Major vibration when it rains

[Vincentbrown65]

I have a major vibration while coasting or maintaining speed around 2.5-3K RPMs, especially if it is in a higher gear (louder in 4th gear at 3K vs 1st gear at 3K). It sounds and feels like the exhaust is slapping the floor pan right underneath the center console. But the kicker... it primarily happens when I’m driving on really wet roads, far less often if it’s dry. For instance, I work about 30 miles away, mainly highway driving. Tonight, it was pouring rain all the way home (I live in Washington). About 5 miles from home while about to get off the freeway, car started vibrating.
I do have an Invidia catless DP and R400 exhaust. Any thoughts???

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[RP2000R]

Jack the car up and take a peek underneath and make sure everything is secure and nothing looks out of place..

 

[Vincentbrown65]

I already checked and couldn’t find anything obvious. What’s throwing me for a loop is that it only happens when it’s raining.

 

[RP2000R]

Hmmm weird.
Hopefully you figure it out.

 

[Jaxson]

Bet it’s thermal related. My last 8thgen had a horrible rattle underneath when there was a quick and sudden heavy rain storm that was on the cooler side. It has something to do with the hot exhaust and the cool water hitting it that would distort something enough that the exhaust would lightly touch a hesthsield or something underneath. It would immediately go away on the next drive or if the rain stopped and dried up during the drive.

 

[RP2000R]

I have had the same thing with a older civic/apex exhaust. When it rained it buzzed the whole floor board but when dry was nice and deep.

 

[seselectronics]

I already checked and couldn’t find anything obvious. What’s throwing me for a loop is that it only happens when it’s raining.

I have a major vibration while coasting or maintaining speed around 2.5-3K RPMs, especially if it is in a higher gear (louder in 4th gear at 3K vs 1st gear at 3K). It sounds and feels like the exhaust is slapping the floor pan right underneath the center console. But the kicker... it primarily happens when I’m driving on really wet roads, far less often if it’s dry. For instance, I work about 30 miles away, mainly highway driving. Tonight, it was pouring rain all the way home (I live in Washington). About 5 miles from home while about to get off the freeway, car started vibrating.
I do have an Invidia catless DP and R400 exhaust. Any thoughts???

some aftermarket exhaust systems when it rains get water inside the resonators this cause the holes inside get clogged and start to do an excessive vibration in tho whole exhaust piping , when this happens sometimes the exhaust piping hit the chassis.

 

[amurciano]

I have a major vibration while coasting or maintaining speed around 2.5-3K RPMs, especially if it is in a higher gear (louder in 4th gear at 3K vs 1st gear at 3K). It sounds and feels like the exhaust is slapping the floor pan right underneath the center console. But the kicker... it primarily happens when I’m driving on really wet roads, far less often if it’s dry. For instance, I work about 30 miles away, mainly highway driving. Tonight, it was pouring rain all the way home (I live in Washington). About 5 miles from home while about to get off the freeway, car started vibrating.
I do have an Invidia catless DP and R400 exhaust. Any thoughts???

This same exact thing has happened to me twice since I got my exhaust a couple weeks ago. I have the AWE touring, and one night it was pouring like crazy and all the sudden I feel this thumping vibration/rattling coming from the center armrest. I was kinda nervous about the whole thing and thought something was seriously wrong. Its been raining a lot in south florida lately and tonight I went driving and it was raining pretty hard again and same thing happened. Almost feels like the suspension is messed up if I had to describe it.
I decided to google the issue and came across this thread so I'm glad I'm not the only one.
And like you said, it only happens in the rain and never when its dry outside.

I would like to get to the bottom of this, no pun intended, to see where it could be hitting. Hopefully I can see some scuffing where it was hitting and make adjustments accordingly.

 

[xplizitremix]

Same thing happens to me, I got an AWE touring as well

 

[amurciano]

Its completely normal. I had same thing happen to me after installing my AWE exhaust. When it rains hard, the exhaust gets wet, I don't know the exact reason why, but if exhaust is hot and gets splashed with water it gets "shocked" and contracts. Makes it feel like someone is taking a mallet and hitting the bottom of your car.

 

[ManfromRI]

Yup same thing with me. I have the R400 as well. There's definitely some science involved, I'm just to dumb to understand it ??

 

[Dirty_panda]

Same here, I have the AFE catback exhaust with an ultra quiet resonator welded in. I have experienced similar popping/ thumping noise under the center console, almost like something is banging against the undercarriage. I experience it when driving in rain or snow, usually when I’m decelerating or at a standstill.

 

[NkryptD0n3]

I hate to necro a thread but I have the same problem with the MAPwrformanxe exhaust or I’d I hit a hard enough bump like I did one time but I think it splashed water or something on the exhaust. I’ve been convinced my car is gonna explode because of how horrible it sounds.

Oh! And a few weeks ago hit some snow and same sounds. It’s like the transmission came loose and is smacking the bottom side of the car or like someone threw a hammer in a washing machine. It’s god awful. Hopefully it’s just hot exhaust and cold atmosphere or cold liquid causing it to act stupid but no real issues to be had for all of us. Cheers

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