Subaru tech help needed.

"Pixel" (Improbcat) 04/19/2018 at 23:58 • Filed to: None

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A car-clueless friend had his 2009 Outback fail its state safety/emissions test due to a “cracked midpipe gasket” according to the dealer, who wanted $1200 to fix it. A second dealer backed this up.

I looked at the car and the exhaust is not loud nor does it sound like it has a hole/leak. I even put it on ramps and crawled underneath and saw nothing in the exhaust that looked out of place, broken or leaking.

Is there something else on the boxer engine they could be referring to? He might have the part name slightly wrong as he knows zero about how cars work.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Pixel 04/20/2018 at 00:08

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There is a connection after the cats to the rest of the exhaust system this could be what they are referring to, it has nothing to do with emissions.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Pixel 04/20/2018 at 00:09

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Midpipe gasket is a real part that exists. It gets sandwiched between flanges. How that’s an emissions failure though is beyond me, since any leak it causes is after the cats. 

vicali > Pixel 04/20/2018 at 00:11

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‘Cracked midpipe and a gasket’

Maybe

LOREM IPSUM > Pixel 04/20/2018 at 00:21

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$1200 is rape, during the course of a highway robbery. Find an indy exhaust shop.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 04/20/2018 at 00:24

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I remember that son of a bitch.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 04/20/2018 at 00:25

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They might be saying the flange itself is damaged in which case yeah that’s a lot more labor than just a gasket.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 04/20/2018 at 00:31

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$1200 for oem cat back with dual mufflers. Sounds about right.

His Stigness > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 04/20/2018 at 01:16

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You’re correct, at least according to my interpretation of California regulations. I won’t fail a car for an exhaust leak as long it’s after the cats and the post cat 02 sensor.

But he said “mid-pipe,” which leads me to believe it’s between the WU-TWC and the TWC, which would make it a failure. But without looking at the car I can’t know what the tech meant.

His Stigness > Pixel 04/20/2018 at 01:17

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If they’re talking about a leak between the first cat (WU-TWC), and the last cat (TWC), then that would be an emissions issue.

As far as not being able to hear it, you can’t always hear it depending on the size of the leak, and you have to be able to differente all of the other noise compared to an exhaust leak.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 04/20/2018 at 07:54

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It’s a Subaru, the flanges are always FUBAR.

CaptDale - is secretly British > Pixel 04/20/2018 at 13:36

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Two cat setups for ‘09 2.5

Dual split pipes

or single pipe with a double cat

Both options are fairly expensive. The 1st split cat option even more.

The gaskets are fairly inexpensive though. $1200 seems too much for just gaskets, but if a cat is involved that price makes sense.

if it is a 3.0L then the set up is the same as the first image.