If you drive in winter areas using road salt or the ocean, your muffler is probably subject to corrosion, which may eventually develop a hole in the metal. When this happens, a muffler replacement will need to be performed.
Since most of us won’t perform a typical, in-depth inspection of a muffler, let’s discuss the common symptoms when there is a hole in the muffler or exhaust.
Common Hole in Muffler Symptoms
When a muffler or exhaust system component is beginning to form a hole, there are some warning signs you need to be watching for.
When you see these symptoms, you are going to want to travel to a reputable muffler/exhaust repair shop or make a service appointment with a trusted auto repair shop or dealership. Here are five of the most common signs of a hole in your muffler.
#1. Loud Noises.
Obviously, the number one symptom of a hole in the muffler is noise. Since for a muffler that works properly, its job is to reduce noise, a muffler with a hole in it is going to fail to do its job. This means the noises that would normally be diminished will now be louder, much louder.
If you do not get the muffler replaced soon, it’s going to continue to expand and grow bigger in the muffler. Then, these rumbling sounds will grow louder at the same time.
Since a working muffler is the law in most areas, you run the risk of getting pulled over by the police and receiving an expensive citation.
#2. Carbon Monoxide.
The muffler prevents carbon monoxide from the exhaust gases to be able to get into the interior cabin where everyone sits in the vehicle. But, if the muffler has a hole in it, you will have an exhaust leak where, all of a sudden, carbon monoxide will have the means to get into the cabin.
The scary part is that there is no way you’ll be able to smell, see, or taste this poisonous gas- you will just feel the effects of it. Some effects include dizziness, headache, tiredness, and trouble breathing; Inhale too long and it can lead to death.
#3. Emissions Test Failure.
You can’t see carbon emissions when they are coming out of your tailpipe, but they are there.
The reason why you are seeing white smoke coming out of your exhaust does not mean you have excessive emissions. The only thing that you can do to see if you are having fewer carbon emissions than required is to get an emissions test.
Most states require testing, and some states do not. If you live in a state that requires you to get the test, and you fail the test, it could be due to a hole in the muffler.
#4. Rust Holes.
Mufflers usually have small holes called “weep holes.” To allow water to drain out of the muffler and to prevent rust, mufflers are fitted with weep holes.
If you discover rust holes forming close to the exhaust pipes, they are not weep holes. When you see rust holes, you should be worried.
#5. Engine Misfires.
For the engine to run smoothly, the entire exhaust system needs to work properly.
If even one of the components of the exhaust system is either damaged or worn out, it can cause an engine misfire. A hole in the muffler is one of the ways you could be experiencing an engine misfire.
The Functions of a Muffler
A car muffler has three main functions. The first function is to lessen the noise generated from the exhaust system.
The muffler takes this noise and redirects it out through the exhaust pipes so the passengers and everyone nearby will not have to endure that noise.
The second function of the muffler and other exhaust functions is to allow the exhaust gases from the internal combustion engine to be removed from the engine.
This means not only do the passengers not have to smell or breathe in the dangerous exhaust from the engine, but it also allows exhaust gases to cool by expanding, and it would keep any spark or flame from the engine from making its way out of the exhaust and potentially affecting their passengers.
The last function of a car muffler is to optimize engine performance. Power is generated by the proper burning of fuel and air inside the combustion chamber.
It is the job of the exhaust system and the muffler to keep the exhaust vapors moving so more fresh air/oxygen can be sucked into the engine so more power can be produced.
What Causes a Hole in Your Muffler?
As previously indicated, salt is the worst enemy of mufflers and your exhaust system in general – road salt and living near the ocean area produce this corrosion, which leads to a hole developing. But there is another danger.
Regularly driving through potholes or speeding through speed bumps can damage your muffler. The more often you subject your vehicle to these conditions, the more likely your muffler will pay the price.
This damage could be as simple as a small dent or tear, or even as bad as ripping a hole in an exhaust component. And if that happens, it will not do its job anymore.