New exhaust!

[The Hoff]

Well the Old Fosse finally took its toll on my exhaust last night, was driving along trying to get home and suddenly...BBB..BBBBBRRR...WWWOOOOORRRR...PHHHHEERRTTTTTT and then a horrible scraping noise!

My worst suspicion is confirmed on pulling over, the sorry looking backbox hanging on the floor. To the toolkit, so i manage to bodge it so its not dragging its sorry ass on the floor like a tired dog, but its basically extra weight now...doing nothing what so ever.

Apparently what seems to have happened is the centre section has snapped in two after the centre bracket and before the backbox. Sounds like a Metro GTA with a Peco right now...horrible!

The upshot is its an excuse to get a new catback system as i refuse to pay Renault 300quid+ for another paperweight exhaust system. This happened on a 53 plate 172, already its had a hole welded up in the centre section and now this, lifespan of the exhaust? 2.5 years! Ridiculous.

Im almost tempted to phone Renault as the car is still under warranty and rant about their sub-standard shoddy gauge exhausts!

My choice looks like:

Custom Chrome (supposed to be decent systems and local)
Powerflow (heard mixed opinion about these, still local)

My choice given the option would be to see Charlie at Prospeed, but I simply cannot limp my car to Cardiff (from Leicester) with that sound, and with that exhaust.

Also looking at circa 300 quid from both of the above so little between them costwise.

Opinion?

Oh and anybody had a similar lifespan on a Renault OE 172 exhaust? Anybody complained to Renault and got them to stump up some cash towards?

Cheers.

 

[Kaedo]

Mine broke last night, 2.5 years old and change short of 60,000 miles on the clock. Renault can't get me an exhaust till Wednesday next week.

Renault service is shocking and I am glad my car is up for renewal in 6 months. I doubt I'll touch one again, not because they are bad cars, but because of the service.

 

[Kaedo]

oh and prices......

£343.85 for the front section
£184.70 for the mid section
£99.75 for the back box.

all plus VAT!!!

 

[The Hoff]

Yeh, i know.

Actually i spoke to Renault UK and they were fairly helpful, but they also stated that an exhaust was very much a grey area. The dealer can't get me in until Tuesday and i'll be damned if i have to take another day off work for this fking shoddy excuse for an exhaust.

Decided instead of arguing it with them that im just going to get a custom one made and be done with it. Oh and i agree the dealer network is absolutely diabolical!

 

[Englebert]

I thought you were in the k-tec stealth group buy?

 

[The Hoff]

I was, but i had some things pop up which took presidence. I guess this is now payback

 

[Neil G]

Seen quite a few Clios around with their backboxes hanging down touching the ground....must be a common problem!

Renault wanted over £300 for an exhaust even for my 172 then again that's just Renault for you..they wouldn't sell me a cup splitter on it's own....had to be brought as part of the kit for £500! lol

Anyway, hope you get it sorted

 

[Kaedo]

Hmmm, as it's a company car I'm going to have to fit a standard unit. Can't beleive I'm going to have to put up with this racket till Wednesday.

Seems the car is too "new" for Renault to hold spares, and too "old" for the other exhaust places to have pattern parts. I've rung about 10 places and the only exhaust they could find was for a Williams Clio. Some how I doubt it will fit.

Roll on my ST3 in October!