Exhaust Repair or Replacement
How do I know if I need a new exhaust or just an Exhaust repair?
Exhausts, located underneath the car, have four main functions when fitted to a vehicle:
- To control the amount of noise your car is making – You are responsible for the amount of noise that your car is
making, and that penalties, mainly fines between $150 and $1,000, apply if you fail to do that. The Australian Standard ADR83/000 sets out noise limits for individual vehicles. - To direct exhaust fumes away from passengers
- To improve the performance of the engine
- To improve the vehicles fuel consumption
An exhaust is a series of pipes that link the engine to a silencer and a catalytic converter. The job of the catalytic converter is to convert harmful pollutants into less harmful emissions before they ever leave the car’s exhaust system.
The tailpipe is the part of the exhaust that you can see extending from the back of the car. This is connected to the silencer which in turn is connected to the catalytic converter through a series of pipes then connects to the engine
The silencer reduces the noise pollution. This is done by a series of holes in plates or tubes in the silencer. Exhaust gas leaves the engine at very high pressures and the holes in the silencer helps to reduce that pressure so that they leave the car more quietly.
Given the nature of where exhausts are located they can corrode inside and outside. How long your exhaust lasts depends more on how far and how often you drive your car rather than the length of time it has been on the car. Vehicles driven for short bursts and not very far are more prone to exhaust corrosion that vehicles driven for longer journeys.
Here are the ‘sound’ indicators for a problem exhaust:
- A roaring sound usually indicates that the silencer is the problem as it is usually the part that is more susceptible to rust and corrosion.
- A hiss sound usually indicates a crack in the exhaust manifold, pipe or a leaking gasket.
- A chugging noise could indicate a blockage in the exhaust system
- A rattle could mean that the exhaust has become misaligned or that the brackets holding it to the underneath of the car have either come undone, rusted or broken.
A visual check of your car exhaust for external rust is always advisable so that you can undertake an exhaust repair to rectify it before it rusts out the exhaust system totally.
Here at Doncaster Service Centre we can assess your exhaust and let you know the best and most cost effective way to rectify a noisy exhaust whether it be an exhaust repair or an exhaust replacement.
