Exhausts are a vital part to maintaining your car’s efficiency and emissions. Being on the underside of the vehicle it can easily be ignored and neglected until it’s too late and fallen off on a major road, sometimes even causing an accident when other vehicles swerve to avoid the debris left. So this article will help explain the telltale signs that your exhaust is on it’s way out or not fixed correctly before it’s too late.
Listen for strange exhaust noises
Your exhaust contains a silencer to muffle the sounds of the combustion occurring within the engine. It will be very easy to hear if your silencer has corroded or become damaged when you drive the car. Expect to hear a loud roaring noise coming from the exhaust if the silencer is damaged.
You may also notice other hissing noises coming from underneath the car which could indicate a crack in the manifold, the exhaust pipe or even the gasket is leaking. If you hear rattling sounds coming from the underneath of the vehicle then you may find that the exhaust system has come loose. Metallic sounds could indicate the exhaust is touching something else on the underside of the car or even come free from it’s fitting brackets. If you hear any rattling noises it’s sensible to assess and correct it straight away, since continued use of a loose exhaust could lead to premature exhaust replacement if too much damage is caused. It’s usually very simple and cheap to replace the brackets and fittings of the exhaust compared with an entire exhaust replacement so don’t delay.
Carry out a visual inspection of the exhaust
If you’re concerned something is wrong with the exhaust or you haven’t assessed the underneath of the vehicle in some time, it’s wise to inspect and check the exhaust yourself. Whilst it’s difficult to do this thoroughly without the car being on a ramp, even just lying on your back and searching underneath the car for exhaust issues with a torch can highlight potential problems which can be assessed further by a garage if you have any suspicions.
Try to assess the entire length of the exhaust from the front to the back of the car. Search the exhaust for signs of rust, cracks, holes or loose fittings which could be causing problems. Sometimes rust can only be on the surface of the exhaust pipe but if you suspect the rust has compromised the structure of the exhaust, carefully with a screwdriver you can prod the affected rusty area. If the metal is weak or a hole appears, you know it’s time to get the section of the exhaust replaced.
Free exhaust check with MCM Garage in Radstock
If you’re encountering issues with your exhaust and you need expert assessment of the entire car exhaust system we’d be happy to assess your vehicle if you’re local to Radstock and Bath. We’ll advise the best solution to fix your exhaust and provide a competitive quote to repair and replace the exhaust, getting you back on the road in no time. Please call us on 01761 415501 or book your car in for an exhaust repair and assessment.