The risk of discount muffler shopsFeb 29 '04 (Updated Mar 18 '04) Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Discount muffler shops seem economical, but thin pipes will eventually cost you.
Shops such as Midas, Munro, Meineke, and Speedy that offer discount lifetime-warranty mufflers operate on a specific business plan: lose money on the mufflers, make money on labor and pipes. This works because lifetime/lifetime warranty applies only to the muffler. One year/90 day warranty applies to parts/labor on the pipes. There's no reason an exhaust system shouldn't last 100,000 miles. You just need parts made of the right material (thick clad stainless steel), and you clamp (not weld) them together to make them easy to replace if one should get damaged. It's also not hard to make an exhaust system that rusts through within 15,000 miles by using parts made of thin galvanized steel. If you go to a discount muffler shop, what ends up happening is this: their lifetime muffler corrodes through after about one year. Their pipes corrode through after about two years. Everything was welded together. You come back for warranty replacement of the muffler. They inform you all the pipes are rotted through, and just to fix the muffler they have to rip out and replace all the pipes. They might even want to replace the catalytic converter, because their rotted-through pipe got welded to it. At which point you figure out you've been scammed, but you're already there with the car on the lift so you pay for the work anyway. Suggestions: So, when your exhaust needs work, try to do a few things: Shops: Instead of a discount muffler shop, go off the main road to an independent mechanic who makes a living off referrals, and spend the extra $150 for honest work. Clamps and welds: Never ever let anyone weld your exhaust together. Only allow them to use clamps and bolts - fasteners which can be removed. Pipe clamps only cost $1-2 each. And do not simply tell them "use clamps" because they will both clamp and weld each joint. Write yourself on the work order "only use clamps do not weld" just before signing it. Parts: Buy your own parts, either OEM or superior to OEM, and have a garage install them. Spend a few minutes browsing for a durable stainless exhaust parts on eBay. Ask about weight. A thin-walled muffler may weigh 3-5 pounds. A thick-walled muffler can weigh 5-10 pounds. Fixing welded parts: If your pipes are already welded together, it's not a total loss. Any exhaust pipe can be neatly cut with a hacksaw in less than 3 minutes, and fitted to a new pipe using a sleeve and two clamps in less than 10 minutes. You don't have to lose the whole pipe. Patch: In an emergency situation (such as state inspection) you can buy a flexible pipe or muffler bandage from any autoparts store. They aren't permanent, but the $5 will buy you a few weeks or months. Do it yourself: Exhaust is one of the easiest and lowest-risk repairs you can make to your car. One weekend you crawl under your car (might not need to jack it up), poke around and see which parts are soft/corroding through. Starting with your local autoparts store (whose employees generally will try to help you out), order and buy the parts you need - a muffler, pipes, clamps, hangers. Bring your car so you can check you get the right size clamps. The following weekend either unbolt or saw off the old muffler, hang and clamp the new muffler, and you're done. Drive around to make sure it doesn't rattle. The only tools you really need are a wrench and maybe a hacksaw. With a little knowledge you will never have to stress out over muffler repairs in your lifetime again.  |
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