In our area there are difficulties with the purchase of parts. Expensive, long wait, etc.
With the catalysts (catalytic converters), we do simply and brutally - cut out and discarded. Sentimental nature, change catalyst for flash suppressor, but rarely. Without a catalyst the car becomes a little bit stronger, but the exhaust dirtier (if you can be punished for dirty exhaust - you are bound to use the catalyst, stop reading).
There is one problem: the second lambda probe (oxygen sensor) produces an error - lit "check".
You can cheat him in different ways:
a. reprogramming of the brain, the chip - tuning (not suitable for many cars);
b. an additional tube-line or "insert". essence of the method lies in the fact that it is necessary to make the lambda probe is to "breathe" a little further away from the exhaust path;
c. capacitor or a resistor attached to lambda - probe.
All this - cheap ways to solve the problem of dead catalyst. Anyone who is not afraid of the translation - go here http://forum.amadeus-project.com/ind...?showtopic=121

 

I am so sorry that I forgot about that post. I sincerely thank you for correcting my memory.

At least we all know I am not a robot and I do make mistakes. LOL (joking around)

Michelle, Chevrolet Customer Service

 

The buzzing sound with acceleration never really went away after the resonator was replaced. Over time, it started getting louder. I took the car back to the muffler shop on Thursday. This time they had no problem finding the noise. Indeed, it was the flex pipe as you originally suspected. I was told it hadn't been broken badly enough to find at first, even after leaving HHR overnight to check it cold. It will cost $305 installed to replace it. They remembered the car, and said that the resonator really had been cracked as well when they replaced it earlier. Is it unusual for two different parts of the exhaust system to fail?

 

Its not unheard of to have the exhaust fail in multiple places, but its sure not common. Too bad that it took a second visit to find and diagnose though.

 

What is unusual is the no codes got thrown from the flex pipe leak, should have had o2 sensor errors, like lean or rich or Ho2 sensor bank x. When mine cracked CEL was lit up.

 

thats a sstiff price for a <$50 part...i think mine was $40 or so. but i have a buddy that welds so it was a piece of cake...

when mine cracked i got no codes either...but you would think it should throw a code

 

Added tax and "shop fees." At least it's finally quiet now!

 

That is less than what I paid for the part at GM a couple of years ago. The work time was about an hour including getting on & off jackstands.

 

Thinking back, I have this problem with hitting inanimate objects. I got nailed by big hail recently. If you look back, there was a thread after I hit a large bail of hay. I vaguely remember running over some flat object on the road that I wasn't able to avoid, a few months ago. I wonder if that could have hit my exhaust system, which could explain how it broke in two places at once.

 

How are things going with the HHR?

Michelle, Chevrolet Customer Service