This evening at around 5:30PM when I left work in my car, 32° on the thermometer, my car experience a loss of engine power in first gear for about a quarter of a block, after which it was a bit sluggish for about 3/4 of a mile. While this was happening I noticed a warbling whistle noise accompanying the exhaust note, especially noticable at low engine RPM. When I exited my car in my driveway and examined my tail pipes, 30° on the thermometer, I found This thing sticking out of my tail pipe:




Has anyone here ever seen anything like this? Is it part of the muffler or the resonator that has come loose? Or, is someone screwing with by sticking crap in my tail pipe?

Immediately after taking the above pictures, I called my dealer's service department right away, have since e-mailed them said pictures, and expect to hear back from them in the morning as they were closing down for the evening. They didn't have any ideas as to what this thing is.

Note also the black residue around the bottom of the tail pipe lip. A friend noticed that recently and commented to me that it indicated my engine was running a little bit rich. I took that to mean that there was too much oil in the engine, is that indeed the likely cause?

 

Did you clean this thing or not? If you didn't then it looks to me like someone stuck that up your pipe.

Minis do run rich (high gas to air ratio) and the blackend tailpipe is common with most all S cars that I know of.

that's my best guess.

 

Here is your answer!!

Sleep better

http://www.funnypracticaljokes.com/p...pe-whistle.php

Oh, better make sure that there is not another one in the other pipe ...

 

if someone did that to my mini and it lost power cause of it, and i had no idea, i'd know exactly where to put that little practical joke.

your friends/enemies shall whistle when they toot.

 

Well at least I know I didn't blow up my resonator! I have a pretty good idea who did this to. That bastard. I'm going to go and drive my car around a bit and make sure that it was only suffering from cold weather roughness. As soon as I stick a flashlight in both tail pipes and make sure everything is kosher. Thanks onasled!