So, my beloved A6 JSB coupe sits on a lift at the muffler shop, waiting for a new shifter cable. I took it to a shop I always use and who has been great in the past, to install a set of Borla Stingers. I even got to go under the car with the mechanic, show him where to disconnect the vacuum lines for the NNP (NPP? I forget!) and kindof go over things. I leave for work. After a couple of hours, I get a call from them asking how to start the car. Yes, I had left them the fob! I figured they probably weren't pressing on the brake while pressing the button, so I told the procedure and didn't hear back. I figured they must be near done if they were asking how to start it, so I head over to the shop. When I get there, I see through the office window the car with it's hood up. I ask if something is wrong, knowing the hood shouldn't be up for an over-axle muffler changeover. "Well, we can't get it started." I go out and sure 'nuff, won't start. The foreman shows me where the pipe hit the linkage into the tranny when they were wrestling the left side pipe out, and a clip holding the cable broke, so the shifter pushes the linkage but won't pull it, and the sensors in the tranny don't know what gear the car is in. So, it sits, waiting for them to order a new linkage cable to get in Wednesday.

They had never worked on an auto C6 before.

Moral of the story: Find a shop that has done this job before, and be sure they know to be careful with the linkage on the driver's side near the joint. I do remember reading somewhereabout putting the shifter in D or S to make removal easier, remembered it after the fact, of course.

 

Argh, that sucks.
Good luck, thanks for the heads up and hoping for a speedy recovery.




Yes it is NPP.

 

you were taking out the NPP to install a set of Borla's...is that correct...

 

That's correct. NPP, even with fuse pulled so it was open all the time, didn't quite do it for me, or my wife (you oughta hear her Harley!) I had Stingers on a 50th Anniv C5 and loved 'em, got 'em slightly used from a forum member for a great price.

 

I owned my own shop for 4 years before My father got ill and I will say that is an honest mistake. Im sure they will make it right and that is no reason for you not go back. Now if they dont have any experience (as the case may be) on modding C6's, thats different. I never worked on 03 Cobras until I had my own KB Cobra, then they were cake. Good luck.

 

Addendum to my previous answer about sound of NPPs: It came with the car as I got the car from dealer inventory, I did not order it. Had I ordered it, I would not have gotten NPP with the idea of adding aftermarket exhaust after delivery/break-in.

Update: I went by the shop this a.m. to pick up my stock pipes before they "accidentally" got thrown away. They had gotten the cable out and were able to get the car started by moving the linkage lever at the tranny, so all is well there. The new cable should be in tomorrow am and should be back on the road in the afternoon! The shop has been very good about keeping me informed about what is going on and assuring me they have every intention of doing this right, even if the car has to be flatbedded to a dealer, which I suspect won't be the case. I will use them in the future, heck, they put the first set of glasspacks on my '71 Cuda 383 in 1972!

 

You should get the NPP mufflers back, you can sell them for a few hundred bucks on this forum.

 

I went back the next day with my Jeep and got them, I figure I'll hang on to them at least for a while to make sure I like the Borlas, I may just keep them until/if I sell the car as the next owner may want them, who knows?

Just curious, if someone were to buy them, don't they have to also install all the solenoids, hoses, etc? Sounds like it could be a major job. Or, I guess they could just leave 'em open like I did by pulling the fuse.

Final update: I got my baby back, everything is fine, it was the shifter cable that needed replacing, not a difficult job ONCE they were able to get to it, which required moving the mid-pipes, taking out a plate running the length of the torque tube which must have been held on by at least 2 dozen bolts.

The sound is great, definitely "throatier" than "unplugged" NPPs (I took the fuse out the day after I got the car), and don't seem to drone any more than the NPPs, which was tolerable. The tailpipes look a little meatier, too. Once wife gets back from out-of-town trip will have her drive it so I can do the out-of-car sound test.

Again, be aware of the linkage when taking out the driver's side muffler/pipe, shift into D or S to give the best clearance.

 

It was a smart move on his part

 

There is a 1st time for everything. It is no excuss to screw things up. I little more care would have been nice.

Sorry this happened to you.