One of the hardest worked systems in your car is the exhaust, and it doesn't have any moving parts, aside from the exhaust valves inside the engine. Made up of a series of pipes after that, the exhaust is tasked with removing harmful fumes from inside the engine, converting them to less hazardous emissions, and then expelling them out of the tailpipe. An exhaust leak can result in major engine trouble, as well as put you and your passengers at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. To prevent health concerns for you and your car be sure to get to a repair shop if you notice any of these signs of an exhaust leak.
Massive decrease in fuel economy
There are many things that can cause your MPGs to fall, but an exhaust leak is likely to slash your fuel efficiency by nearly half. This will occur because the oxygen sensor, located in the exhaust system, monitors oxygen in the exhaust in order to help regulate the air/fuel mixture used to make the car run. A leak will cause the sensor to detect excessive amounts of oxygen, thus telling the car to burn more fuel.
Loud engine rumbling
A common sign of an exhaust leak is increased engine noise. This is often most apparent when accelerating, especially to highway speeds. Anytime you notice a change in the way your car sounds as it operates you should visit a local auto repair shop for further diagnostics and expert repair.
Vibrating gas pedal
If you can feel the gas pedal vibrating when driving it is likely a reverb of the exhaust fumes escaping out of some pinhole leak somewhere along the system. If the leak is bad enough the whole car could shake.
Check engine light
There are many, many things that can cause the check engine light to come on so it is always a good idea to get to the repair shop for diagnostics. An exhaust leak will trigger the light due to the fact that the oxygen sensor will likely not be functioning as it should or getting high readings of oxygen.
If your car or truck is suffering from any of these signs of exhaust trouble don't hesitate to get to your local auto repair shop. For professional exhaust repair in Denton visit the team at Strande's Garage. We take care of all makes and models at our shop! Give us a call at (940) 566-2156 to schedule superior auto repair in Denton today.