What did I break?

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While out on the morning gas price check, I hit a bump in the road, heard a loud thunk, and now my Sable sounds like I'm running open headers. Noise/ vibration seems to be right under my feet. Nothing dragging, no CEL, engine feels a little down on power...
Going from memory, right there is where the y pipe from the manifolds joins to the main pipe, with a flex joint. There might be a cat or resonator just behind that....

Haven't had a chance to get under and take a look yet. On lunch break now, and it's raining. Pretty much all day, turning to freezing rain overnight tonight...
 
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Originally Posted By: earlyre
While out on the morning gas price check

Get the GasBuddy app.
 
Originally Posted By: sasilverbullet
Yep, take it to a exhaust place, something's toast!

Yup, It happen with my elantra. Hit something on the road...
 
Was thinking flexpipe, but if there was a thunk, I'd think the pipe broke. Perhaps a manifold as suggested? Can't do much until you get under it. Maybe wait till its cool, then start and crawl around (before everything gets hot--you can feel around w/o burns).
 
Some part of the exhaust rotted away! Probably just sounds like it is down on power because of all the noise.
 
Once upon a time I had chronic manifold gasket issues in my first car. It definitely had less power when the gasket was toast as compared to when I had a fresh one in.

What you are describing sounds exactly like what I used to deal with pretty regularly on that car. Probably just broke something free and have an exhaust leak now. Its worth bringing to a shop because repeated attempts at fixing it yourself is not worth the effort unless you know exactly what it is and how to fix it.
 
Originally Posted By: mclasser
Originally Posted By: earlyre
While out on the morning gas price check

Get the GasBuddy app.


Ha ha. I'm not driving around check in prices for myself, I'm working at a gas station, and we have to check other stations prices.
In person. Using gas buddy isn't allowed.
I do update those stations on gas buddy while I'm out though.
 
Originally Posted By: Kira
What year Sable?
Almost bought a '93 with a cracked manifold.
09. Don't know why my sig didn't show on the original post.
 
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I'll vote that one of the flanges on the flex joint rusted away and broke.

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That manifold gasket was a thorn in my side for years before I figured it out (or was told by a wise older gentleman I worked with at the time).

The trick was to tighten the flange bolts after it warmed up. Everything would seem fine when I replaced the gasket, but then after a month or two, it would burn up again. This went on for maybe 3 years. It turned out when it heated up, the expansion opened up the flange enough to let air in and burn the gasket to toast. I finally got the advice to re-tighten it after running the engine for a little bit, and it never was a problem again after that.

Of course my flex joint pretty much fell off shortly after that followed by the rest of the exhaust disintegrating over the next year or so. Ah such great memories of that car....I guess I'll always remember my first.
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they didn't really say WHICH gasket, but from where the noise was, and the description when i asked what had happened, Im Guessing ti was the gasket between the y-pipe and the Flexpipe.

he basically described it as the 2 flanges sit together, with the gasket between, with the expansion and contraction of the heating and Cooling cycles, water gets in there(where doesn't it get?)and forms rust. cycle repeats over and over until the gasket(or what's left of it) blows itself free
Big boom, followed by loud exhaust.... happens to most cars at some point.
 
Flexpipe and gasket most likely. There are large variations in what that could cost depending on how much the shop hates customers (lol). I've had one done on a Taurus for $25.
 
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