Merry Christmas all,

 

So finally got under my car to change fluids, tran filter, and noticed that exhaust pipes were pretty lose on both sides. Here're the pics.

Passenger side:

Driver side:

 

The car's been pretty stinky for the month+ that I had it. Is this why? Is this a problem?

See all that wetness, thats your stinky. You have an oil leak someplace. Those are loose heat shields. Large hose clamps will solve that.

 

 

nipper

Thanks:)

 

Actually that was streering fluid... fixed it earlier, the damn o-ring between the canister and pump was missing. At least I hope that's all it was.

 

Where would place those hose clamps? It doesn't seem like there is any room on the "female" pipes.

You're pointing at the heat shields - those aren't causing any stinky unless there are actually holes there in the exhaust (heat shields have nothing to do with leaking exhaust).

 

I rip them off, yours are already partially missing, including the most important parts, those upper parts are useless, just remove them. Or you can hose clamp them....then hose clamp them again in a month, then one falls off and you do it again, then they're loose up top next year - they're totally annoying.

 

Like nip said - your stinky is coming further back where the two pipes meet, where it's all wet. Internal combustion engine = stuff exploding = hot exhaust = no touchy. You have oil on that and it's burning off.

 

All sorts of different leaks end up back there, so keep your eye out on typical leakage points, most aren't too hard to fix or should be fixed with a normal timing belt job.

Where would place those hose clamps? It doesn't seem like there is any room on the "female" pipes.

 

I just fixed the same loose shroud problem on my 98 OBW a few weeks back. It is a low tech problem, so gave it a low tech solution. I put my car up on drive up ramps, set the e-brake, crawled under front, and proceeded to pound in with a hammer a couple of bolts as wedges to fill the space on the loose shroud. The bolts are simply a friction fit, with the hammering in snugging the bolts up good and tight. So far, no more shrill vibrating shroud noise.

 

I have used the hose clamp fix before on the same problem, and that does work well too. You just need to have the right size hose clamp available at the time of repair. At the time of the bolt repair, I didn't have hose clamps available.

You just unscrew a large clamp and tighten it down. Its not something easily explained as it is something you have to do to find out.

 

It lasts a year then the clamps need to be replaced.

 

Merry Christmas.

 

nipper

Actually that was streering fluid... fixed it earlier, the damn o-ring between the canister and pump was missing. At least I hope that's all it was.

No no, further back, where the pipes come together into the Y. That's a leaking rear main crank seal, or input shaft seal on the transmission. That's your "stinky".

 

Looks like you also got an oil pan seal leak, and the valve cover on the passenger side might be leaking too.

Now you guys are scarring the hell out of me... I'll keep all that in mind, but really I think it's only the PS fluid. It been leaking really badly for some time--the engine was soaked from the top on the passenger side, and I think it just all leaked down. I tried to trace down any oil leaks, but haven't seen any. Hopefully I wont.

Break out the purple power. Spray it down, let it soak in, and go to town on it with a water hose and try to blast that greasy stuff away. Helps if you have the car up on ramps or stands so you can get under it. You'll never find the source of any leaks until they bust wide open and start puking all over the place with it looking like that.