European automobiles are known for their power and handling and part of what makes them zoom as well as they do is their exhaust systems. Designed to process engine waste safely and efficiently, problems with an exhaust system can do more than result in a Check Engine light warning. It can introduce dangerous toxins into your vehicle’s cabin and the environment. Kinetech Motor Werkes lists signs of exhaust system problems so you can identify them quickly and have the issue fixed.
Excess Engine Noise
Do your neighbors stare at you angrily as you pull into your driveway? Does your spouse say she can hear you coming from a mile away? Your engine should not be overly noisy – the exhaust system helps control excess noise – and if you sound like a drag racer, you have muffler problems.
Acceleration and Power Loss
How about if you sound like a drag racer but you can’t get your vehicle to accelerate like one, or even like it normally does? That’s also a sign of exhaust system trouble. Engine performance loss from a dead stop or while you’re driving indicates the exhaust system is not working as it should be.
Mileage Decrease
If your vehicle is struggling to gain and maintain power, it will burn more gasoline than normal and that means you’ll be heading to the gas station more often. This might seem like a small problem at first, but failure to fix the exhaust system will damage your engine and cost you more money in the end.
Burning Smells
You might notice burning smells from your engine if your exhaust manifold has cracked. It will burn plastic parts and engine wiring around it. If your catalytic converter is having trouble, you’ll smell rotten eggs – not a pleasant odor. Burning smells mean trouble, so stop driving your vehicle and call for a tow.
Gasoline Smells
This sign is dangerous. You should never smell gasoline inside the cabin of your car, truck, or SUV. If you do, head to the nearest auto repair shop. Aside from inhaling gas odors, you could also be inhaling carbon monoxide, so don’t take chances. Have any gas smell inside your cabin investigated immediately.
Finally, you may have visual signs of exhaust system trouble, too, such as a hanging tailpipe or too much smoke coming out of your tailpipe(s). Call Kinetech Motor Werkes in Indian Trail, NC, to set up an exhaust system inspection and repair appointment.
