How long can I expect my exhaust to last? I have a 58 plate 105pd elegance estate and it has done 61k miles to date with no problem. How much longer will the exhaust last?

With a bit of luck, the lifetime of the car

Its like asking how long a piece of string is. Depends how you drive ie long or short journeys. Should last a few thousand miles longer.

generally they'll last longer on a diesel because there is less water produced in the exhaust gases.

can you fit a stainless steel back fox with twin pipes on a 1.6 tdi estate octavia just a thought thanks pete

Should be plenty of life left in it yet. My first OctaviaMk 1 still had the original exhaust after 98k and 10 years of lots of shortish city journeys with the occasional long run. ( My Mk11 has the original exhaust now with 77k on the clock and coming up for 7 years old)

Edited 22 July, 201312 yr by johnpeeay

Very similar to johnpeeay.

 

 My 2005 1.9 tdi with 80k on the clock is still on the original exhaust.

My 2006 2.0PD with 77,000 miles is still on the original exhaust.

 

The last time I looked it seemed to be in pretty good shape, with no obvious bad corrosion.   

My 1998 Mk1 still had the original exhaust when sold with 150k on the clock.  My current 2004 Mk2 is still going strong with 120k on the clock.

 

Doesn't seem to be a problem?

 

Dave

My 03 Leon cupra still has the original exhaust on after 101k miles

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk 2

As has been mentioned the original exhaust can last the life of the car.

 

Its the aftermarket exhausts that only last a few years if that.

My mk1 went to meet its maker after 11years and 250,000miles.  Still on the original exhaust, still in excellent condition.  Perhaps they have learnt, and make them flimsier now?

As it's been mentioned, exhaust systems on diesels will usually last a lot longer than their petrol counterparts due to the way the fuel burns and lack of moisture in the exhaust gases. They usually rot from the outside in on diesels - petrols get eaten inside and out.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

Gone are the days when an exhaust lasted 2 winters if you were lucky.

Reason is twofold

They are made from better quality metal - including stainless steel

By far the biggest contribution is the massive reduction in sulphur content of fuel - sulphur burns to produce sulphur dioxide, sulphur dioxide plus water plus a bit more oxygen produces sulphuric acid.  For the non-chemists among us that is battery acid.

 

Result is that they now mostly last the life of the car.  Except where they do lots of short journeys where condensation is left in the exhaust and small amounts of sulphuric acid gather to corrode it away.  I had to replace back end of SWMBO's exhaust (well not SWMBO's exhaust, the one on her Micra) at 56,000 miles - but it was 8yrs old.

diesel exhausts do last its petrol which do not had to have one done on my wifes fabia not too bad 52 plate 1.4 petrol 52000 miles but its to be expected

As it's been mentioned, exhaust systems on diesels will usually last a lot longer than their petrol counterparts due to the way the fuel burns and lack of moisture in the exhaust gases. They usually rot from the outside in on diesels - petrols get eaten inside and out.

 

Lack of moisture?  Diesel is a hydrocarbon just like petrol.  Hydrocarbon molecules consist of hydrogen and carbon atoms that burn to form water and carbon dioxide respectively.  Maybe due to higher exhaust temperatures that means that the moisture doesn't condense in the exhaust.

 

Your post made me wonder though.  Maybe the reason diesel exhausts last longer is because they get coated in a layer of fine soot particles that gets baked on and that protects the metal.  But with DPF there is no soot going down the exhaust.  I wonder if we will see reduced exhaust life as a result.