Big AL in VA

I am trying to understand why the car shakes so much when the exhaust is disconnected after the X-pipe. I purchased the X-pipe along with the short "jumper pipes" and clamps for a quick fit. Well, after a year the exhaust dropped out because the rubber hangers broke at the muffler. Friction from dragging exhaust pipe on the road surface caused the exhaust pipe to pull out from the clamps. I got the loud noise of course but the whole car was shaking or vibrating pretty bad. I got two new rubber hangers and put the pipe back up (temporarily). The old exhaust is damaged now and leaking along the seam as well as the clamps. Vibration was cut in half when I rigged the old pipe back up but it still vibrates more than before. And it is louder than before.

Is the vibration coming from the lack of back pressure?

I am getting a new exhaust made Saturday. The guy ( has a great rep in our area for custom design exhaust systems) wants to merge the 2 1/2" X-pipe to a single 3" pipe with a magnaflow. I am worried that I will still have vibration due to a lack of back pressure. I did not have the vibration issue before the exhaust dropped off.
Any ideas? Thanks

Wild Bill

Al,
Don't know if this is relevant to your problem, but when I installed an Ott X on my S4, I experienced an loud audible vibration that you could feel at some RPM ranges. Upon inspecting my resonators (stock mid "mufflers") I found that there was a loose baffle in one. After replacing the offending unit with a used unit from 928 Int'l, no more nasty harmonics, just BWAAAAAAAH!

Perhaps you damaged a resonator? In any event, my bet is that your problem goes away with the new set up.

Bill

David L. Lutz

Bill,
When you had the vibration were you running a rear muffler or RMB?

Reason I ask is that after my Ott X install running only resonators (no rear muffler) on my S4 not only was it very loud but had the vibration. Since I have gone back with a rear muffler and vibration is gone! (I really change back to a rear muffler because of the vibration instead of the "Loud")

Wild Bill

David,
I am/was running an RMB. Prior to installing the X, I had no harmonics problem at all. After installing the X, it was just about unbearable to drive.

I got under the car and pounded around on the pipes with a rubber mallet and quickly discovered the passenger side resonator had something loose inside of it. Replaced it... Now it's just loud, but very sweet!

Leon Speed

There are four rubber hangers - two in front of the rear wheels and two behind the bumper cover. Did you change all four?

Also, the exhaust manifolds are supposed to be connected to the engine block by a bracket which bolts to the manifold flange. One or both might be broken.

Big AL in VA

The other two rubber hangers did not exist. If they were removed, it was done by the PO.
I put 85.5 header style exhuast manifolds on my S2.

Big AL in VA

A funny thing happened along my way to get a new exhuast. The car would not start. The starter would turn the engine but no fire. With help from the WSM I found the relay feeding the LH brain was bad. The exhaust experts pushed the car in and did the job. But I had to wait a day and a tow later to fire up the car and take it on a test drive.

I no longer have the shaking and vibrations. I am blaming the relay and not the lack of back pressure for the problem. I was probably getting reduced voltage from the bad relay to the LH brain causing erratic engine performance. It was all probably a coincidence that the exhaust fell off and the relay problem happened nearly at the same time.

Chuck Schreiber

Dug this one up.


I get big time vibration as well when I romp on it. Car used to be really smooth!

X-pipe, rmb =vibration. No vibration before X pipe.

Maybe I have a loose baffle in one of my resonators like wild bill??!!

Thoughts?