5 Signs Your Exhaust System Needs Attention
An exhaust leak wastes fuel, smells bad, and can let fumes into the cabin. Here is how to catch it early.
The exhaust system does more than keep the car quiet. It routes carbon monoxide away from the cabin, helps the engine breathe, and feeds the oxygen sensor that controls your fuel mixture. When something in it fails, the car tells you.
What to listen and look for
- A louder rumble, especially at start-up or under load — a classic sign of a hole in the pipe or a blown gasket.
- A vibration in the floor or seat that gets worse with rpm.
- A drop in fuel economy, because a leak upstream of the sensor throws off the air-fuel mix.
- A smell of exhaust in the cabin, which is a safety issue, not a comfort one.
- A visible scrape or sag in the pipe under the car after a hard hit on a winter pothole.
Why it pays to fix it early
A small exhaust leak is a cheap weld. The same leak left for months rusts the surrounding pipe and the hangers, and the repair turns into a full section replacement. One of our customers had the exhaust on an older Honda replaced quickly and at a fair price because they brought it in before it got worse.
Hear something new under the car? Bring it to A & K Service on Newfield Avenue. We will put it on the lift and show you exactly where the problem is. Call (203) 324-3723.
Bring the car to A & K Service
524 Newfield Ave, Stamford, CT. Open Mon–Fri 8–6 and Sat 7–7.