[mtbman333]

...I like to think that it wasn't her fault. Here's the story. I get my baby back from service yesterday, they replaced the front brakes and the engine mounts. I have to store the car outside overnight, and it is BITTER cold. It was about -15F this morning when I started her up. She coughed and spat the first time, and the second time she turned over, but was idling funny. I think, "No problem, just the cold. She needs to warm up." So after classes I go start her up to head home and the same thing happens. (it is still cold out, maybe 4F tops!) I dismiss it as weather again, and rev the engine a bit to help her warm up. As I do so, I smell gasoline fumes in the cockpit

. I lift the hood to see what's up. This is what I found. When tugging on the throttle cable to simulate the reving I was just doing, I noticed a gas escaping from between the exhaust manifold and engine block on the Driver's (left) side.

again!. It appeared to me that one of the studs holding the exhaust manifold to the block was missing. To my further discomfort, this exhaust leak seemed to be in direct proportion to throttle input. Needless to say, I drove right to my dealer. How could they miss this one? Well, according to them, and I guess I trust em here, it was not a result of the procedure yesterday, as that was just the top corner of the block. They confirmed that it was a broken off stud on the manifold that was causing the leak. Unfortunately, they also said that it would probably be a four to six hour procedure to remove the manifold, grind out the remaining stud and replace it with a new one (at $72/hour, that isn't cheap! ) I asked him about the fumes, and he again confirmed my worst fears. That the untreated exhaust fumes can be vented into the passenger compartment through ACC, and there is CO as well as unburned gas in there, so driving it much could be dangerous to me, so I don't really have much choice other than to get this fixed quick! Have any of you ever had a similar problem? Any words of wisdom or advice would be GREATLY appreciated here!

 

[StephenA]

Not a nice story but at least you were able to smell it and take the correct actions (did you have a bad headache afterwards?). The worst thing about exhaust leaks like that is that opening the windows in the cabin when you are moving just makes it worse as it drags more air through the acc.

As for removing old studs it should be possible to do it with a counter tap (i.e. a tap that screws in anticlockwise ) and when it bites the old stud should start to unscrew. Of course if the thing is seized in solid then thats not going to help at all.

Steve

 

[cdcarlsson]

Quite a common problem with the 9000 I'm afraid, and usually on the stud you mention. It's happened to my last two cars, but never to the point where it was obvious that gas was escaping.

Some specialists are quite adept at fixing it and might well save you $$$. Try for some other quotes if you have one near you.

Nick.

 

[ylee coyote]

there have been a few threads on this...
please do a search....
Manifold studs are a comon problem and I have had them go on two of my cars
on my 900 t16 it cost me an arm and a leg the dealer took the head off and spark eroded the old stud and then re-assembled
the second time on my aero the car was under warranty
anyway if I remember right the procedure id with a hand drill and a thread remover and is a 20 minute job...but do not take my word for it
I will have a look for the thread later..

 

[rhino2.3t]

i did this on my old 9k GENTLY with a 90degree air-drill and a set of thread removers as ylee said above.. more a scary job than a complex one

 

[mtbman333]

Well, thanks anyways to all that responded! I did, however drop my car off at the dealer today though. I don't really have the tools to do this one properly. I think I would rather trust a certified tech to do this job anyways, as messing it up could cost hundreds more, engine damage, loss of power (my turbo!) and that little Carbon Monoxide poisoning thing.

I'll keep you all posted on how it turned out! Hopefully it won't break the bank again, but I have a gut feeling it will.