Symptoms of a hole in your muffler
If you’re concerned about a hole in your muffler, look out for these symptoms:
1) Louder exhaust noise
If you or a friend notice that your car suddenly gets louder, especially when accelerating, the problem could be a hole in the muffler. This is because its careful design has been compromised and air can leak out before it is completely silenced.
2) Failed emissions tests
If your vehicle is failing a test and you’re not sure why, inspect all parts of your exhaust system, including the muffler and catalytic converter. If the hole in the muffler is too large, it can let in too much fresh air into the exhaust system, confusing the sensors and causing diarrhea.
3) Toxic Gases in the Cabin
Depending on the location of the hole and how well the vehicle is sealed, gases can actually leak into the cabin. You may or may not smell the exhaust (carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless), but you may feel sick.
Dizziness, fainting, nausea, and weakness are just some of the effects you may experience, and if there is not enough fresh air in the car, the result can be fatal illness. If you notice any of these symptoms, have your car repaired as soon as possible.
4) Rusty Holes
Mufflers usually have “weep holes” to allow water to drain out of the muffler and reduce the risk of rust. However, if the holes are rusty, they will be (or will quickly become) larger than they should be.
5) Engine Misfires
A hole in the muffler can let outside air in and block the carefully designed airflow. This can increase backpressure, confusing the oxygen sensor and causing misfires if it incorrectly calculates how much oxygen is in the combustion chamber.
6) Check Engine Light
A hole in the muffler can also cause the check engine light to come on for the same reason. The O2 sensor is located in the exhaust pipe, and any fresh air entering the exhaust pipe will cause the oxygen reading to falsely rise. This will illuminate a warning light on the dashboard.
7) Reduced fuel consumption
Due to reduced engine performance caused by irregular airflow, fuel consumption may be lower than normal. Since changes in fuel consumption can indicate many problems, it makes sense to track the changes in fuel consumption, ideally manually, by dividing the mileage since the last fill-up by the gallons of fuel filled at the time of the fill-up.
How do silencers get holes?
Most mufflers last for years without any problems when they come from the factory, but rough driving and corrosion can accelerate wear. If you frequently drive on bumpy roads or go through speed bumps very fast, you can expect your muffler to wear out more than if you drove gently.
Some areas are more susceptible to rusting, such as: Because the muffler is low to the ground, it comes into contact with a lot of moisture from the ground, which greatly increases the risk of rusting.
Is it safe to drive with a hole in the muffler?
It is not recommended to drive for long periods of time with a hole in the muffler, as there is a risk of toxic gases entering the car, which can have adverse effects on your health. Some people intentionally drill holes in the muffler to increase the volume momentarily, but this is very dangerous and not recommended.
Usually, if the muffler or exhaust pipe is damaged, it is recommended to replace it. Because the metal is thin and the construction is very precise, it is often not possible to weld it.
However, a custom muffler shop may be able to repair a broken muffler by replacing the broken part of the muffler without affecting its functionality. These workshops are experts in the physics of sound and can design a solution that works well to reduce noise without affecting the performance of the engine. Does muffler tape really work? Experts agree that muffler tapes like Tiger Patch and Permatex are at best a temporary solution.
Usually the problem starts deep inside the muffler, unseen, and then shows up on the outside.
Conclusion
Don’t wait to have it repaired as the results could be catastrophic and it shouldn’t be too difficult to fix.
Replacing a broken muffler is usually very easy and labor costs are relatively low.