1st bizarre experience
 

I'm at a stoplight in dynamic mode. Green light.

My exhaust all of a sudden sounds completely dampened, but violent, and cavitating. It sounds like a lawn mower, and I really can't even drive with dynamic / exhaust turned on. So I turn it off, and I can still hear the quieter cavitation vibration sound in the muffler, just upstream a bit.

I drive like this and it is nerve wracking, hopefully something will change. Nothing. Get home about 4 miles later. Turn off the car. Turn it on. Back to normal.

So what's that all about?
:icon_couchhide:

broken/stuck baffle?


Dave

I am hoping stuck, and I am hoping my ignorance was such that stuck is okay, fixes itself, and is of no concern. I guess I should wait til the 2nd time it happens. But very disconcerting. Like hopping off our car and onto a riding lawnmower with dull blades. Quite eerie.

Keep an eye on it but despite the F type proving out to be a very reliable car, the active exhaust/baffles are a common warranty failure from what I can tell. Honestly I'd be surprised if it fixes itself but here's to hoping!

Dave

Reliable! Ha?! My Infiniti G35 was reliable, this car is very short of being reliable. (1) I've had to replace my exhaust due to the active exhaust problems, (2) A/C compressor had to be replaced as well as the A/C computer module (who knew the A/C had its own computer ?), (3) rear bumper to rocker connection improper alignment causing paint to rub off in the meeting point, (4) battery dying due to tapping OBD-II, (5) rattles in door when listening to the music, (6) my car does not always respond to the keyless remote command to lock, (7) sometimes when I unlock the car with the remote and then open the door the windows roll completely down. 4-7 are still problems that need to be addressed. Appears there is a potential fix for 4 rolling out. 6-7 might be due to the SmartTop module or some electronic gremlin. 5 i will address myself when I have some time to pull off the doors and examine. Sorry my :icon_twocents:

Hopefully the issue is resolved but you might have to get your exhaust replaced as I needed to.

Your experiences are one owner and one car; I think it's safe to say that the F type has proven to be very reliable AND most of the complaints/problems that people DO experience are minor issues.....you certainly don't hear much about major systems failure/weakness like engine, tranny, rear end, brakes, etc. etc.

I've been a forum member on a dozen other motor vehicle forums and this one is surprisingly devoid of major issues compared to all the others I've been on.

I don't like to make light of people's issues but things like minor panel alignment issues or OBD2 activation issues are very minor things in the big picture....JMHO

YMMV (and obviously does)

Cheers,
Dave

With the Smarttop, the windows roll down if you push the unlock button twice. Maybe it's registering two button presses for some reason.

Were you able to get #5 fixed? I have that issue on my new 17 and it's extremely irritating. I haven't brought it in yet because I don't want to be "that guy" but it really drives me nuts.

I'd have to add my car to the list of cars that are very reliable.

2015 F Type R
Summer driven (almost daily). Stored in winter. 13,000 miles. Bought new.
Speaker rattle issue, and chrome window trim coming up.

That's it! Not bad for a first year car (coupe). Actually, pretty amazing.

Every model has its problems, with this car only being out a few years maybe we havn't seen them yet. On my 03 xk vert we had the green shower from hydrolic lines and shock tower bushing failure. On my 09 xkr vert there was the leather dash shrinkage and the rear window that would fall out causing the top to need replacement.

Previous to the 03 xk you had the plastic chain tensioners and engine wall issues. I know you learn from your mistakes but what mistake will they learn from our model. I hope not many.

Oh. Well.... call me a pushover, but I literally couldn't care less about something that is covered by warranty. As long as I plan ahead and get a loaner, I've the utmost patience for a manufacturer being accountable to, and fixing, their products.

It hasn't happened again, but I will bring up with service. I've not seen or heard one "stuck baffle" thread on here, so I assume it was an outlier moment. We shall see! =)

But I am at 28K, so that stuff better fail quick. LOL

I've got rattling muffler valves in the 1400-1500 rpm range under power. I'll have them look at it at the next scheduled service.

I get that.. sorta. How demanding should we be, how high expectations should we have?

When I am on an incredibly steep incline (my driveway, heading out), I get the gratuitous gentle "clang" once or twice of the vibrations at low RPM, as I gun it up the hill. But it's almost not noticeable.

HOWEVER... my issue happened again. I only say "cavitate" because I love words, I'd forgotten it, and Unhinged used it in relation to bad news for the fuel pump. So I should say "cavitation" so much as "violent shuddering".

I've video, tho I don't think you hear the timing / sound issue in the muffler video, as it's so close to the exhaust. It happened in nearly the same spot, and long, lazy straight part of my residential road, home.

The check engine fluttered aggressively for about 30 seconds. I pulled over, shot the vid, turned the car off, and on... and it once again immediately resolved itself.

However, this time didn't feel like a stuck baffle so much as something upstream.

What is worse? My anecdotal and unfounded opinion is interrupting things, and now my brain is going like I am diagnosing my illness off Web MD, and yes, my car obviously has cancer.

But aside from this entire experience, the car just feels more vibration-y and the stick shift has far more vibration than I remember, since installing the short shifter.

I've got service this Friday to check the "check engine" and see if it's a full exhaust issue. But before taking it in:

I assume a short shifter install, including that ANNOYING AS HELL bolt, wouldn't create any of these associated issues, even if (non-mechanic mind trying to think of everything) that annoying bolt fell out or wasn't re-installed properly?

I doubt it is that. But I do NOT want to take it in and have them see an obvious error on my other mechanics part, etc.

VIDEO:
https://goo.gl/photos/NWsn4QCJ9t2qaqmr7

Oooooooooooooh.... you can here it. Pa-Pa-Pa-Pah-Pah-Pah-Buhm-buhm-buhm.

Correct... I've no idea how to spell that sound.

From this perspective, it does sound like a damper. But the whole car feels *slightly* (totally anecdotally and I don't trust my brain) a tiny bit more sluggish, a tiny bit more vibrat-ish, a tiny bit more rough on the road. For what it's worth.

Cavitation is a wonderful word. I can see how it might be used relative to a fuel system, but it is inappropriate relative to an exhaust system. Maybe "makes a funny sound" would be an alternative.

A supercharger might cavitate. Discuss... :)

Not likely - cavitation implies a liquid. If you pull on a liquid too hard (i.e. with a propeller), you can cause bubbles of if to transition from liquid to gas briefly.

This is also why you can't use a water pump to pull water up very far, but you can push it up from the bottom.

On the other hand, this is the internet - feel free to use any word however you like. ;)

Thank you Lewis Carroll.

+1. Cavitation always involves incompressible fluids ( such as water or gasoline). Air is (obviously) compressible.

As you mention in the video...that's not right. Could not possibly be related to the short-shifter, so get it into shop ASAP. It sounds far more serious than flapping muffler valve. Almost like a sticking exhaust valve.

"That ain't right..." Wishing you well on getting it diagnosed & fixed!