I went to the muffler shop for a leak. They found a couple holes near / on the end of the resonator. I didn't know what the resonator was so when the 40 year muffler veteran says, "I take these off all the time and replace with straight pipes" I say "ok". I presumed the plate attaching the two pipes was just for stability. Driving home I notice that it's much quieter because of no holes and that the "note" is very muted. I read a little about resonators last night and realized that there was something more to the connected pipes. I rushed to the muffler shop this am and asked to see the part (which they had). We looked inside with a flashlight and saw that there were five or so holes connecting the two pipes. Clearly these contribute to the distinctive sound of our cars. As a temporary fix, he agreed to try to patch the one or two hoes on/ near the resonator and we'll see if he can splice it back into the exhaust system on Tuesday. The patching probably won't hold for too long. But I have my fingers crossed.
