Your car's exhaust is the system that removes fumes and emissions from the car's engine and directs these out the back of the car, through the tailpipe. Your car's muffler is part of this system, which helps to absorb the noise made from the engine's combustion processes. While your car may still run with a faulty exhaust, note that if it has holes or leaks, this can mean those emissions getting into the car's cab and in turn, affecting your overall health! You may also face certain traffic fines because of a faulty muffler or exhaust, depending on how much noise your car makes when driven.

Before you take your car in to a garage like Mufflers To The Max for exhaust repairs, note a few troubleshooting tips. This will help you determine the type of repair it may need.

1. Smoke from the exhaust

This can be a number of different problems with your car's engine and not necessarily the exhaust system, and the colour and type of smoke can help narrow this down. Blue or grey smoke usually means the valve seals to the engine are worn, so oil is dripping out. White smoke may mean that the engine block itself may be cracked. Note the colour of smoke when you take your car in for repairs so your mechanic knows where to start looking for the problem. If smoke is coming from under your car, this may be a hole in the exhaust pipes so that fumes and emission are not making their way to the tailpipe but are leaking out that hole itself. 

2. Loud noises

Don't assume it's your muffler that's the problem when your car is excessively loud, as a hole in any part of the exhaust system can allow your car to run very loudly. If the car is also vibrating or rattling along with making this excess noise, there may be two areas of the exhaust that have actually broken away from each other; these parts are now vibrating since they're out of place and in turn are causing your entire car to vibrate. For example, many cars have a pipe that comes down from the front of the car where the catalytic converter is located and which then bends and fits into the exhaust system, directing fumes through the exhaust pipes. If the connection to these pipes is broken, your car will be loud and rattle even though the muffler may be in good shape.

Note where the sound seems to be concentrated and if your car is also vibrating, and have your mechanic check in those areas. Connections may need to be replaced or certain sections of the exhaust may need patching, versus just the muffler itself.

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