Okay so i stumbled upon a problem again and need some advice from you guys! when i start my car in the morning the reduced engine power light and the check engine light comes on. So what i do is i go out the car every time and push on my exhaust pipe and start again and the problem goes away! So im suspecting that i have a crack somewhere in my exhaust system and i do not have enough backpressure...not sure whats going on really. When i open the driver door i can smell the exhaust almost like there is a leakage underneath the car, i also hear rattle from underneath the car. However i recorded how the car sounds with a cam:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WAL-CprFlw

What do you guys think? Could this be caused by the exhaust or is it something more serious? How can i fix the problem? any suggestions?

Car info:
V6 3.8L
1999
109K miles
Just changed oil
Exhaust been rattling past 2 years

 

I don't know who started the "engine needs or wants backpressure" crap, but that's a myth, put it out of your head. If that was the case, I'd have you jamming a bath towel up your tailpipe (the car's) with a broomstick and calling it good. If there's any doubt in your mind, read this....twice: Backpressure Myth. Don't worry that it makes reference to BMW's at the end, the reasoning is the same.
1. Where on the exhaust pipe are you pushing?
2. Is the exhaust system rusted out anywhere, possibly have an oxygen sensor hanging where it shouldn't?
3. Have you held your hand over the tailpipe with the engine running, is there good pressure there? Could be the cat converter is clogged or broken up inside. That would greatly restrict exhaust flow, which not only chokes the engine, but the air/fuel mix will be messed up since the computer won't be getting an accurate reading flowing across the oxy sensors.
Do some more investigating.

 

so when you give it gas it does nothing does it run good eventually is the throttle cable broken/disconnected the exhaust does sound bad id have that looked at (im listening to this on a laptop so maybe i didnt hear it good but i didnt hear the engine rev up when you gave it gas)

 

The throttle cable is not broken or disconnected because the car will run after i push on the exhaust pipe with my foot. Basically the car is okay after i push in on the exhaust with my foot, and i push it at the end of the pipe behind the car. and yes the engine does not rev up when i push the gas pedal...there is reduced pressure when i hold my hand against the exhaust pipe..

 

i am totally lost ive had my car running with no exhaust after the manifolds and it was fine loud as hell but ran fine (wanted to see how loud it was and **** off my dad) when you psh on your exhaust what does that do for the exhaust tighten it up id go to a muffler place and have that looked at its prob an o2 sen thats fckin up

 

Pushing on the exhaust to make the engine run right still makes no sense to me. As I stated in my previous post^, the exhaust could be the culprit, if it was clogged. But, could be pushing the pipe is tweaking an electrical or sensor connection (maybe an oxy sensor as I also mentioned). Get under the car, and under the hood, and have someone else push on the exhaust and see what moves.
I once had a car where the exhaust pipe rusted around the oxy sensor bung, and the sensor fell inside the pipe. The engine ran like crap because of it.

 

Try to read the DTC before you "adjust" the exhaust pipe, or go under the car and check the exhaust system out. I'd also like to know who started the "engine needs back pressure to run" BS.

 

any codes

 

Pete, if you find him, you kick him in the left nut and I'll kick him in the right!