Imagine your friend coming to pick you up in a clunking or rattling car.
Would you sit in it? The answer is probably no. Cars make a rattling or clunking noise because of a plethora of reasons starting from loose components, road damage, system leaks, or more.
Read on to learn how to deal with them.
The Basics of a Car’s Exhaust System
Exhaust is an integral stage of any IC engine cycle and it directly affects the overall performance and efficiency of your car.
The exhaust system is responsible for ensuring that the gasses produced in the engine operates are completely removed from the system at the right time. So that the next stage of the cycle can begin anew and keep the engine running.
The whole exhaust system consists of the following five main components that work collectively to ensure smooth operations.
Exhaust valves: The exhaust process starts after the combustion is over. The piston forces all the harmful gasses and substances out as soon as the exhaust valve opens.
Manifold: Most cars have multiple cylinders. The exhaust manifold is responsible for collecting the harmful gasses from the cylinders and sending them to the next step of the process.
Catalytic converter: The catalytic converter carries out the chemical balancing to ensure that the harmful Carbon Monoxide (CO) and NOx don’t disperse in the atmosphere.
It breaks them down into CO2, water, and Nitrogen, ensuring cleaner emissions in the process.
Pipe and muffler: The pipe transfers the gasses from the catalytic converter to the muffler at the back of the car. The muffler is also known as the silencer as it reduces the noise created by combustion in the engine.
Tailpipe: The final stage of the exhaust process. The gas coming from the muffler leaves through the tailpipe you see at the back of the car.
Does Faulty Exhaust Cause Any Other Problem Besides Loud Noise?
You might think that a faulty exhaust might not be that bad. After all, the only thing it does is expel the gasses from the engine.
Loud noise is not that bad and ignoring it shouldn’t cause too many complications.
Wrong!!!
The exhaust is integral to a vehicle’s operations and directly impacts its performance.
A bad exhaust can severely restrict your engine and affect its power because gasses clogging near the muffler would require the piston to spend more energy just to expel the new exhaust gasses developed in the cylinder.
This means a reduction in the overall efficiency, acceleration, and fuel economy of the engine.
Apart from the money you spend on repairs, a bad exhaust can increase your overall costs in other ways as well.
For instance, it makes your engine inefficient, which means that it’ll consume more fuel.
Similarly, you’ll also have to deal with the chances of failing the emission test of your vehicle, which can cause further expenses and penalties for you.
The Main Reasons Behind Loud Muffler Sounds
When it comes to loud muffler sounds, the kind of noise you are dealing with matters.
In most cases, the kind of noise can help you determine which part of the exhaust system is creating trouble for you and help with the diagnostics.
When dealing with loud muffler sounds, pay attention to the kind of issue you are facing.
The sound will be one of the following as these are the most common tell-tale signs of a loud exhaust.
Rattling
Rattling generally means that you are dealing with a loose component in the exhaust system.
It might be a loose bracket or a heat shield. Maybe you have a damaged muffler or maybe the catalytic converter has moved from its position.
All of these issues are possible in older vehicles as the constant exposure to heat and other elements cause some disintegration in the inner structure.
Another common reason behind the rattling noise can be the contact between a specific exhaust component and the chassis of the car.
This issue is quite simple to address with the right tools but happens either because of rash driving or once again a loose hook or clamp.
You need to address the core issue to eliminate all kinds of inefficiencies in the system.
Hissing
This is a common result of any leakages in the exhaust system.
While it’s not as high as the engine itself, the exhaust system deals with pressurized gasses, and any leakage can cause a continuous hissing noise.
The previous section has already covered that a smooth and working exhaust is essential for regular engine operations.
Any leakage can prevent that and even cause environmental damage because of toxic fumes that may even find a way to penetrate the cabin.
Some of the main reasons behind exhaust leakages and the resulting hissing noises are rested components or loose mountings, seals, or gaskets.
Pressurized gasses require only the smallest opening to escape, so everything must be perfect for the best results.
Your exhaust manifold can also be the source of the hissing sound.
However, you can quickly recognize if the manifold is faulty or not.
Your muffler will be noisy at a cold start but the noise will be gone by the time your car heats up. It’s probably the manifold that expands on heating and plugs the leakage.
Clunky noise
This is perhaps the easiest problem to identify and fix. A clunky exhaust system means that any particular exhaust component is in contact with the chassis of the car.
In most cases, that component is the pipe or the muffler itself, which requires a few minutes to fix if you know what you are doing.
Pinging
Pinging is a common issue that many people complain about. However, a slight pinging sound is quite normal because of the high temperatures involved.
Exhaust gasses can significantly heat up the system components that may expand as a result. That expansion and contraction can create a pinging noise as the car gets older.
In most cases, cars are well-insulated and you won’t notice any pinging sounds when you’re in the cabin. However, if you do notice it, you can safely ignore it and carry on.
Vibrations
Vibrations in the exhaust components generally happen with any of the aforementioned issues.
Generally, a loose bracket or a component in contact with the chassis can create a lot of vibrations in the system. You can deal with it by addressing the core issue as soon as possible.
Left on their own, the vibrations can propagate and create a plethora of issues in the other exhaust components and systems in your car.
How to Prevent Excessive Vehicle Damage Due to Exhaust Issues
Ensuring that your exhaust remains in the best condition is quite easy.
Apart from getting the car checked at regular intervals, you can keep a close check on the sounds to ensure that all systems are operating as they should.
While checking for any damage in the exhaust system, look for anything unusual like loud muffler sounds or anything else that’s out of the ordinary.
Here are a few things that you might notice in case of a bad exhaust.
- Unusual and loud noises coming from the front and rear of the car
- Excessive black smoke. Note that black smoke might be because of the engine as well, so get it checked
- The unpleasant and unusual odor from the car while running
- A significant increase in fuel or a decrease in acceleration without any apparent reason
The Expected Costs of Exhaust Repair
The overall costs of getting your exhaust repaired depend on the car manufacturer, and model along with other factors like parts availability, the damage, and the labor required.
Generally, the most expensive part of your exhaust system will be the catalytic converter and the cost to replace it can go beyond $2500.
The other components can be anywhere between the range of $250 to $1000 depending on the intensity of the damage.
All of these rates exclude labor and are ballpark figures.
The actual costs depend on the condition of your car and a long list of other factors.
Final Thoughts on Loud Muffler Sounds from the Engine
Loud muffler sounds are a tell-tale sign that something is wrong with your vehicle’s exhaust system.
The best course of action is to get it sorted as soon as possible because ignoring it will lead to further damage to your car, which will be costly to fix.
So, you should always keep an eye on the sounds your car makes and get anything unusual checked by a trusted mechanic to ensure the best performance of your vehicle.
Tire Forge