[Chaotik]

Hi all,

So today my wife borrowed my 4 cyl 2004 EX-L. It has 115000 miles.
The car was purring like a kitten as it always has. It was just serviced last week and the mechanic didn't mention anything was wrong.

When she got back home, the car was super loud...
She says the ride home was uneventful and that the noise started very suddenly... But then again she once rode on a flat tire for a few miles before noticing something was wrong.

It seems to be originating from under the front row of seats when accelerating. It sounds normal in the engine bay.

I can't take it in the shop before Friday so I figured I would ask the DA community for some opinions in the meantime. Someone told me it could be that the exhaust line detached itself somewhere... Possible ?

I was planning in getting a 2013 in about a year so obviously, I am trying to keep repairs on this one to a minimum.

 

[md9897]

Can you post a video of the sound and the area you think it's coming from? Probably an exhaust flange that came loose. Get under the hood and under the car and start looking

 

[crackerteg]

Sounds like your flex pipe failed. Cheap and easy fix. Take a look underneath at the part of your exhaust that is wrapped in steel braid. Chances are, the flex pipe its wrapping has broken.

 

[Chaotik]

So far this is reassuring !
here's the video I shot this AM :

 

[SSMV6]

Sounds kinda sporty to me.

A few things to look for.. Rusted pipes are the #1 culprit. The noise seems persistent. Have someone else press on the throttle and listen for the exact place the noise is coming from. Chances are, you'll notice a rust hole there. If it's on the flexpipe as some have suggested, then there is no band-aid fix you can do. Holes on the hardpipe sections can be temporarily mended with a muffler wrap.

 

[frenzal]

If you are located in a cold area, check under the car when you first start it in the morning: you might see white smoke coming out of the exhaust. If you see white smoke, you have a leak that is probably the cause of the noise.

 

[t-rd]

Suddenly getting a hole in the exhaust is common, especially if a rusty spot has been brewing for a while, especially up north. It was probably just a super thin sheet of metal left before it finally blew out through the rust into a hole. That's when it turns into a race car :lmao:

 

[Drew03Accord]

Take a rag and block the tail-pipe while the car is running. You'll hear loud hissing wherever the leak might be.

Run it up on some ramps. If you've got no ramps, run one side of the car up on a high curb/sidewalk (ghetto ramp). Crawl under and take a look with someone else blocking the tail pipe. Usually, you can get a muffler shop to cut out the rusted/cracked piece and weld in a replacement for a reasonable price.

 

[Arkainzeye]

Sounds like a weed eater . Lol

 

[BLCKFLSH]

Take a look under the car and make sure nothing is hanging down. If the exhaust is hanging, and gets caught on a railroad track etc. it could do a lot more damage.

 

[Accordman]

Hi all,

So today my wife borrowed my 4 cyl 2004 EX-L. It has 115000 miles.
The car was purring like a kitten as it always has. It was just serviced last week and the mechanic didn't mention anything was wrong.

When she got back home, the car was super loud...
She says the ride home was uneventful and that the noise started very suddenly... But then again she once rode on a flat tire for a few miles before noticing something was wrong.

It seems to be originating from under the front row of seats when accelerating. It sounds normal in the engine bay.

I can't take it in the shop before Friday so I figured I would ask the DA community for some opinions in the meantime. Someone told me it could be that the exhaust line detached itself somewhere... Possible ?

I was planning in getting a 2013 in about a year so obviously, I am trying to keep repairs on this one to a minimum.

For a car with 115K, I would not be surprised if you have an exhaust leak either at the joint or rusted pipe or muffler. Check for the leak nearest to where the noise come from but you have to get underneath the car to find it. It depends on where the leak is, the cost could be anywhere from $230 for the exhaust pipe to $500 for the muffler to $660 for the cat. plus labor cost. I am actually surprised that the muffler and the cat for the I4 are much more expensive than the V6. If the exhaust pipe is rusted, it make little sence to get it welded and it leaks later in another spot. It could be simple as one of the heat shield rusted out and make noise because it is not secured by a bolt. Get a few estimates for repair once you determined where the leak is. I changed my exhaust pipe and muffler once on my car a long time ago and I don't want to do that ever again. Luckily, newer cars have stainless steel exhaust so with proper maintenance, it should last a long time.

 

[Chaotik]

It turns out my exhaust pipe was detached at the joint (there are 2 pieces linked together with 3 bolts towards the front of the car).
The pipes themselves don't look very rusted at all. The mechanic just had to re-attach everything with 3 new bolts and I am now all set !

Total damage was $90.. Probably outrageous for what actually had to be done but what the heck. Much better than I was expecting and since I'm not much of a DIYer....

 

[stiller fan]

i figured as much. this happened one day to my family's old 90 accord as well. after a quick fix, all was well....

 

[Accordman]

It turns out my exhaust pipe was detached at the joint (there are 2 pieces linked together with 3 bolts towards the front of the car).
The pipes themselves don't look very rusted at all. The mechanic just had to re-attach everything with 3 new bolts and I am now all set !

Total damage was $90.. Probably outrageous for what actually had to be done but what the heck. Much better than I was expecting and since I'm not much of a DIYer....

Not bad, thanks to the durable stainless steel exhaust. In the old days, I had to replace the muffler every 40K and had to replace the exhaust pipe at around 85K on my Nissan. Parts were not expensive but they worn out faster. They all rusted out because of the weather and it was a PITA to remove them. I used to live in the Windy city, that does not help either.