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Sobering read following some recent threads


Richf

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-39350942

 

Be sensible when modifying your exhaust people !

 

snip "Modifications to car 'led to the deaths of two young people'

Modifications to a car led to the deaths of Thomas Putt, 20, and Nikki Willis, 23, from carbon monoxide poisoning, an inquest has heard.

The carbon monoxide levels produced by Mr Putt's car were 1,000 times higher than a factory standard vehicle.

Exhaust fumes had leaked under the bonnet because of the modifications, which included vents being cut into the bonnet and the catalytic converter being removed"

 

http://www.350z-uk.com/topic/115006-exhaust-spacer-mod/page__hl__exhaust

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Probably due to many cars being designed to draw air in at the front over the engine and exhaust and down the back of the engine under the car , start fitting bonnet vents and you can disrupt that air flow

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A friend posted about this a few days ago, and there was a comment from another that caught my attention. Ill post it here and see what others say, but I strenuously state it is NOT my opinion.

 

" Dangers of car modification?

 

"Exagerated by the removal of the catalyst"

 

Many many things wrong with this report.

 

First.

A mechanic, even a gash one could tell when the manifold gasket is blowing.

 

The catalyst removes fumes from the exhaust AFTER the engine. Downstream of the exhaust.

So makes ZERO difference weather fitted or not.

 

Heres whats happened from an engineering and experienced background.

 

The lad has been showing off to his girlfriend. Getting his car to pop flames by hitting the limiter. This is done by cutting the ignition. It increases dramatically the heat and pressure inside the cylinders and consequently the exhaust.

 

This heat and pressure has blown a hole in the manifold gasket.

 

He has then driven home and sat outside with his girlfriend with the engine running as it was cold.

 

One of the side effects of carbon monoxide poisoning is sickness dizzyness and vomiting... so thats the puke accounted for.

 

This is a tragic accident.

But not the fault of modifying cars but driving like a **** and bouncing it off the limiter without knowing the results.

 

To be 1000x over the safe limit they must have been sat there for hour after hour smelling gasses.

 

I feel for their families. But dont blame modified cars.

There are millions of modified cars on the roads that DONT kill people."

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This is a tragic accident.

But not the fault of modifying cars but driving like a **** and bouncing it off the limiter without knowing the results.

 

Thanks for clarifying I was struggling to get the BBC article to make sense, they seemed to only focus on the fact he had modified his exhaust. Makes sense now you mention it, spotted the flame exhaust pics he had posted.

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How did they both pass out at the same time? If it was one person it would make more sense to me, but if your feeling light headed or dizzy surely you would exit the vehicle for some air? Or if your partner passes out in front of you surely you would get out the car to remove them if you think it may be gas related?

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I don't think people realise how dangerous carbon monoxide is.

 

At 35ppm, you'll get dizzy.

At 100ppm, you'll have a banging headache.

At 1600ppm, you'll be dead in 2 hours.

At 12800ppm, you'll be dead in 3 mins.

 

What's that in percentages? 1.28% for the last one. Absolutely nothing at all. It's absolutely lethal stuff.

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If if had been a standard​ exhaust system the driver wouldn't have been bouncing the engine of the limiter, as there'd be little to show off about.

 

Awful what's happened, although easily avoidable.

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If im correct, doesnt it replace the oxygen in your blood cells, effectively starving the brain? So all forms of coordination go completely out the window... That was rather harrowing to watch as the chap was effectively dying there, and the track marshals seemed to have very little idea.

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Recovering from CO poisoning isn't as simple as just venting fresh air unfortunately... not if you leave it too long anyway.

 

The CO bonds to your red blood cells in such a way that your body struggles to release it (like it does with O2 and CO2), leaving you with a blood system full of carboxyhaemoglobin (sp?). When this happens, breathing air in to your lungs is pointless as they can no longer swap CO2 for O2 because all your Red blood cells are carrying CO instead, and you pass out, then die, due to Oxygen starvation.

 

CO is odourless and colourless and is an efficient killer; this car incident is basically the same as people who die every year due to faulty gas fires, etc.

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I had Berk decats fitted to me DE for a few months and noticed I was getting mild headaches and some nausea after even short journeys of 10-15mins. Now part of the issue I believe was that the garage who fitted them did so incompetently and I noticed even bolts were missing on the manifold joining point (the hard to reach ones). Also part of the the issue was that I park in an underground carpark, with not much ventilation, and when I got out of the car after parking up there was a very noxious smell of fumes, it was very difficult to grab items from the boot even, it was that bad... the misses said she could even smell the fumes off my clothes when I got back into the apartment :wacko:

 

That is just my experience though - I know most people who run decats on here do not have a similar issue. But be careful.

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The thing is i'm old enough to remember cars without cats and i don't remember people just passing out in traffic ??

 

I'd imagine it's due to the small confines of a car cockpit in comparison to be vented out into the atmosphere.

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Scary article and vid.

 

Hence:

- My in-depth research into the exhaust mod and potential fumes

- Consideration of where the fumes can enter the cabin (mod is at the backbox)

- How to minimise such an event (don't thrash it, don't idle for long periods of time while stationary, windows open)

- Extent based upon the location of the leak in the system (after cats)

- Intention to have a CO detector in the car

 

 

On that note, is there any reason why cars don't come with a cabin CO detector from factory?

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