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MG MGF Technical - Exhaust falling apart?

What appears to be thin wire/string is hanging out of my left hand exhaust pipe.

I noticed it the other day and cut it off, but now there is more coming out.

Car is 18 months old. Is this cause for concern?
Finn Steele

Check your carpet isn't dissapearing;-)
Mike
mike

I think it is part of your headlight wiring!

Seriously, it could be part of the padding from inside the silencer breaking up. I suggest you take it back to your dealer and have them tell you what it is. Silencers should last several years. Mines lasted six years!

Bruce
Bruce Caldwell

Thanks for your help Bruce, will do that.
Finn Steele

Is it perhaps the 'flexi-pipe' coming apart?

Ted
Ted Newman

A failed flexipipe wouldn't lead to the appearance of 'wire/string' at the tail pipe Ted. There would be an increase in noise, reduced performance and perhaps also a rattle.

I think that Bruce is right; the stringy stuff is the wire wool wadding used in the silencer box. This stuff eventually blows out anyway, but not usually obviously like this, and not within 18 months! It sounds as though one of the internal baffle plates has come adrift to allow this to happen (or perhaps failure of the perforated internal 'equaliser' pipe).

In any event, this is a warranty issue, and should be refered back to the dealer (manufacturing fault).
Rob Bell

I would have thought that if this is the baffles or any other internal part of the exhaust system disintegating then that also would lead to extra noise.

Re the flexi-pipe I hads visions of the wire strands un-ravelling - but of course it would not come out of the exhaust pipe but just flap around aunder the car.

Ted
Ted Newman

>Re the flexi-pipe I hads visions of the wire strands un-ravelling -
>but of course it would not come out of the exhaust pipe but just flap around aunder the car.

Yep I saw them, presumably the flexi pipe is wire on the inside as well, and some loss would not lead to gas escaping?
Will Munns

>>I would have thought that if this is the baffles or any other internal part of the exhaust system disintegating then that also would lead to extra noise.<<

Yes, I'd agree with that Ted, and also increased 'crakling' on over-run too.

Will, the flexipipe is a corrogated section of pipe: the wire is only found on the outside, and is there, essentially, to "armour plate" the corrogation against external damage (and possibly extra stength). There is no wire inside the pipe.
Rob Bell

Rob,
Ah, OK I always wondered how the weaving could be airtight, then I guessed it doesn't have to be, just mostly airtight. But I have never seen one disintergrated.

Will
Will Munns

>>But I have never seen one disintergrated.<<

There's a nice pic of this on Andy's site I think
Rob Bell

Haven't noticed any increase in noise, reduced performance, or rattle (though I might not notice the noise or reduced performance)

The wire/stringy stuff looks like it was originally woven.

Anyway sounds like I'll need to visit the dealer (hope they don't tell me exhausts are a "ware and tear" item)
Finn Steele

My girl friends car had this recently. I was driving up to Midlands MGF and had a 8 foot long 'tail' came out the back of the car. Took me a few moments to work out what had happened. The Silencer box was only a couple of years old but unfortunately she only does very short journeys and never really gets the car up to temperature - The acid/water had corroded the inner mesh allowing the wadding out. From what it seems all the wadding is now out so just waiting for the box to rot though too before replacing.
tim woolcott

This thread was discussed between 04/11/2002 and 06/11/2002

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