Need new muffler -- Remus? several questions
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Joined: Dec 2002
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From: Pacific Palisades, CA & Sherman Oaks, CA (work)
2012 E350 coupe Black/Almond, 61k miles in 2020
Need new muffler -- Remus? several questions
First, I am not by any means a do-it-yourself person. I have always allowed the dealer to do all maintenance.
So, for a completely mechanically ignorant person like myself, what would you do?
Car: original owner 99,500 miles 2001 E320, eibach springs, Koni shocks (from Tire Rack), 17" amg wheels with Bridegestone Potenza tires. No other mods from standard. Out of extended warranty as of ten months ago.
Metal rattling noise has been going on for about two months. It has gotten worse so I put my head under the car while idling in park yesterday ... the sound is indeed straight from the muffler, as though metal marbles were bashing about. The sound is *not* from the front toward the cat converters. I am actually quite impressed the original muffler made it almost to 100,000 miles.
So, new muffler, right!? This is a part I had wondered about upgrading for several years, what with an AMG-like suspension already and I enjoy going around twisties. A sporting sound would complement the car well.
1. How much to replace muffler at dealer with OEM muffler?
2. How much to replace muffler at Midas, while I wait?
3. How much for a Remus muffler, whose sound per a couple of posts here is more like what I would like (with resonator removed). If remus, where do I get it, and who will install it and remove resonator here in Los Angeles? A Remus Universal or one made just for E320? Which model would work for me? I noticed the other post on Remus had a dual tip exhaust... is that necessary or an option?
I plan to keep the car another two years (30,000 miles), then give to my daughter when she is sixteen.
So, for a completely mechanically ignorant person like myself, what would you do?
Car: original owner 99,500 miles 2001 E320, eibach springs, Koni shocks (from Tire Rack), 17" amg wheels with Bridegestone Potenza tires. No other mods from standard. Out of extended warranty as of ten months ago.
Metal rattling noise has been going on for about two months. It has gotten worse so I put my head under the car while idling in park yesterday ... the sound is indeed straight from the muffler, as though metal marbles were bashing about. The sound is *not* from the front toward the cat converters. I am actually quite impressed the original muffler made it almost to 100,000 miles.
So, new muffler, right!? This is a part I had wondered about upgrading for several years, what with an AMG-like suspension already and I enjoy going around twisties. A sporting sound would complement the car well.
1. How much to replace muffler at dealer with OEM muffler?
2. How much to replace muffler at Midas, while I wait?
3. How much for a Remus muffler, whose sound per a couple of posts here is more like what I would like (with resonator removed). If remus, where do I get it, and who will install it and remove resonator here in Los Angeles? A Remus Universal or one made just for E320? Which model would work for me? I noticed the other post on Remus had a dual tip exhaust... is that necessary or an option?
I plan to keep the car another two years (30,000 miles), then give to my daughter when she is sixteen.
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300E a couple 1994 w124wagon E320 Wagon/,1971MGB Track/Rally, MG Midget Autocross ,2000 E320 wagon.
Dealer?
You would be shocked,lots of good muffler shops in so.cal if thats where you are.Oem from http://www.importeccatalog.com/ are like 475 and then you add install at a local shop.Remus has a E320 specific on sale for 570 on his site,nice looking unit,Some people like the sound w or wo the resonator.You don't pick up a lot of noticeable power at the normal power band of the 3.2 engine and it will be louder.To each his own.Ask around home for a good muffler shop or someone here will know of one. check the cats sometimes the sound of a failing cat(gravel in a can) will only gently come out the exhaust tips,so it could still be a bad cat,have it checked out at the muffler shop.Universal oem cats are 50 bucks each at racepages.com and can be spliced in at the same good muffler shop.Lastly get a set of tools at costco and you can learn to do your own maint,if you want to! It is fun,rewarding and no more reaming at the dealer.
ohlord
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ohlord
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From: Maine
2000 e320
you can for instance like me grab the cheapest remus you can get and have a custom muffler shop put it in. the one i got was for a subaru impreza. total installed and everything its close to 400. still have to take the resonator out. or you can get the one from the remus exhaust shop for $570, which should be a perfect fit and any muffler shop can put that in for like $60. Lou's Custom Exhuast in the New England are good and highly recommended. dont any shops in cali. *notice the bend on the impreza remus muffler that i installed, they just keep the bend of the remus muffler and put a y pipe to hook them up.
does your clunking noise come from the muffler come and go? mine is from the front and sometimes its hard to replicate. i just dont want to bring it to the dealer and then cant produce the same clunking.
i did a muffler once in midas, its was for an acura legend. total cost was about $130 installed muffler and everything. dont expect them to last long 2-3 years and its rusted, lifetime mufflers, but not labor and parts. better off paying more the first time.
does your clunking noise come from the muffler come and go? mine is from the front and sometimes its hard to replicate. i just dont want to bring it to the dealer and then cant produce the same clunking.
i did a muffler once in midas, its was for an acura legend. total cost was about $130 installed muffler and everything. dont expect them to last long 2-3 years and its rusted, lifetime mufflers, but not labor and parts. better off paying more the first time.
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Joined: Dec 2002
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From: Pacific Palisades, CA & Sherman Oaks, CA (work)
2012 E350 coupe Black/Almond, 61k miles in 2020
Thanks ohlord. I have exchanged two emails with Remus, this morning, but they seem to think I know how to do this and have not replied with a phone number so that I can talk it through with a live person...
If I know the Remus is the correct part, and per your post lots of muffler shops could install, I would be ready to pull the trigger.
If I know the Remus is the correct part, and per your post lots of muffler shops could install, I would be ready to pull the trigger.
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 129
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From: Pacific Palisades, CA & Sherman Oaks, CA (work)
2012 E350 coupe Black/Almond, 61k miles in 2020
I found Remus toll free number. On the line now with a guy who can help me. He is sending the link to the specific muffler you guys are talking about, including something called Cat-back, whatever that is... I know it is not the opposite of dog-forward.
I am also checking to see if this qualifies in the Remus group buy, but I think not as it is on sale.
Anyway, I will confirm when the email arrives that it is the part I want, order it, and then have it installed somewhere here in Van Nuys, Encino, West LA, or anywhere else somebody can recommend.
I am also checking to see if this qualifies in the Remus group buy, but I think not as it is on sale.
Anyway, I will confirm when the email arrives that it is the part I want, order it, and then have it installed somewhere here in Van Nuys, Encino, West LA, or anywhere else somebody can recommend.
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300E a couple 1994 w124wagon E320 Wagon/,1971MGB Track/Rally, MG Midget Autocross ,2000 E320 wagon.
There are a ton of good shops
in that area it is hot rod heaven,so ask around,check those cats. Cat back systems mean just that from the cat converter back to the exh tips,engineered with bigger pipes higher flow muffler,the whole system,they can get pricey,so ask around on here and on benzworld.org for peeps opinions.All you probably need if the cats are good and just the muffler is bad is the e320 specific remus muffler or the oem i noted,quiet v.s. growl,decision time....
ohlord
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ohlord
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From: Maine
2000 e320
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Thread Starter
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 129
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From: Pacific Palisades, CA & Sherman Oaks, CA (work)
2012 E350 coupe Black/Almond, 61k miles in 2020
Well, the road hit quite a turn at lunch. Went to a Van Nuys shop called exhaust pros. Turns out the muffler is fine and the right pair of catalytic converters are bad. I had the lefts replaced about 10,000 miles ago.
The guy had a remus muffler there in the shop, a return from a guy who thought it was too loud a while back. He said the cat-back system picture and description I had been sent via email won't work right because I have twin pipes coming back from the L/R converters. The one for $570 appears to be a single pipe back from the muffler.
He's proposed to replace both cats, install his returned remus, remove the resonator, make a Y-pipe to go from the twin pipes coming out of the converters to the muffler, install cat converter piping, and notch the rear bumper cover, for $700.
He's going to call tomorrow after he sources a pair of used (I'm pretty sure he said used) OEM catalytic converters.
The guy had a remus muffler there in the shop, a return from a guy who thought it was too loud a while back. He said the cat-back system picture and description I had been sent via email won't work right because I have twin pipes coming back from the L/R converters. The one for $570 appears to be a single pipe back from the muffler.
He's proposed to replace both cats, install his returned remus, remove the resonator, make a Y-pipe to go from the twin pipes coming out of the converters to the muffler, install cat converter piping, and notch the rear bumper cover, for $700.
He's going to call tomorrow after he sources a pair of used (I'm pretty sure he said used) OEM catalytic converters.
Last edited by DunninLA; Aug 27, 2007 at 05:55 PM.
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300E a couple 1994 w124wagon E320 Wagon/,1971MGB Track/Rally, MG Midget Autocross ,2000 E320 wagon.
Racepages.com
order them and then have him do the work,you can wait,no reason to buy used cats.they are oem and at 50 bucks can't be beat...Not a bad deal if he lets you get the cats and nocks his price down,look at some of his work,nice welds,neat shop?ohlord
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300E a couple 1994 w124wagon E320 Wagon/,1971MGB Track/Rally, MG Midget Autocross ,2000 E320 wagon.
Oliverk
Oem listed above . Quieter than stock?you'd need to order and install a second small resonator,avail from magnaflow.that baby would be as quiet as the E320,way quiet,i can hear my watch ticking at 90.
ohlord
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ohlord
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Thread Starter
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From: Pacific Palisades, CA & Sherman Oaks, CA (work)
2012 E350 coupe Black/Almond, 61k miles in 2020
Ohlord, so I called just now and mentioned the oem cat converters from racepages.com... he said no problem, labor only on that, but he is very insistent that it is a waste of money.. he did not mention the cats from racepages.com in particular, but was very animated about how any $50 cat converter is a waste of money, then went on to talk about how buying things on ebay is very dangerous. That after the car does not pass a smog test, was the $50 worth it?
So I'm left a little unsure about buying the cats from racepages.com, or letting him just find some cats from a '05-'06'07 benz...
I called racepages.com, and I think I got a callcenter person in India, and it sounded the same as every call center for every product you call for... extremely scripted and time consuming.
I then went to the Eastern Catalytic Converters website, and noticed this on the front page: "All Eastern Converters are OBD II compatible
Not for installation on OBD II equipped vehicles in California. Call Eastern Manufacturing Inc. for specific California OBD II approved products.
Anyone know what OBD II stand for? I guess I'll call Eastern during business hours to see whether this is an issue for my car here in CA.
So I'm left a little unsure about buying the cats from racepages.com, or letting him just find some cats from a '05-'06'07 benz...
I called racepages.com, and I think I got a callcenter person in India, and it sounded the same as every call center for every product you call for... extremely scripted and time consuming.
I then went to the Eastern Catalytic Converters website, and noticed this on the front page: "All Eastern Converters are OBD II compatible
Not for installation on OBD II equipped vehicles in California. Call Eastern Manufacturing Inc. for specific California OBD II approved products.
Anyone know what OBD II stand for? I guess I'll call Eastern during business hours to see whether this is an issue for my car here in CA.
Last edited by DunninLA; Aug 27, 2007 at 08:44 PM.
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300E a couple 1994 w124wagon E320 Wagon/,1971MGB Track/Rally, MG Midget Autocross ,2000 E320 wagon.
OBd2 CAN
onboard diagnostics with controller area network,It's the system that they plug in under your dash at the emissions test center,that verifies smog equip is ready,able and willing to test,sends certain values,to their computer and along with the tube in the exhaust reads those values,and the obd reader the shop and even you yourself can buy(although a much less expencive one for 39 bucks at harbor freight tools)that reads your codes when a check engine light comes on.Call and ask racepages about ca. approved,or eastern.If it is oem,and obd2 in 49 states the only reason it is not is in ca.is they did not pay ca to get the stamp of approval, they have a number stamped on them that says in affect we paid the state of ca. to approve this item.Sort of like the little warning on some p.c. driver for your computer that says this driver is not approved by microsoft(proceed anyway)and it works fine .They are oem,they will pass smog,have you ever had a smog person at the test center check all of the cars parts to see if they are state approved?Call and check,I would proceed anyway.I have used the universal cats before and have never had a smog test failure.
ohlord
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Joined: Dec 2002
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From: Pacific Palisades, CA & Sherman Oaks, CA (work)
2012 E350 coupe Black/Almond, 61k miles in 2020
Thank you ohlord and mbnz320 for your assistance.
In the end, I did what most NON do-it-yourselfers do, and that is to take the word of the mechanic and let him do his thing.
He did have some eastern cats, on the shelf... but said that they were for domestics, and that the OBDII situation made them not useful for imports or Mercedes.
So he did his thing, plus a $50 part called a flex pipe, as mine had been dented from rolling over a parking lot cement barrier three years ago.
The sound of that Remus muffler is great. Resonator was removed. A subtle, low rumble that is greatest at about 2,200 rpm. He notched the bumper cover and terminated the exhaust tips about 1/4 past that lower bumber lip... a very nice job. .3" clearanance in the notch on both sides, .2 inch clearance on top. I still need to use touchup paint to cover the cut out bumber exposure, which is white in color.
I am disappointed in the poster here who sells Remus. He directed me to call a number which was an auto parts store handling a zillion brands, who didn't know about the special price on my model Mercedes at $570, as I was quoted $790. We exchanged two emails Monday am, plus I left him a voicemail, but he has yet to reply to my request on Monday noon to speak to him over the phone, even after pointing out that the auto parts store he directed me to didn't know his product or special very well. I'm not sure he is actually located in the U.S.
Well, it all ended nicely. If anyone in LA needs to have Remus or other performance exhaust system installed, Exhaust Pro on Oxnard/Van Nuys Blvd. did a nice job on my installation. Two guys and two bays. My guy is named Sarkis. 818-780-7464
In the end, I did what most NON do-it-yourselfers do, and that is to take the word of the mechanic and let him do his thing.
He did have some eastern cats, on the shelf... but said that they were for domestics, and that the OBDII situation made them not useful for imports or Mercedes.
So he did his thing, plus a $50 part called a flex pipe, as mine had been dented from rolling over a parking lot cement barrier three years ago.
The sound of that Remus muffler is great. Resonator was removed. A subtle, low rumble that is greatest at about 2,200 rpm. He notched the bumper cover and terminated the exhaust tips about 1/4 past that lower bumber lip... a very nice job. .3" clearanance in the notch on both sides, .2 inch clearance on top. I still need to use touchup paint to cover the cut out bumber exposure, which is white in color.
I am disappointed in the poster here who sells Remus. He directed me to call a number which was an auto parts store handling a zillion brands, who didn't know about the special price on my model Mercedes at $570, as I was quoted $790. We exchanged two emails Monday am, plus I left him a voicemail, but he has yet to reply to my request on Monday noon to speak to him over the phone, even after pointing out that the auto parts store he directed me to didn't know his product or special very well. I'm not sure he is actually located in the U.S.
Well, it all ended nicely. If anyone in LA needs to have Remus or other performance exhaust system installed, Exhaust Pro on Oxnard/Van Nuys Blvd. did a nice job on my installation. Two guys and two bays. My guy is named Sarkis. 818-780-7464
Last edited by DunninLA; Aug 29, 2007 at 04:09 PM.
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na
RemusExhaustShop is a sister company to AutoAccessoryStore(AAS). AAS/MimoUSA is the importer of remus automotive exhausts in the US.
We decided not to call you back simply because you had already made up your mind about going with the Remus from your local shop, there was no point in calling you back.
We decided not to call you back simply because you had already made up your mind about going with the Remus from your local shop, there was no point in calling you back.
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300E a couple 1994 w124wagon E320 Wagon/,1971MGB Track/Rally, MG Midget Autocross ,2000 E320 wagon.
Yikes,
and I always thought that the customer was always right.Whether or not he had made up his mind, a helpful reassurance with his intended plans should have been the order of the day.You want happy Remus customers,you want good will,
give the guy a call.The more good things said about the product and the customer care the better all around.There are plenty of options out there,by a simple call back,you could have blown a few of them out o the water.
ohlord
"GOT CUSTOMER SERVICE?"
give the guy a call.The more good things said about the product and the customer care the better all around.There are plenty of options out there,by a simple call back,you could have blown a few of them out o the water.
ohlord
"GOT CUSTOMER SERVICE?"
