escort zetec 1.6 16v petrol Accident found problem, maybe

[tcube]

I've asked about about this problem before and had some helpful responces. my escort since I got it has lacked power and I'm lucky if I get 29 to the gallon even driving very gently. Sometimes the revs would go up and down at idle but only sometimes. It's got 95000 on the clock. Recently at nite I ran over a huge rock in the road that hit the exhaust and opened up the joint infront of the cat. Immediately the car went better and I realised that the fuel consumption went down too. It stopped revving on it's own too. my mate at an exhaust centre looked at it and said it was the original exhaust system from new. A record in his experience. he sealed up the gap in the joint and hey presto the car runs like crap again. I guess the the problems lie with the old exhaust. Does this sound plausable??
Thanks

 

[Burnerman]

Indeed this is a typical failure of the exhaust system...either the cat blocks up or more likely, it disintegrates and the bits foul up the rear silencer.
Its a mechanics trick to remove the lambda sensor if we suspect this - its easier than splitting the exhaust.
John

 

[tcube]

Thanks John. removeing the sensor. Does that mean the car will run ok with the old exhaust? can I find it and do it myself?

 

[Burnerman]

I think with this sort of age and mileage you need a complete new exhaust system - its unlikely that the old one will come apart anyway. Its not a good idea to run the car without the lambda sensor (its screwed into the front of the cat) for any length of time. We just do this to confirm any diagnosis.
Try Ebay for a cat - don't go to the dealers for one....or a friendly motor factor.
John

 

[tcube]

Thanks John. Will get exhaust sorted