Technical Exhaust Backbox Corrosion Issue

[Mark Elvin]

Just had a call from Harry Dando's Fiat in Chipping Sodbury, my car is in being serviced today.

Apparently the exhaust backbox is "very badly corroded", by all accounts it's only just holding together. The guy on the service desk is going to have a word with Fiat UK even though the part is not under warranty as in his opinion it's unnaceptable as it is only 17months old.

Anybody else had this flagged up on their service?

 

[RobW]

mine was badly rotted around the rear of the box, and would have needed changing out anyway before the MOT as soot was starting to leak out

 

[Mark Elvin]

I guess it may be time to find a suitable aftermarket replacement......

 

[RobW]

I guess it may be time to find a suitable aftermarket replacement......

this looks ok

http://www.shop4parts.co.uk/?name=store&op=Details&ProdID=4765&sku=12032

Part Number: S4P4765
Manufacturer: Marelli
Retail Price: £334.75
Our Price: £251.06 (25% Saving!)
Weight: 3.0 Kg (Check Delivery Rate)

Description: SPORT:Aluminized Steel


Better performance thanks to a lower internal counterpression (roughly 4hp more & better torque)

Sport sound at low and middle range

"Old Style" look, totally handmade
Double muffler "Salami slice" shaped

also available in stainless
http://www.shop4parts.co.uk/?name=store&op=Details&ProdID=4766&sku=12034

 

[Mark Elvin]

Shame it's a double pipe, bit I'll consider that one.

 

[Charley says]

I think Marelli do a stainless version of it too.

What happenned to Ansa exhausts?

I had one years ago on my 131 but they seem to have dissappeared.

 

[Murano16v]

I've just put that Magnetti rear box on mine. Well made and an easy fit.
Perhaps a tad noisier than I wanted, but not bad. You can still drive quietly if you want to. Looks very nice on the car. I believe it's the same as that Ferrari courtesy 500s.
My original one was also corroding at the rear at about 11 months old.

 

[Mark Elvin]

I've just put that Magnetti rear box on mine. Well made and an easy fit.
Perhaps a tad noisier than I wanted, but not bad. You can still drive quietly if you want to. Looks very nice on the car. I believe it's the same as that Ferrari courtesy 500s.
My original one was also corroding at the rear at about 11 months old.

Where did you get it from??

 

[Murano16v]

Where did you get it from??

Shop4Parts.

As for the claimed 4bhp. Maybe with high octane in the tank and a bit of imagination it's a little more responsive. Seems better around 80mph

 

[jrkitching]

I'm shocked to hear that!

I know it's been a hard winter, but my 2001 Ford Ka with 93k miles is still running on its original exhaust. IMHO, any new car exhaust should be sufficiently durable to at least see the car through its first MOT.

Surely a corroded exhaust should be a warranty replacement, if it occurs in the first 3 years?

 

[Mark Elvin]

Thanks.

Had a quote from Fiat - £181.87 is their best on a std backbox, the you can guarentee the tail trim that's part of the chrome pack won't come off, that's another £70. So looking at the thick end of £250 for a std system, that will go again after just over a year.

 

[zanes]

Thanks.

Had a quote from Fiat - £181.87 is their best on a std backbox, the you can guarentee the tail trim that's part of the chrome pack won't come off, that's another £70. So looking at the thick end of £250 for a std system, that will go again after just over a year.

. Possible the harsh winter affected it (salt and all?). Even so, that's shocking. From what I've seen the chrome tail pipe won't come off.

Edit: Of course, there's always the differently shaped accessory trim, rather than the factory fitted one.

 

[Mark Elvin]

Yeah, at £250 for th etrim & exhaust I think I'll try my luck with the Marelli one, should last longer than the OEM. There's always powerflow to call too.

But first I'll wait & see what Fiat UK say.

 

[Venters]

The original backbox on the Marea corroded so badly it actually fell off. The car was still under warrenty at the time but on the 3rd year. End result was having to put a SS system on which is still there today.

Think they tried to claim exhausts as a consumable, wasn't particuarly happy with that but at the same time it was a good excuse for something a little roartier. Fingers crossed that the manufacturers warrenty is a little more comprehensive than the dealer one.

 

[grimwau]

Not certain as to why my diesel back box still looks like brand new at nearly two years old, perhaps less water laying in there due to heat produced by the numerous regenerations.

One thing I found (in general) is that original equipment exhausts are better quality than replacement exhausts, I'm talking about manufacturers parts here not Kwik Fit crap. Whenever I used to replace a system on a car the original was always substantially heavier than the replacement even taking into account the added weight due to having years of carbon build up in the silencers.

Very rarely did an original box last less than five years and my Honda Accord 2.4 had a five year manufacturers warranty on the exhaust system.

 

[jrkitching]

One thing I found (in general) is that original equipment exhausts are better quality than replacement exhausts

I started my career with Tube Investments; at that time (admittedly over 30 years ago now!) we had two subsidiary companies manufacturing exhausts. I can confirm that the OEM and aftermarket products were completely different (and priced accordingly). The OEM parts we sold to Ford, BL etc. were designed to last four years, and were also generally quieter that the aftermarket product.

The ones we produced for the likes of Kwik-fit were of substantially inferior quality and were designed to just meet the minimum MOT standards when new. They had a realistic life expectancy of about 18 months, or two average British winters.

Hence my previous post that I would expect the original exhaust to see the car through its first MOT.

We would have been seriously concerned if our OEM exhausts were regularly failing after 18 months.

 

[Mark Elvin]

Well, I did the unthinkable & bought a custom build stainless one, I may live to regret it, but I went for this

Let's face it, it's a 1.2, there's not much power there to unlease, and it's stainless so will last more than 15 months.

 

[306maxi]

The original backbox on the Marea corroded so badly it actually fell off. The car was still under warrenty at the time but on the 3rd year. End result was having to put a SS system on which is still there today.

Ditto with my 406 though it was old.

Almost got me divorced that exhaust did

 

[JTD_Liam]

Not many people seem that bothered about this but i think it's very poor. Why does knowone take up these things with Fiat UK? I know it's not like engine's just dropped off its mounts but even so, it hardly smacks of quality.

For the record, my Punto Mk1 looked like being on its first exhaust when i changed it at 8 years/60,000 miles. The Punto Mk2 exhaust was still in fine shape when i sold it at 8.5 years/85,000 miles & the Stilo exhaust still looks alright at 5.5 years/62,000 miles, albeit more corroded than the only very slightly rusty Mk2 Punto exhaust.

Less than 3 years for a standard manufacturers exhaust is cr*p & i'm pretty shocked that people seem so happy with just buying a replacement. Clearly think less about spending than i do!

 

[Mark Elvin]

JTD_Liam....I'm really not happy about it, honest.

I have called Fiat UK & they think it's "not very good" but have also in the same breath said exhausts are oly covered for 1 year.

They have opened a case now & have said they MAY send me some vouchers for use at my local Fiat garage, but said it's unlikely that they'll pay for the whole cost.