It might feel like a bit of a mystery to know when you might have an exhaust problem, such as an exhaust leak, but that’s not really the case. Sammy’s Auto wants you to know that your car has ways of letting you know when there is something wrong if you know what to watch out for on a daily basis.
There’s a Lot More Noise
If there’s a leak in your car’s exhaust system, you’re very likely hearing a lot more noise than usual. The exhaust system helps to cut the noise from the engine and it also helps to funnel fumes away from the engine. That means that when there’s something wrong in the exhaust system, like even a small leak, you’re going to hear much more noise than you normally do.
Or You Might Hear the Leak
Depending on where the leak is, you might actually be able to hear it. If you’ve ever heard a hose leaking or the air leaking out of a balloon, you’re already familiar with what that sound might be. There are some parts of the exhaust system that might obviously sound just like that type of leak, even if you’re not sure it’s coming from the exhaust.
Your Car Has Terrible Gas Mileage Suddenly
Because of the exhaust system’s job removing fumes from the engine, if it can’t do that, the engine’s performance suffers. You’re most likely going to notice that in smaller ways, like your gas mileage decreasing. At first, you might not know that there’s a problem unless you’re actively tracking your gas mileage. But eventually, it will become more obvious that you’ve got something causing your car’s engine to burn a lot more gas than it should.
There’s a Strong Gas Smell
If you’re smelling gasoline in your car, that’s a huge indication that there’s a problem. It’s a bad idea to drive the car at all if you’re smelling gas in the passenger compartment and the culprit could be your exhaust system. Too much fuel getting into the combustion chamber of the engine can result in some of those fumes getting into the exhaust. If you get a headache or experience other symptoms, find a way to get safely out of the car.
Suspect you’ve got an exhaust system issue? Give us a call at Sammy’s Auto in Seffner, FL. We can inspect your car’s exhaust system and look for signs of potential problems.