de-cat is a straight thru pipe that replaces the catalytic converter.

it is the thingy that supposedly helps us not harm the environment!

it sits in the centre of the exhaust system and is very restrictive power wise.

i think on cars up to 97/98 ??? it is possible to run legally without a catalytic converter, so long as the emmissions are within the MOT limits. after that it is mandatory to have one fitted.

it libetrates power if you remove it!

Weava

[Edited by mista weava - 9/1/2003 6:37:01 PM]

Thanks to all the scoob drivers that waved to me and the missis while sitting in the recovery vehicle up the A34 to Oxford yesterday. The ruddy 'turbo's blown mate' is what I was told, it's only 8 months old, ahem, 33k though.

Is this a common problem with MY02 WRX's? Lots and lots of smoke etc. My de-cat wouldn't have caused this would it? Sorry, rambling to myself here, just hoping that it's covered under warranty.

To make matters worse, hopped in to my Sport to go shopping this morning and ended up having to change the battery..... Reliability, pah!

:-)

Mike

Decat and warrenty don't mix :eek:

Get the de-cat off before you take it to the subaru garage.

i would swap that back b4 i got to the dealers

Not in the slightest. Subaru have been using the TD04L for several years now. The turbo and its surrounding installation is very well proven, and not known for early failure.

Unlikely, but not impossible. Some decats can promote boost spiking unless the restrictor bore is increased. Were you looking out for this via your boost gauge?

Eh? The warranty went down the Swannee the second a non-approved exhaust part was fitted. You may get away with it if the failure is demonstrably nothing to do with the decat, but you're on a more than slightly dodgy wicket really.

Swapping the downpipe bits back in and claiming "I dunno wot happend guv, honest!" is technically fraud, and swapping the old bits back might be irrelevant if the garage spot suspect Select Monitor readings, freshly changed bolts/pipework, or IM send an assessor to look at it.

I know it's very easy for me to say, but I'd suggest that honesty might be the best policy in this case. Your warranty's gone, and trying to pretend the decat didn't happen might cause you more problems than it solves.

Can't blame the car for a failed battery!

Mike

I have an MY01 (decat from turbo back) and exactly the same happened to mine about 6 months ago, smoke mainly when idling and then told its the turbo.

I've had a down pipe installed on my P1 by Listers of Worcester. So it must under warranty seeings that a subaru dealership installed it. I think it depends on where you take it.

Kev

I think you'll find that there are no decat or semi-decat exhaust systems approved by Subaru UK Kevin. They're not going to approve something that violates EEC type approval/emissions laws.

The fact that a main dealer fitted it doesn't change that fact one jot.

I thought the PPP had a de-cat centre?

What's a de-cat?

Dont complain, perfect time to upgrade your turbo :D

A Jamaican cat.

fpmsl @ jamican cat

theres 2 decats on most clasics, the one in the center of the exhaust is the tiny one, the big evil one lives in the downpipe

decat`s genraly increase turbo boost, which makes turbos work harder, giveing big power gains in sum cases

aperntly revolution managed 39bhp from a sti with there system, which removes both cats

Yeah better explained Sticky,

the downpipe is the biggy - replaced full system on mine with de-cat centre and back box. when i finally got the downpiipe on as well, the difference in power and sound was astonishing.

Weava

A de-cat is unlikely to affect the reliability of the turbo! Not warming up and more importantly, not warming down of the turbo however is likely to make it fail quite quickly! (on an otherwise standard car (discounting de-cat), not many things are likely to cause the turbo to fail (heat/lack of oil/cooling/up-pipe breakup)) :(

Good Luck,

Matt.

De-Cat did someone say that in the same sentence as warranty !!??
Change it back quick this will blow your warranty out the water completely...... i just have the afterburner back box fitted on my Sport they accepted that as cosmetic..... get in the garage and get your old pipe back on, if you scrapped it better shout for help on here must be lots of them in the dark corners of owners garages hiding away for a rainy day.
Simon

Thanks for the sympathy!

My de-cat was done by my local Subaru dealership - have their own system fitted, so I'm hoping that as they didn't tell me that doing this would affect my warranty they'll just get on and fix it! Err, I'll find out tomorrow.

I'm hyper careful about warm up and cool down routine. A few people where I work (UK300 and MY99) don't spend nearly as long as me doing that, I even drive a longer way to work in the morning as it's a more gentle slpe so that I don't need to use the revs etc etc.

I rang my dealer a week ago saying that the exhaust was looking a bit smokey and was told it should be fine, hmm!

If my warranty turns out to be void, I'll look at bigger turbos though :-)

Cheers!

:-)

Mike

sh1t Mike!!! :(

REALLY sorry to hear about this.... [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

For what my 2p's worth, as your zorst system was fitted by the dealer, they should be ok about it. But have a chat with them and ask them if the zorst will affect any warrantee claim - put the owness back onto the dealership.....

Hope Elaine and Junior don't mond you using their Sport!!!!:D:D:D:D

Keep me posted mate :) you know my number ;)

Dan

mike
i have a tdo4 sat on my garage shelf you can borrow if the warranty claim is rejected and you want to go down the bigger turbo route
cheers neal

Wow! Thanks for the kind offer!

I'll hope to find out about everything tomorrow - if the warranty is going to cover me etc - and will report back.

:-)

Mike

no worries.need to know before thursday evening as i am away friday
cheers neal

Just for your info, Fulham is selling one in the FSS.

If your stuck.

This is wierd..... I collected the car this evening and the dealer said that there's nothing wrong with the car! The recovery people said it had a blown turbo because of the massive clouds of smoke. The dealer said that they couldn't get it to smoke at all and it's all A OK.

They reset the ecu and it drives great now, they suggested that because of the de-cat the ecu was overfuelling which explained the smoke.....

Err, there is no doubting that before the dealer saw it it was billowing clouds of smoke, now it doesn't - without anything being done to it. On my drive home it drove great, pulls like a train, faster than before.

Any suggestions as to what may have happened?

Confused!

Mike

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

That's a good one Mike.

Sure you haven't been feeding it coal instead of SUL?:D:D:D:D:D

Fingers crossed it's OK mate :)

Gonna try and get down to see you in the next week or so amte :)

Dan

It's great news, but doesn't it really p1ss you off at the same time? In the event of it happening againg you are no nearer to knowing what it was:rolleyes:
Fingers crossed it won't happen again :D

This might be a good time to find out if you would have been covered by warranty.

:D

I would have though the dump valve fell off. A few people have feared engine failure when this has happened.

MB

It's really annoying not knowing what went on here. I wondered if the garage left something off last service a few thousand miles back and quickly put it back on - doubt it! Even though 'nothin was done' it sure drives better than ever and there's no trace of smoke.

The dealer told me off for not driving it hard enough, suppose having a little nipper now has helped keep the MPG up and fuel bills down :-)

Fingers crossed it doesn't explode on me!

:-)

Mike