Have You Been Told There's A Hole In Your Car's Muffler? Why You Need It Fixed Now

Whether it is from road salt, age, or another factor, a hole in a muffler is not good. Sometimes you might think letting a small hole go for a while, especially if you do not have a lot of money to fix or replace the muffler, will be OK. That is not an optimal situation, and the sooner you can fix the muffler, the better. Leaving a hole in the muffler can result in some definite problems that can be annoying to others and possibly dangerous to you.

More Noise

One of the annoying issues is noise. A hole in a muffler defeats the purpose of having a muffler to reduce noise from your engine. That is more annoying for your neighbors than it is for you as you are likely in the car with other engine noise grabbing your attention. Eventually, though, you will have to get your car to quiet down, and replacing the muffler is the first thing you should do. There is no reason to just let your car be so noisy.

Excess Exhaust Fumes

Another issue that a hole in a muffler can create is excess exhaust fumes. These fumes can be either inside your engine or they can be expelled outside the car. If they are expelled outside the car, they can contribute to pollution and, like noise, annoy anyone near your car.

But the real, immediate danger is to you if those fumes are stuck in the engine. If the fumes leak out of the exhaust assembly and stay in the engine, they can seep into the passenger cabin, creating a carbon monoxide poisoning risk. Plus, if the fumes are stuck in the engine—as a muffler and exhaust assembly can develop holes along any part, including parts that are closer to the engine—additional exhaust from the engine cannot be moved out efficiently, possibly reducing engine performance.

The problem can get worse if the hole is bigger. Additionally, keep in mind that these holes are not static in size. What you have now might seem small, but it can grow bigger, and more holes can form. If you do have a hole in your muffler, talk to the repair shop about replacement costs and what caused the hole in the first place, so you can avoid having one form in the replacement muffler. For more information regarding mufflers, contact a car exhaust repair service. 


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