Toda Cat Back - Popping sound in rain

[cvc88]

Hey guys,

Ever since i got my Toda catback for my EP3 about a month ago, everytime it rains and when i drive over a puddle of water, my exhaust makes this really loud popping noise, coming from the exhaust and i can feel the whole car shaking. Feels like its coming straight from under the driver seat.

have anyone ever experienced this problem? I had a search online and found this thread, but it seems like there is no solution to this yet?

http://forums.clubep3.com/showthread.php?t=817843

btw, the popping noise goes away after a few minutes of continuous driving (I tend to put in neutral and let the car roll for awhile - this eases the sound as if the rev is higher, the louder the popping sound gets).. to me it seems like the water is getting evaporated and it stops? however when i do run across another puddle/bumpy road, it will start popping again.. it is very frustrating as it feels like my whole exhaust is going to fall off.

Let me know what you guys think it may be, or what can i do to have this fixed!

Thanks!

[cvc88]

Sorry but i think i posted this in the wrong section of the forum? should this be moved to technical? i cannot move it now after its posted

[senna]

I would check all flanges and gaskets - it sounds pretty weird though...

[cvc88]

I read another place and it said that it could be water going into the cat and causing explosions? I will go to a mechanic tomorrow and have this checked...

[senna]

Not sure about that one, but i would be double checking install and all the gaskets as mentioned before

Let us know what you find!

[DakDak]

Directly under the car seat is where the cat meets the catback. Im wagering on water getting into the exhaust and it not being sealed properly.

[cvc88]

I got the info from this URL.

http://forums.importtuner.com/70/6778993/getting-technical/exhaust-pops-in-the-rain/

I will definitely get my mechanic to check all seals to ensure it is sealed correctly where no water is getting into the exhaust. i might even get him to spray water on it while the car is hoisted up.

[SuperSteve]

Hey mate

Sounds like your going through what i did :)

http://www.ozhonda.com/forum/showthread.php?80848-dc5-strange-noise-when-its-wet

I suffered with ur problem for awhile but once my factory headers were changed the problem completely went away. In that thread u will also see that some other people upgraded there headers and it fixed there problem.

[brody]

Make sure your exhaust isn't touching the chassis. I have this problem with my j's racing catback but also had a problem with my stock isn't in the wet. Found that my cat had been re welded slightly off so the b pipe doesn't follow the exhaust cut outs. It's just hitting my chassis. Cooler weather makes the noise worse.
Oh well.. gives me an excuse to get a new header:)

[brody]

As super Steve said above.

Try look at that before you pay a mechanic to tell you there's no leaks.

[cvc88]

Thanks for the reply guys.

I hope i dont need to buy new headers just to fix this problem, especially this only started happening right after i change my catback.

Yesterday i was at my friends garage, we hoisted up the car, and sprayed the cat with water while the car was running, it did pop for awhile, but not loud enough for my friend to hear it as he was spraying it with water. However i could feel the car shaking. (i think its worse when im on the rd where it starts bumping as i drive)

I said to him would it be a leak in the exhauast and water is going in? but he said if there is a leak we can hear it. And it wouldnt happen just in the wet. So im left clueless...

[brody]

changing the exhaust. its gotta be something to do with the exhaust. nothing to do with the cat. as I said exact same thing happens with mine. (B Pipe is just touching the chassis. Which is making this sound. Reason for it coming from under the seat)

[bennjamin]

ever thought of the actual material of the exhaust ? Might be rapidly contracting or expanding when heating up/cooling down , and also ofcourse when rain/water hits it

[cvc88]

ever thought of the actual material of the exhaust ? Might be rapidly contracting or expanding when heating up/cooling down , and also ofcourse when rain/water hits it

I really hope its not the actual material otherwise everyone with the Toda should be complaining by now?

Anyway guys! check out this recording I did while i was in the car. I was probably driving at around 50-60km/hr? and the whole car shakes when it starts making this noise.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vdm2i80c33lgt33/Memo.m4a

[EDIT]
This is how it suppose to sound like. in the dry. (btw this is my car in the video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKOsh5xmu6g

[DreadAngel]

@ what time in the first recording are you @ 50-60kph? @ the very beginning?

[cvc88]

It was already making that sound, before i could actually start the recording on my phone, I pretty much slowed down so i can record it.

The sound goes away after awhile, as long as i dont run over another puddle of water that is, and thats why i assume that the water somehow is evaporated, hence the sound goes away?

Have anyone else ever experience this same problem with their exhaust? it just sounds really bad for the car... and would really love to have this fixed asap

thanks

[brody]

Sounds exactly like mine. From what I can hear anyway.
Check that theres no contact of exhaust and chassis as I said before.

[cvc88]

Sounds exactly like mine. From what I can hear anyway.
Check that theres no contact of exhaust and chassis as I said before.

Did your car left marks to show that it has been hitting the chassis? Also where is the B pipe?

[brody]

Haven't taken the exhaust off again to look. But I can't see where its touching.
B pipe is the first pipe coming off the cat that leads to the muffler

[Symphorced]

If you're really that concerned about it, just take it to a mechanic/exhaust shop. They'd be able to diagnose it a lot better than people over the internet who aren't able to look at your car in person.

FWIW, I have the same exhausht and have never had the problem you describe.

[cvc88]

If you're really that concerned about it, just take it to a mechanic/exhaust shop. They'd be able to diagnose it a lot better than people over the internet who aren't able to look at your car in person.

FWIW, I have the same exhausht and have never had the problem you describe.

I have taken to a mechanic last weekend but no help. Denied that there is any leak with the exhaust. I will take the car out to an exhaust shop this weekend to let them check. Hopefully its what the other users described as hitting the chassis somewhere so we can at least identify the problem and have it solved.

I posted this online cause i realised a few people had the sameissue and i find it very odd. Therefore i was curious to see how others have resolved this unusual problem..

[Mikeyy168]

hey guys,

just installed a fujitsubo rm01 today and it rained... didnt really happen at all for the first few hours of driving it around. didnt really drive fast or rev high though.

on my way home and revved it past 3000rpm before changing gears.. noise came out of nowhere... limped it home -_+"

people have had these problems since 2007... dont think anyone has actually fixed it or found out what it is...

depressing.. >.<"

[cvc88]

hey guys,

just installed a fujitsubo rm01 today and it rained... didnt really happen at all for the first few hours of driving it around. didnt really drive fast or rev high though.

on my way home and revved it past 3000rpm before changing gears.. noise came out of nowhere... limped it home -_+"

people have had these problems since 2007... dont think anyone has actually fixed it or found out what it is...

depressing.. >.<"

haha mike, i thought it was only my toda on my car. well i guess its a common problem with the K20's. Dont even know where the problem is coming from..

[Mikeyy168]

problem solved below!

[Mikeyy168]

hey guys, found the problem to the noise we're experiencing. went to see hakan @ Performance Exhaust Centre Northmead. He told me the cat back pipe (flange where the catback & cat meets) is sitting too close to the chassis (the system is TOO much of a good fit). basically when water hits the exhaust pipe, it expands or something and causes vibration. it stops when the waters evaporated. got a new high flow cat put in and he made sure the pipe was further away from the chassis and it's stopped vibrating in the rain. hopefully it stays that way :)

[anthoyo]

sounds exactly like mine in the rain my only guess is that the previous owner had put the stock exhaust back on, and this wasnt done carefully? nonetheless once i get my car back ill know what to fix. thanks for the handy thread.

[brody]

hey guys, found the problem to the noise we're experiencing. went to see hakan @ Performance Exhaust Centre Northmead. He told me the cat back pipe (flange where the catback & cat meets) is sitting too close to the chassis (the system is TOO much of a good fit). basically when water hits the exhaust pipe, it expands or something and causes vibration. it stops when the waters evaporated. got a new high flow cat put in and he made sure the pipe was further away from the chassis and it's stopped vibrating in the rain. hopefully it stays that way :)
Oh really?

[brody]

Make sure your exhaust isn't touching the chassis. I have this problem with my j's racing catback but also had a problem with my stock isn't in the wet. Found that my cat had been re welded slightly off so the b pipe doesn't follow the exhaust cut outs. It's just hitting my chassis. Cooler weather makes the noise worse.
Oh well.. gives me an excuse to get a new header:)


Sounds exactly like mine. From what I can hear anyway.
Check that theres no contact of exhaust and chassis as I said before.

Pretty much what I said a few weeks ago

[Mikeyy168]

yeah man!! i think what i actually got from what u said was... the catback was touching the chassis all the time though. it was just really close. i dont think anyone really thought about the exhaust moving like that when it touches water while running o_O

[brody]

Yeh guess its all about trial and error hey. I'll be getting rid of that annoying racket asap haha.
Good to hear you sorted it out hey