4 Warning Signs The Exhaust Needs To Be Replaced On Your Vehicle

Your exhaust system is more than the tailpipe that sticks out of your vehicle. Your vehicle exhaust system plays an essential role in the overall function of your vehicle. The exhaust helps to remove harmful fumes from your car in a safe manner. It also helps to improve the performance of your engine. Additionally, your exhaust helps control the noise level of your vehicle and increases fuel efficiency.

#1: Roaring Sound

If you notice a roaring sound when you are driving, then the silencer on your exhaust system has started to go out. The process of expelling exhaust is not quiet; the silencer helps to ensure that every vehicle going down the road doesn't sound like a muscle car.

The silencer is often the first part to get damaged. That is because it usually stays pretty cold, which allows the gas that is being exhausted to condense a bit, and that can cause acidic moisture, which then can corrode the silencer. If your car is roaring like it is the 1920s, it is time to get the silencer on the exhaust fixed.

#2: Hissing Sound

Another warning sign is a hissing sound. It can be harder to hear the hissing sound, as it tends not to be that loud. This is a sound that someone else may notice when standing outside your vehicle when it is running.

However, if you hear a hissing sound, that generally means there's a crack in either the manifold or in the exhaust pipe. Or the hissing sound could be caused by a leaking gasket that seals the exhaust manifold. Either way, you will want to get that crack fixed, or you are going to want to get the gasket fixed.

#3: Chugging Sound

A chugging sound kind of sounds like water being poured out of a plastic container really fast. If you hear that sort of sound from your vehicle, then there is an issue with the way that gas is moving through your exhaust system. Generally, you get that chugging sound because there is a blockage somewhere in your exhaust system that is causing the gas to build up, and the chugging sounds come as the gas is forced through a tight channel. This will require a little investigative work on behalf of the mechanic to determine where the clog is happening within the system and what needs to be done to fix it.

#4: Rattling

If you notice a rattling sign when you are driving around, that is not good. The exhaust system may rattle if it has become misaligned somehow. Or one of the clamps or brackets that hold the exhaust system in place may have become loose. This is common over time, as the support fixtures for the exhaust system can become corroded and fractured. The parts that support the exhaust just need to be replaced.

If the rattling has more of a metallic sound to it, the pipe may not just be louse but maybe touching up against something else, such as one of the supporting brackets, causing the noise to be amplified.

Your exhaust helps improve your vehicle's performance, expel harmful fumes from your car, and keep the noise levels down from your vehicle. If you notice any of the warning signs above, get your mechanic to check them out.