Hello everyone,
Please hear my situation and give any input you wish... Since about 2 years ago, I have been having to get my muffler replaced at Midas (lifetime warranty) because it has broken off in back of the rear muffler on trips mostly. They replace it free, but it seems to break off again within a month. Anyway, I was on a trip a while back and it broke off again, and this was a Ansa that they put on too. I was really mad so I just through it away in a dumpster, I couldn't keep it because I was on the road and had no place. SO, I had been driving with no rear muffler for about a month till yesterday when I was driving along the exhaust decides to break right behind the cat converter and also it broke in between the cat and center muffler. This is really bad because now the car sounds REALLY loud and ugly. I am hoping that Midas will give me a rear muffler for free (like always) even though I don't have it to show them. (Should this matter?) I did however make it home with the cat dangling. My center muffler is fine, just broke at both ends. I now have the center muffler and cat in the trunk. Is it ok to drive it to Midas? And, how much should I expect to pay for a cat and center muffler (these don't have a warranty from Midas)I know these guys suck, but to get a free rear muffler I have to keep going back. What do you all think about this? Thanks so much for reading, Scott

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Scott Chaffin
Homepage devoted to my 190E:
http://www.scotty-c.com

Scott,

Forget Midas, buy OE or OEM pipes and parts. I suggest getting stainless OE, it will last 10 yrs or more. Get it done right once with quality parts. It will cost a little more upfront, but be worth it years from now.

That free muffler is costing you a fortune in time and trips to the shop. Get quality parts and quality installation, and you will not see an exhaust tech for many more years.

Search this site for other's opinions on this. Most of us agree; stainless aftermarket, OE, or OEM is the way to go.

Good Luck

As was suggested, go OEM (through the parts folks on this web site, not sure if they do exhaust, but they do have fair prices), or go lifetime stainless through http://www.timevalve.com/

I own two of their systems, one 10 years old and not a like of rust or trouble. The exhaust will take on a "bassier" sound. I think that's due to the harder metal.

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S, J.R. Brown
2000 G500 LWB Obsedian Black
2005 Toyota Tacoma Access Cab Off Road Sport
1993 Volvo 240 Sedan Anthracite
1980 450SEL Champange (owned it for 15 years. Great car)
1986 280GE LWB Anthracite (Sold it and kinda wish I hadn't)

If exhaust systems crack or break in the pipes, stress from improper design or installation. I know of only car MB that ever had a problem with design was the 81-83 240D.
Sometimes lower priced afertmarket parts are just low QUALITY and they fail no matter who installs it.

OEM part will be the best. However if you drive mostly long distances aftermarket exhausts will last very long and are much cheaper. With my 300SE I had the exhaust completely replaced three years ago for US$ 275 (including labour), and after 100K km it still works fine.

I have seen a number of 190s with exhaust failures you describe. They all had poor supports at the back of the tranny.

I would try and buy Ebersbacher exhaust from a supplier or definitely consider timevalve (as mentioed above). I'm sure their product would never fracture; being stainless steel. And as stated above I too have seen numerous systems over ten years old that still shined like new.

As to the catalyst we would TIG weld it back together if it were just fractured. The aftermarket versions are POS compared to OE, but OE is probably around $1700.

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Steve Brotherton
Continental Imports
Gainesville FL
Bosch Master, ASE Master, L1
33 years MB technician