what do you want us to do fastlife ?

either crawl under the car and assess the exhaust condition yourself

or go back and ask the MOT tester

or replace exhaust regardless

or do nothing

 

i've left out the option of continually complaining on the internet.

some folk just wont be told.

 

22 hours ago, Gizza11 said:

...as others have said an exhaust will corrode unless they are stainless steel they last a lifetime (or should do)..

Even stainless steel exhausts rust unless they're very high grade.  The cheaper stuff like Powerflow/Magnex etc still rusts within a few years.  

 

Mark, I've never seen anyone spray paint an exhaust to preserve it.  But you can try it if you want, there are instructions on the advert. 

As I've said to you before, there will ALWAYS be something to worry about on a car for some of us, just replacing things for the sake of it gets very expensive and never does stop the worry. 

As other people have said, we can't give you an accurate answer over the internet.  My view is that a minor blow would've been noted as an advisory so it's not blowing.  It's not bad enough to fail on structural integrity so it must still be reasonably solid.  Going on that, it should last months before any problems show.  That's as far as we can say without seeing it - if you want us to be more accurate you'll have to jack the car up and take some pictures for us. :smile:

 

Obviously they don't all fail in the same way but I had one start blowing in Dec 2012, then it snapped Feb 2013.

Then fell off March 2013...  I chucked it in the boot and drove without for a couple of weeks until the MOT ran out as the car was literally falling apart and would be scrapped lol.

 

Ah those were the days when I had diesels blowing coal about and still making more MPG than the Focus!    Believe it or not, in mid 2014 I bought another 306 and exactly the same thing happened lol, snapped in the same place.  Sold that one without an exhaust to a garage mate.  

 

2 hours ago, Tomson said:

The tester wont charge you for asking what section of the pipe is corroded, especially when he/she has failed to mention which section was referred to. Corrosion is easy to spot in this case as its rust. Itll be orange/brown, typical rust coloured. You will see it a mile off with a torch - even your mobile using the LED torch will be good enough. Exhausts corrode/rust - they are on the underside of the car, open to the elements. If its been mentioned it means its been rusting for some time and you should consider changing it within the next 12 months (as long as the tester is a geniune person and hasnt lied to make you spend money at their shop)

Dont forget, garages are under alot of work and stress trying to make money and keep a roof over their heads. So dont be surprised if their not 100% detailed on the advisory section - you have been given an area of advisement, so be aware to have it checked or replaced soon.

Also, reading above, dont be so quick to be defensive or cofrontational. The reason youre experiencing arguments and challenges is because of the way in which you respond. We arent here to attack you or cause upset so dont be quick to make that judgement. Dyspraxia isnt the easiest condition for others to understand - Not your fault. But just try to bite your tongue before respond with something like "Mr Expert". You will find yourself very stuck, very quickly. We are here to help. What may appear to you as others being mean is actually them trying to help you understand what youve asked in the beginning.

Example:

"how do i know if something is rusted" ...well, you have a look. 

Or:

"which section is corroded" ...well, without photos or seeing the car, we cant possibly know. We know as much as you do at this point.

There not smart ***** answers bud, theyre honest answers. Just some may say it tongue in cheek but thats how we are mate, all here to help but also to pull each other's leg.

keep smiling mate, but just hold back from backlashing toward others.

Thank you once again for your kind reply.

I could go back and ask but chances are he'll want to put it in the air to check and maybe charge. Maybe I will get under and have a look, I have axle stands and a jack. 

As I said my car has suspect head gasket, it was over a year ago a chemical test was performed, changed colour to indicate HG failure, no symptoms at all even now over 15 months later, no power loss, no smoke, no oil/water mix, just loosing coolant and I refill every week or 2. car had overheated when a mechanic ( no longer call him a friend) failed to fit radiator hoses and botched up turbo pipes causing in complete loss of oil on more than one occasion but luckily I realised as soon as low oil light came on. 

about 2 months after it overheated I notice it loosing water, have since had about 2 rubber radiator hoses leak, a metal cooling pipe leak and a blown radiator (which I replaced) and the top radiator hose feels rather hard and when I remove coolant bottle cap it also seems ot have high pressure.

Head gasket was diagnosed as gone by a garage a day after I bought it and they charged £850 to replace it, later found out by several mechanics that it seems very likely;y that said garage did not replace HG , but if by any chance they did I wonder if that is what the chemical test last year picked up on ?

If Head Gasket is bad I would replace it (Friend said he can do it for £400, plus additional £30 for head skim) but I am also getting a clunk noise every time I bring up the clutch (only gears 1-=3 but car goes into every gear brilliantly) first noticed this noise a day after buying car and also I have been told the turbo has play, I cannot feel or hear the turbo but it is not giving any problems of a bad turbo at all either. there are a few other little things that if I replace HG that I would want to replace and therefore the cost will probably not be worth it, despite I do have the funds to fix it.

this car has had around £1500 of repairs on it since I bought it about 20 months ago, and I have spent several thousand more pounds of repairing my other car's and I have only been driving for almost 5 years (25 years old now) so I try and repair things myself now and I have replaced several components already saving around £500 in the past 6 months or so.

If the exhaust needs replacing I'd rather replace it myself despite never replacing one before, it seems like a waste of money paying for jobs on it when it is in it's current condition, so what do you think of that product I've posted the link to for using on car exhausts ?

 

thanks 

1 hour ago, TomsFocus said:

Even stainless steel exhausts rust unless they're very high grade.  The cheaper stuff like Powerflow/Magnex etc still rusts within a few years.  

 

Mark, I've never seen anyone spray paint an exhaust to preserve it.  But you can try it if you want, there are instructions on the advert. 

As I've said to you before, there will ALWAYS be something to worry about on a car for some of us, just replacing things for the sake of it gets very expensive and never does stop the worry. 

As other people have said, we can't give you an accurate answer over the internet.  My view is that a minor blow would've been noted as an advisory so it's not blowing.  It's not bad enough to fail on structural integrity so it must still be reasonably solid.  Going on that, it should last months before any problems show.  That's as far as we can say without seeing it - if you want us to be more accurate you'll have to jack the car up and take some pictures for us. :smile:

 

Obviously they don't all fail in the same way but I had one start blowing in Dec 2012, then it snapped Feb 2013.

Then fell off March 2013...  I chucked it in the boot and drove without for a couple of weeks until the MOT ran out as the car was literally falling apart and would be scrapped lol.

 

Ah those were the days when I had diesels blowing coal about and still making more MPG than the Focus!    Believe it or not, in mid 2014 I bought another 306 and exactly the same thing happened lol, snapped in the same place.  Sold that one without an exhaust to a garage mate.  

 

I've been driving almost 5 years, spent around  £7,500 - ,£8,500 on repairs in that time, I do have the funds and I am able to pay to get everything fixed on this car but it is not worth it imo, if I get head gasket replaced ( I keep debating on it ) thne I'd probably feel like replacing everything else on the car. 

this is one of  the reasons I replace and fix things on my car now, fed up of disrepairs e.t.c. so now I just try and fix it myself and I have done a pretty good job so far.

 

Now, to the exhaust, if it is going to need to be replaced in a few months I may as well replace it now that way I get more use out of it,  but at the moment there are no problems obvious to me so I will leave it be and try and take a look under my car when I have the time to inspect it.

I have never replaced a car exhaust before but if it needs replacing I shall replace it myself. If I wait for MOT and it fails on exhaust then I will be rushed for time as the time frame for MOT retest is 10 days I think , I'd have to order the parts and wait a few days which is a delay in itself, then expect a week or so to have the work completed, It will be winter and I hate working on cars in the winter mainly because ti goes dark early and I find it difficult holding a torch at thew same time as trying to fix/replace it. 

thanks

 

18 hours ago, Fastlife91 said:

 

hi

 

so how do I check the exhaust for evidence of corrosion please ?

here is the product I am considering , here is the link for it, it is a high temperature primer spray, please take a look and give me your thoughts regarding it 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/K2-PRO-ZINC-ALUMINIUM-High-Temperature-Primer-Spray-Anti-Corrosion-Car-Exhaust-/252702811881?hash=item3ad642e6e9:g:Aq4AAOSw-0xYZlTA

That's a new one me  it defo says its for exhausts you could try it and see how good it is and the report your findings back here as it would be for me interesting to know how well this works or not. probably will just flake off  in a short time on a rusty exhaust though unless it was rubbed down and that would be a waste of any ones time. Just my opinion not fact. With respect if you cant recognise  what rust is and how bad it is I really don't know how we can help .But if your exhaust is not blowing then leave it alone until it does. Remember that a Garage  want's the work and will charge you for a new exhaust weather it needs one or not if you ask them to change it coz of a bit of cosmetic rust. Just because it's a bit rusty it doesn't mean its going to fall off or blow yours maybe good for ages yet. Many years ago on one of my cars the exhaust got that rusty it fell off and was dragging on the road before I changed it (oh to be young again lol lol).

2 hours ago, Gizza11 said:

That's a new one me  it defo says its for exhausts you could try it and see how good it is and the report your findings back here as it would be for me interesting to know how well this works or not. probably will just flake off  in a short time on a rusty exhaust though unless it was rubbed down and that would be a waste of any ones time. Just my opinion not fact. With respect if you cant recognise  what rust is and how bad it is I really don't know how we can help .But if your exhaust is not blowing then leave it alone until it does. Remember that a Garage  want's the work and will charge you for a new exhaust weather it needs one or not if you ask them to change it coz of a bit of cosmetic rust. Just because it's a bit rusty it doesn't mean its going to fall off or blow yours maybe good for ages yet. Many years ago on one of my cars the exhaust got that rusty it fell off and was dragging on the road before I changed it (oh to be young again lol lol).

 

hi

will buy it tomorrow and should have it midweek, the page reads that the  surface must be clean, smooth sand ( whatever that means??) and degreased, what is the best way to clean the exhaust before applying this stuff ?

thanks

Coolant systems pressurise to 21psi - just so you know the next time you take your coolant cap off.  :)

The spray wont do anything to your current exhaust other than slow down the external elements getting to it. Its rusted now so will eat away day by day. Replace it and then spray it on.

Sounds like your car is taking your money mate, id consider getting shut and buying something better.

12 hours ago, Tomson said:

Coolant systems pressurise to 21psi - just so you know the next time you take your coolant cap off.  :)

The spray wont do anything to your current exhaust other than slow down the external elements getting to it. Its rusted now so will eat away day by day. Replace it and then spray it on.

Sounds like your car is taking your money mate, id consider getting shut and buying something better.

I agree here. its probably to late to use now as your exhaust is already rusty it would be better on a new system. It would be a peal pain in the Butt to clean  an existing system and the effort probably would be more than its worth.