You’re reversing from your driveway about to go for some grocery shopping when you notice the check engine light come on. A few minutes later, you hear an unusual noise coming from the engine.
These are typical signs of an exhaust manifold leak.
While it’s tempting to neglect this issue and carry on with your errands, it’s crucial to get your car inspected. This post delves deeper into the most common loose exhaust manifold symptoms to watch out for.
These include loud noises, increased fuel consumption, check engine lights, strange smells, and reduced engine performance.
Symptoms of a Loose Exhaust Manifold
Loud Noises
If your car’s exhaust system is functioning properly, it should be able to dampen the noise generated by the engine. If you notice any loud noise, it’s likely coming from three places:
1. The Muffler
The majority of the noise-dampening task falls on one component- the muffler.
If you’ve come across a vehicle with a faulty or missing muffler, then you have a pretty good idea of just how loud the engine can get.
2. The Manifold
In some cases though, the muffler isn’t the culprit of the engine noise.
Rather, it stems from the manifold becoming loose or wrecked. If this happens, the exhaust gases will begin escaping a far distance from the muffler.
And as a result, their noise doesn’t get dampened.
3. The Gasket
Another likely culprit is the metal gasket positioned between the engine and the manifold.
An exhaust manifold gasket is responsible for sealing the connection between the engine cylinder and the manifold.
In doing so, it prevents exhaust from leaking.
To serve its function, this gasket undergoes multiple heating and cooling cycles. Each time it heats up, it expands and then contracts once it cools. This constant heating and cooling subjects the gasket to unnecessary stress, and this can lead to cracking.
So what sort of sound should you listen out for? Well, the noise of a leaking manifold varies considerably, ranging from a subtle tapping sound to the roar of a faulty muffler.
This sound is particularly noticeable during a cold start – when you start the engine before it’s reached its optimum temperature.
Strange Smells
Unusual smells emanating from the engine bay are another indication of a leaking exhaust manifold.
Ideally, exhaust gases ought to be routed through the entire exhaust system before being released into the atmosphere.
More specifically, these gases are directed to either the particulate filter (for diesel cars) or the catalytic converter.
Both of these components help to reduce emissions so that the gas released from the exhaust is a little bit cleaner.
If you have a cracked manifold, it’s possible for these fumes to find their way inside the cabin. And you can easily tell from the burnt or unpleasant smell of the exhaust fumes.
Be sure to get your car checked by a professional mechanic.
Poor Fuel Economy
Have you noticed that your vehicle travels a shorter distance on a full tank of fuel than it did in previous months? If you have, you’re likely dealing with a leaking exhaust manifold.
By now, you’re probably wondering about the association between the exhaust manifold and your car’s fuel consumption. Well, the element linking the two is known as an oxygen sensor.
This sensor measures the amount of unburned oxygen present in the exhaust.
It then relays this reading to the car’s electronic control unit (ECU). Based on this information, the ECU determines the correct air-to-fuel ratio that’s needed to help the engine to perform optimally.
Now, if there’s a leak in the exhaust manifold, the O2 sensor ends up getting an inaccurate reading.
As a result, it signals the ECU to amp up the amount of fuel to compensate; hence, compromising your car’s fuel efficiency.
This explains why you’re having to drive to the gas station more frequently than you used to.
Decreased Engine Power
Another common symptom of an exhaust manifold leak is a reduction in engine power.
The leakage in the manifold tends to slow down the flow of the gaseous fumes being expelled from your car.
This means that these gases start accumulating in the exhaust, subsequently forcing the engine to work harder to reach its optimal power level.
Put simply, the leak causes the engine to choke on its own exhaust. As soon as this happens, you’ll notice your car becomes less responsive, especially when you try accelerating.
You’ll either have to push the gas pedal harder or the car will take a longer time to respond to your commands.
Check Engine Light Illuminates
There are several reasons why the check engine light comes on. These range from trivial issues like an untightened gas cap to more serious problems like an exhaust leak.
As mentioned earlier, a leaking exhaust manifold can cause the O2 sensor to misread the air-to-fuel ratio.
If the leakage leads the sensor into detecting a lean air/fuel mixture – meaning there’s inadequate fuel – the engine light will automatically illuminate to alert you to this issue.
If it does, the ECU will likely respond by increasing the amount of fuel; hence, causing an imbalance.
This will then lead to performance problems, such as misfiring.
What Happens if You Don’t Fix an Exhaust Manifold Leak?
There are a number of problems that can occur if you don’t fix the exhaust manifold leaks.
First off, the exhaust pipes are likely to get burned. Located inside the cylinder head, the intake and exhaust valves are responsible for bringing in and letting air out of the engine.
Even if the valves remain in good condition, the oxygen sensors can also get damaged and the catalytic converter can fail prematurely.
Plus, if your car is fuel inefficient, you’ll end up spending more on gasoline. To avoid such issues, consider enlisting the help of a professional mechanic.
How Do I Know if My Exhaust Manifold Needs Replacing?
The best way to know whether you need an exhaust manifold replacement is to conduct a visual inspection. In some cars, the layout of the engine and ancillaries isn’t complicated. This means you can spot any unusual signs pretty easily.
If you decide to do this inspection yourself, I’d recommend inspecting the manifold bolts first.
The area where these bolts are positioned is the most exposed to high temperatures and; hence, the most susceptible to cracking.
However, smaller and thinner cracks can form on other parts of the exhaust system. So it’s best to have a professional mechanic do this inspection.
Can I Drive With an Exhaust Manifold Leak?
Wondering whether you can drive with exhaust manifold leaks? Well, the answer is a resounding no.
With this type of exhaust leak, there’s a high risk of the exhaust fumes penetrating into the cabin; hence, jeopardizing your health.
Remember, the exhaust fumes comprise lethal gases such as carbon monoxide.
Inhaling this gas starves your body of essential oxygen. As such, it’s important to get the exhaust manifold leak fixed immediately.
That said, it’s safe to drive if the exhaust leak happens in a different component. Although the design may differ depending on the brand, most exhaust systems are made of three key parts- the downpipe, muffler, and exhaust manifold.
So while you can’t drive with a leaky exhaust manifold, you might be able to get away with a leaky muffler or leaky exhaust pipe.
However, you risk running into bigger hurdles such as faulty oxygen sensors, catalytic converter failure, and poor gas mileage. Furthermore, a damaged muffler is unusually loud so be ready for a very noisy ride.
Conclusion
An exhaust manifold leak is not a problem that should be neglected.
Don’t just roll up the car window and continue driving like there’s nothing wrong. If you do, the exhaust gases can penetrate into the cabin and cause breathing problems.
Plus, the leakage can lead to other issues leading to costly repairs.
To avoid this, keep an eye out for common loose exhaust manifold symptoms. These include reduced fuel economy, loss of engine power, unusual noises & smells, and the check engine light.
If you notice any of these, drive to your nearest auto repair shop and get your car inspected.
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