"

Acura may cover, on a case-by-case basis, some or all of the cost to repair a problem that is not covered by your vehicle’s limited warranties.

If your vehicle develops a problem you feel should be repaired by Acura at no cost, discuss it with your dealer.

If you are not satisfied with your Acura dealer’s decision, call or write Acura Client Services Office (the address and telephone number are on the inside front cover). Please provide this information about your
vehicle: year, model, Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), mileage, maintenance history, a detailed explanation of the problem, and why you think Acura should be
responsible for the repair. Your request will be investigated, and you will be informed of Acura’s decision.

 

I also think that this should be covered under warranty. But, if for some reason it has to come out of your own pocket then I'd seriously consider an aftermarket header.

 

Where do you guys come up with this stuff? Exhaust system components are covered 4/50, with the exception of the catalyst which is 8/80.

Dealer Service Manager can ask their Acura Rep. for goodwill consideration. If you've been a regular customer with the dealer they might go to bat for you.

 

Funny this topic came up. I've been complaining of a strange noise when letting go of the gas pedal at 3000 rpm. Dealer finally pinpointed the problem somewhere near the a-pipe. The reason they couldn't say for sure if it was the a-pipe was because they had to remove the exhaust system to really check to see the sound is coming from that area but the car got too loud without the exhaust which drowned out the problem sound. So they decided they were gonna replace it anyway. Parts came in last week and taking the car to dealer to have the a-pipe replaced tomorrow. Will let you guys know if this solves that strange noise.

 

Add me to the list. Also an '04 but with just under 39k. Mine are getting replaced Thursday. Mine rattles extremely loud when I start it up. Took it in and the heat shield on the cat was loose. He also said the a-pipe had some corrosion so they were going to replace it. This thread made me go look for myself. "some" is an understatement.

Bought brand new Aug. '04 been through every winter since.....I also just remembered my warranty is damn near up!

 

Looking forward to your update! Did the noise you're describing sound like 2 pipes vibrating against eachother that stop when you get out of a certain rev range? There's an uphill stretch on my way home from work when it happens almost all the time...

I'm pretty sure this is a manufacturing defect. Yes, I drive the car in NJ and they use salt on the roads in the winter, but seriously... It's been less than 3 years for this part. It's connecting the header to the catalytic converter. If this leaks, we're talking about a serious emissions problem, not to mention the danger to the driver and passangers.

Repair estimate from dealer (parts and labor) = $440

 

Yes the sound is like metal vibrating against each other. Very hard to explain. But my sound happens when you let go of the gas from 3000 RPM ONLY. Doesn't seem to have that sound at other rpm ranges. I've actually only heard it when the car is standing still but i suspected something wasn't right because the AT gear changes were acting funny. Almost feel like engine is hesitating at low rpms. By the way my car is an '06 with less than 15000 kilometers on them!

 

How is it with the new a-pipe???

 

Car is still in the shop. I had other complaints that I wanted them to look at and couldn't finish the job in one day. Stay tuned...

 

Talked to the service mgr at the dealership I usually take my car to. He said he's had success getting Acura to cover things beyond the 4/50, in some cases one party covers parts, the other labor... Anyway, I was happy they were willing to try to help. Car goes back in Tuesday for "diagnosis"... I'll update as things progress

 

You could always try showing him this thread since your car isn't the only one.

 

Got car back from the dealer today. They changed the A-pipe and immediately I notice the throttle response has improved 500%. The car doesn't seem to lag and climbs rpm rapidly (for a stock car). Unfortunately that stupid noise at 3000 rpm is still there! So obviously there are other parts of the exhaust system that are affected too. Service manager sensed my anger and immediately booked me again 2 weeks from now. But they're not sure what else it could be. I'm happy that the car drives so much better now but can't shake the feeling that something else is wrong with it.

 

2 damn weeks?! man that's slow

 

I've also noticed my car being a bit sluggish lately. I figured it was related to driving in 90 degree weather with the A/C on (which has to be contributing something...). Getting some throttle response back would be a nice benefit.

Can you get the car to make the noise you're hearing in neutral?

 

Sorry maybe I wasn't clear. I can hear the sound ONLY at neutral. Maybe there is too much other noises around to notice it while driving. If they don't find anything else wrong with it I might just have to live with it

 

The noise on mine was caused by the heatshield on the cat becoming loose after rusting. New cat and a-pipe today.

 

^^
I wonder if they could replace the cat with a 06/07 instead of a 04 cat?

 

Today my car got "diagnosed" at the dealership I've been taking my car for service for the past year or so. This is a necessary step before a dealer will try to work with Acura and request "Goodwill Assistance" for covering out of warranty repairs. Page 5 of my owners manual clearly indicates that Acura will cover things beyond the 4yr/50k warranty on a "case by case" basis.

I'm at 70k, but have not even had the car 3 years yet! I explained to both my dealer and to Acura CS that I felt strongly the A-pipe on the vehicle should not have failed and I think Acura ought to cover the replacement. So the guys at the dealer look over my car and call to see what CS will do. The dealer calls me back saying its not looking good, they don't want to cover me because I have aftermarket parts on the car... Then at the dealership level, they gave me an estimate to do work this time for about $475 (the price went up from $440 last saturday) and offered to cover 15% of parts and labor.

I was not satisfied with CS's reason to deny simply because the dealer told them I had aftermarket parts, so I called myself. The dealer told me they spoke to a guy named "Anthony" who made the decision, and I wanted to speak to him myself. But first, I had to answer 20 questions or so for "Troy" in order to speak to "Anthony". Did i mention there was at least a minute of hold time between each question? Annoy/frustrate-and-he-will-go-away tactic on the first call? And a case number was being assigned for the first time? I get all the info, then I'm told I may have to wait up to 1-2 business days to talk to Anthony after he reviews some stuff, contradictory to what Troy told me earlier in the coversation.

Well Troy actually called later this afternoon. He starts of by telling me he already explained things to the dealer and the reason he has to talk to me is because that wasn't good enough or similarly worded version of the same sarcastic remark. Truth be told, I was not going to take the mere presence of aftermarket parts as an acceptable answer (it becomes evident later that these parts need further explaination). In most warranty situations, a company denying a claim has to prove that the aftermarket parts caused damage. This protects consumers from unfair pricing practices (basically, if a company can freely threaten voiding the warranty if you don't use their parts, there's no fair competition between the aftermarket and the OEM, the OEM can unfairly demand a higher price).

So we begin with clarification that my car is not lowered and that the Comptech exhaust is not made of 4" diamater pipe and does not eliminate the catalytic converter. Apparently 4" exhaust systems and eliminating the cat cause excess vibration when you wind it up pretty good and downshift, you know? A thought bubble appeared over my head "Thanks for being so coherent, this is very helpful..." (NOTE: later in the conversation Anthony tells me he is a racer! Works for Acura, unfamiliar with Comptech? Is this showing off and playing dumb at the same time? It's a different form of trickery than I'm used to. How can I tell if its working?) I answered his questions about if the system used the stock exhaust hangers, etc. This was not going in the direction I think he hoped, which was for me to give him some info to say that the Comptech cat back system is responsible for the damage. Now we're back to miles again...

And now the story changes. I was not denied assistance on account of aftermarket parts, it was for mileage. So who's telling me the truth?

Continuing with Anthony, I made my reasons why I though Acura should cover this very clear:

1) The part is designed to flex. Instead of flexing, it is breaking. Has it been flexed too much? The dealer checked the motor mounts, they were fine! If the only thing that would be flexing the pipe is known to be in spec, I would think that this failure would indicate a defect.

2) Dispite mileage, this part was not subject to any kind of unusual wear, misuse, or abuse. No off-road or compeditive use whatsoever. I have 70k in under 3 years because I commuted nearly 75 miles each way to work for while. Leaving quite early in the morning, I had a nearly 60 mile strech of highway during which I almost never had to shift, brake, etc. Perhaps the fact that approximately half of the brake material on the original front pads remain at 70k would confirm that those were actually highway miles? Miles during which there were far less braking a shifting than most drivers would have done in 50k? Perhaps...

3) Emissions concerns. A break in the exhaust system before the catalytic converter means the cat can't do its job.

4) Safety. How about the risk of CO poisoning while driving?

I think almost any regultory agency would agree, and I conveyed that to Anthony. Specifically, I mentioned the BBB and the EPA. When I mentioned mailing compaints, Anthony said he "couldn't wait to see them". Maybe he will get his wish!

Not only that, but he confirmed that he had the authority to authorize the repair to be covered but he would not due to mileage. Every claim at this mileage does not get denied. I asked for an example situation where something would be covered at this mileage. He avoided the question by saying "I'm not going to give you another customer's information". I clarified that I did not want another customers information, I wanted an example of such a situation. Obnoxiously, he said something unrelated again!

The call concluded with another revelation: Anthony was qualified to tell me how good I was being treated because he worked for "4 other manufacturers", blah, blah, blah...

While I was having this conversation the dealer called again. They left a message to say that they talked to someone at CS again, and this is not being covered because it was a wear and tear item. The assistance offer was increased to 20%, and I think this was the dealer trying to help.

All said an done, we're still talking about an expensive repair for something that should not have broken in the first place. This experience has really lowered my opinion of Acura, will make me far less likely to suggest buying one to anyone I know, and as for brand loyalty, this will probably be my 3rd and final Acura purchase. I'm considering sending out some written complains because I am probably not one who has this issues, and the safety aspect is of particular concern.

 

So... the salt they use to melt the snow will actually rust the metal under the car?

 

Acura has been known as a luxury brand with emphasis on quality and reliability... I thought. There are many defects occuring at statistically valid numbers per our forum to indicate otherwise.

I wonder if there older vehicles are less prone to some of these issues or they didn't have enough data to know to change the design of the a-pipe, rotors, etc on our tsx's and other problematic models. this should be upgraded on new models.

Either they don't know or don't want to be held accountable. I would like to see a luxury brand (if they want to keep future customers) uphold their status by displaying better and consistent customer support.

Their defects with statistics should be made more public. Maybe on Edmunds.com or other review sites, perhaps as far as the BBB for sketchy situations such as this so it reaches higher level management. If the public is hesitant to buy their brand, then i bet they would be more proactive vs. supplying business to the dealership for repairs. If the a solid brand reputation is Acura's desire, then we should prompt them more often to maintain it.

Perhaps toyota is a more trustworthy company or at least has less problematic cars to buy from next time....

 

My brother's 93 Accord with 300,000 miles still has its original exhaust full intact with no issues!