Pipe connecting to exhaust (URGENT)
 

So here's the situation, I come off the freeway, and I notice my car sounds different. A tad lower pitched, but i thought I was going crazy. I go and pull up to a red light, and turn my music down to see if I am. Sure enough, I hear a scraping sound, and know I'm not going nuts. I get to work, and look under my car, and see this pipe had disconnected from the exhaust.

What the is it? What does it do? And is it safe to drive to to the mechanic if I take the back roads after work?


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...0e2450f176.jpg

Looks like just an exhaust sensor. Still OK to drive, but it's literally just held in by 2 bolts, so it's easy to put back in yourself.

Was told elsewhere that it was just the air injection pipe, and that if I didn't need it for emissions, I'd be best off just removing the whole cat, since it's cobbled together pretty badly.

As well, it's not going back on. Not on that anyways. It's rotted off.


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...055b1fe7aa.jpg

that is the split air pipe to actuate your 5/th6/th ports, you are fine to drive without it hooked up, you're just gonna lose some upper RPM torque, thats all.......or maybe you won't if you ports are seized, you may not even notice

Since you are in California then that pipe is needed for an emissions inspection.

The pipe is called a Split air pipe.It goes to the AUX PORTS (5th/6th Ports) on the engine and is essential on an S4 series FC to give it power above 3800 rpm.You can still drive it but with the exhaust leaking on the main pipe it will be noisy,so I'd just buy an aftermarket Cat.

*someone has really bubble-gummed that exhaust together so any improvement is better than what you have.

IDULEY!....if you are gonna Be UP before me the Least you could do is Shovel the SNOW....lol!..(went to bed at 3..nothing..up at 7:30..one foot..WTF?..)

Hell, i haven't even shoveled, didn't plan on it either because its supposed to be in the 40s here.....thats fahrenheit, ya know, the correct measurement :stick:

I didn't notice much of a difference actually. Seemed a bit less torque at the low end more than anything, but it ran just like normal past 4k.



I know some guys that'll help with the emissions when that comes around in a few years, so straighting it isn't concerning for that reason.

As I'm rather... incredibly short on money, and will be for a while, would a straight pipe without this split air pipe be fine? Or am I going to see a severe performance issue? I managed to drive it all the way home, revving it up like I normally do, and I just tied the pipe up with a wire hanger I found at work.

Note: I often go above 6k RPM, and generally don't like to be below 4k, so me going under 3.8k is almost never.

It opens up the 5th and 6th ports for more POWAH.

Reconnect it. It's easy. If it's broken, hit up one of the many sellers here for one that still works. Its worth plugging back in. Not only will the car sound and smell better, but you'll have more top-end power.

Well you asked and got answers.
What you want to do with your advice is up to you.

The car doesn't care about your wallet..so you can fix it properly or let it stay broken.