Originally Posted by Troubbll
I have a '98 Civic EX with 51,000 miles and have replaced the muffler twice, the center pipe three times, and the heat shield has fallen off. I only drive it a few miles most days, and live in Vermont. Is there any way to stop this from happening again??? Will a stainless steel center pipe and muffler withstand the weather better?
The exhaust is not "heating up" enough during your short commute. Condensation inside the exhaust combined with the salt/winter grime is most likely causing your accelerated wear.
Any way to lengthen your drive? ie stop for coffee/breakfast, run some errands, anything to allow the pipes to heat up and burn off extra moisture.
Good luck!
ps I agree that stainless will hold up much better
