Ford C-MAX 1.6 Petrol (57) 2008 - Minor exhaust leak Flexi Pipe

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Fri 7 Sep 2018 22:04
Ford C-MAX 1.6 Petrol (57) 2008 - Minor exhaust leak Flexi Pipe - Dartrader

Hi all, I recently took the C Max 1.6 Petrol 57 plate for it's MOT and it passed but had an advisory for a minor leak on the exhaust flexi pipe. I understand that the Manifold, Cat and Flexi are one unit and are expensive to replace. I have found a repair pipe on ebay that looks like a good alternative to replacing the whole lot as it is only around £50 compared to the £500 plus to replace the lot. ebay item number: 172838029760. I can also get this from my local CES motor factors. I was wondering if any of you have any experience fitting one of these and if its as simple as it appears. To replace the Manifold, Cat and Flexi the Subframe has to be dropped from what I can gather. Any thoughts most welcome and thanks in advance. Dave

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Sat 8 Sep 2018 10:23
Ford C-MAX 1.6 Petrol (57) 2008 - Minor exhaust leak Flexi Pipe - Chris M

Does it really need fixing at this point? Advisories are just that and the flexi may last several years without getting any worse. Perhaps just keep an eye on it for now.

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Sat 8 Sep 2018 12:49
Ford C-MAX 1.6 Petrol (57) 2008 - Minor exhaust leak Flexi Pipe - Dartrader

Well my guy at the garage I use said there was no rush, it was a very small leak. I was thinking of doing it at some point before the next MOT and wanted to be prepared incase it did get any worse. I hate knowing there's something wrong with the car. Many thanks and I'll update as it goes. Dave

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Fri 17 May 2019 11:09
Ford C-MAX 1.6 Petrol (57) 2008 - Minor exhaust leak Flexi Pipe - Dartrader

Hi all, it finally it snapped off at the Cat end. I replaced it with a repair section that consists of the Flexi with a flange on one end to connect to the original exhaust and a sleeve section to go over the remaining pipe from the Cat.

I had to cut off the old bolts at the joint just past the Flexi then cut the pipe just past where the sensor screws in. This left about one and a quarter inches below the Cat to allow the repair section to slide over and be clamped.

You need to take the brace that goes across the bottom of the car off to give more access to cut the flange bolts off and get the old Flexi out.

There’s not a lot of room in the tunnel where you need to cut the pipe below the Cat but I managed it with a small cutting disc on a flexible drive driven by my electric drill.

Cost of the repair Flex was £64.40 from C.E.S Motor Factors, total for parts was about £68.00, not the easiest of jobs but better than replacing the Manifold, Cat and Flex. Plus no need to drop the Subframe.

Here is a YouTube video showing the parts and results. youtu.be/OfDMvim6CJE

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Fri 17 May 2019 14:20
Ford C-MAX 1.6 Petrol (57) 2008 - Minor exhaust leak Flexi Pipe - Chris M

Thanks for posting your fix. It may have been a bit of a pig to do, but there's satisfaction in a job well done, especially when it saves a good deal of cash.

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Mon 27 May 2019 10:44
Ford C-MAX 1.6 Petrol (57) 2008 - Minor exhaust leak Flexi Pipe - Dartrader

To be honest it chews my nuts when a person asks for help / advice then doesn’t report how they went on and how or if they resolved their problem.

After repairing my flexi I noticed there was 74 miles left in the tank according to the fuel computer, I drove about 2 miles and when I parked on Aldi the computer was reporting I now had 101 miles left in the tank. I was surprised by how much this had increased.

Also the car is more responsive and obviously quieter than before, I am wondering if I should now do an ECU reset and perhaps get a little bit more of an improvement. I will be driving a longer distance in a few days and will be able to get a good idea of MPG since the repair.

It seems reduced back pressure in the exhaust has a big affect on performance and fuel economy, I am already seeing an improvement since the repair.

Many thanks, Dave.

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Mon 27 May 2019 15:20
Ford C-MAX 1.6 Petrol (57) 2008 - Minor exhaust leak Flexi Pipe - Big John

You've already got your improvement - I'd say just drive it!

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