New exhaust loud and "chugging"

[sk1982]

I got a new exhaust fitted the other day as mine had had it, and it sounds so much louder than before and seems to be "chugging", particularly when it's stationary. I went back to the exhaust guys the next day and asked about it and he got it up on the ramp, checked for leaks etc but nothing. He said the noise is due to reverberation and once the car's been run for a couple of weeks the carbon build up will get rid of it, and if it doesn't to come back in a couple of weeks and he'll fit a new one. It's not so much the loudness of the exhaust that bothers me (it's only really loud in low revs), but the chugging noise is bothering me more. The guy said it should pass and there's not a blockage as there's no drop in performance or anything.


Basically, I don't know enough to challenge what he's saying or know if he's speaking sense - anyone here got any experience with brand new chugging exhausts? I'm more bothered about finding out sooner rather than later as I've got my MOT coming up in a week and a half, and don't want it to effect that.

[Crasher]

Hello and welcome. That doesn't sound right, what year and engine code is the car? What make of exhaust was fitted?

[sk1982]

I'm afraid I don't really know a lot about the technical aspects... the car's a 1.6 se, 52 plate. I don't know about the exhaust make though, the exhaust had had it and I had to get it fixed, so I took it to a local tyre, brake and exhaust garage which had been recommended by a guy at work and let them get on with it - probably a mistake not getting more details about what the make of exhaust was etc, but I just wanted it fixed. :-\

I've been told by other people that the noise will reduce when I've run the car a bit and the carbon builds up, but the chugging/puffing when idle just doesn't sound right, and I really don't want to end up failing my MOT because of it.

[Crasher]

I have heard that fob off about the exhaust carboning up before but the poor idle may be a separate engine fault that was there before but you could not hear it. I think the best thing to do is get it to a VW specialist or even the dealer and get it inspected. If it has a misfire, which is what it sounds like, and it is run for a long period, you could damage the catalyst which will fail the MOT and they are very expensive to replace.

[sk1982]

I have heard that fob off about the exhaust carboning up before but the poor idle may be a separate engine fault that was there before but you could not hear it. I think the best thing to do is get it to a VW specialist or even the dealer and get it inspected. If it has a misfire, which is what it sounds like, and it is run for a long period, you could damage the catalyst which will fail the MOT and they are very expensive to replace.

Thanks for the response, I may have to do that.

Is it unlikely that it could be related to the new exhaust, whether it being poorly fitted, or even the wrong one etc?

[Crasher]

Poor quality exhausts can sound terrible, how much did it cost and what was fitted?

[sk1982]

Poor quality exhausts can sound terrible, how much did it cost and what was fitted?

I've just Googled the product codes...

The box with centre pipe was AU274H, which is apparently for an Audi A3 1.6i.

Whereas the box with tail pipe has a code of VW519X, which comes up with nothing on Google.

Why have they put an Audi centre box on? I'm far from an expert, but is this likely to be the source the problem?

[sk1982]

In fact, I found the tail pipe and it's for the 1.4 Golf, not the 1.6. So they've fitted the wrong tail pipe then.

I've given them a call and they're ordering the part in for me and fitting it tomorrow morning. Hopefully that'll solve the problem.

[Crasher]

The front wheel drive Audi A3, Audi TT, Skoda Octavia, Seat Leon and Golf 4 all use the same floorpan and versions with the same engine share exhausts, even different versions of engines use the same parts. The Octavia uses a different back box as the car is longer, the same one as a Bora or Golf 4 Estate would use.