Warning on Exhaust - CEG Archives

Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives

I have a T-Red 1999 Contour SE Sport, it's a Duratec with a CD4E. Well anyway, yesterday my exhaust crapped out. I was driving and all of the sudden my car sounded like it had no muffler. So I pulled into a parking lot and got out. I looked under the car, and my cat was hanging down and touching the pavement. The bolts that hold the cat to the back half of the exhaust had broke cleanly in half. I clamped the two halfs together and took it to a muffler shop this morning. This is the warning, I live in a small town of 10,000, and there aren't many tours here (like 9 total). Well, he told me this was the sixth tour this year that he has seen the exact thing happen to. I asked if he knew what caused it and he said no. So if you have a 1999 or newer tour beware. Also, before anyone says it, I don't drive the car hard. In fact the guy told me that the last tour that had this problem broke the bolts as the car was started. It cost $25 to have fixed, and my car has virtually no rust on the underbody, it has only 22.5 K on it.

good excuse to get a performance cat-back

Originally posted by SVTCuervo:
good excuse to get a performance cat-back

yes it is.

On any other car I would agree, a cat back would be great, but I refuse to spend another dime on this POS car. I've seen other contours that lasted forever, and mine is a total POS. See my post "Anyone Else" in the general forum, and you'll understand. This car wasn't my first choice when it was purchased, and every time something else breaks I hate the car more and more. I should have kept the 1998 mystique I had, it had leather, it was black, and it was a really good reliable car. I am regretting I got rid of it.

Originally posted by red99sesport:
I have a T-Red 1999 Contour SE Sport, it's a Duratec with a CD4E. Well anyway, yesterday my exhaust crapped out. I was driving and all of the sudden my car sounded like it had no muffler. So I pulled into a parking lot and got out. I looked under the car, and my cat was hanging down and touching the pavement. The bolts that hold the cat to the back half of the exhaust had broke cleanly in half. I clamped the two halfs together and took it to a muffler shop this morning. This is the warning, I live in a small town of 10,000, and there aren't many tours here (like 9 total). Well, he told me this was the sixth tour this year that he has seen the exact thing happen to. I asked if he knew what caused it and he said no. So if you have a 1999 or newer tour beware. Also, before anyone says it, I don't drive the car hard. In fact the guy told me that the last tour that had this problem broke the bolts as the car was started. It cost $25 to have fixed, and my car has virtually no rust on the underbody, it has only 22.5 K on it.

Been there, done that about a week after purchasing my '98.5 SVT, except only one bolt had broken and the gasket was gone. New gasket, 2 new bolts, hit the credit card for $25, and I was a happy camper.

Scott