Is Your Car Exhausted?

Year on year we watch the seasons change and carry on going about our business. When it comes to driving, outgoing winter is the time when your car has experienced a bit of a hard time, what with rain, snow, salt on roads (are councils salting the roads any more?) and all the usual bad weather hazards. The whole car probably needs some maintenance from a professional car servicing garage and most of us are aware when this attention is required. That’s a good thing.

Yet there is a part of every internal combustion and hybrid vehicle (electric car owners look

away now) that gets forgotten about and neglected and that is the exhaust system. For the sake of the upkeep of your car and for your own safety, it’s vital that your car's exhaust is maintained in good condition and that the owner is aware of the symptoms of an exhaust leak.

How Will We Know?

Drive with a damaged, broken or leaking exhaust and it’s likely that the driver and passengers will experience symptoms of exhaust damage such as strange noises, vibrations, decreased engine efficiency and smoke from the exhaust. It’s just not safe to drive under these circumstances and could have a negative effect on both your wallet plus, crucially, your and your passengers health.

       Health

The primary danger stems from the presence of Carbon Monoxide (CO),  an odourless and colourless byproduct of internal combustion. When a vehicle’s exhaust system fails to expel the gas away from the car, the potential for cabin contamination is established. There are risks associated with inhaling these emissions. Exhaust gases that escape from a leak near the engine or beneath the vehicle do not need a direct pipe to enter the cabin, but instead enter through existing airways, even holes in the lower bodywork. The most common route is through the heating and ventilation system or air-con.

This is dangerous and is why it pays to get your exhaust system checked professionally by your local garage or MOT centre. Anyone breathing in fumes will experience symptoms of mild to moderate CO exposure that can mistaken for a touch of the flu or simply common fatigue. You may just think you’re under the weather, but it is the gas that is doing it. Initial signs include a headache, dizziness, weakness, and potentially confusion. It gets worse; if these symptoms intensify they can progress to nausea, vomiting, chest pain, and loss of muscle coordination. Nobody should be driving in that state.

The Law

Driving a car with a broken exhaust can be dangerous and it may land you in trouble. The law states that “it is an offence to use a motor vehicle when it is such that the use of the motor vehicle or trailer involves a danger of injury to any person”. For example, if your exhaust pipe is damaged and is at risk of falling off, this could pose a danger to other road users. If the silencer is faulty and your car is blowing over 74 decibels then expect a patrol car to pull you over. Minor faults may not draw attention to the vehicle but a broken exhaust could and probably will lead to a potential fine and the car failing its MOT.

If In Doubt

 In addition to a decrease in vehicle performance, driving with a damaged exhaust system can also lead to decreased fuel efficiency and increased emissions, which, as mentioned, can be harmful to your family and the environment. Take the time on a regular basis to listen and look for symptoms which may be loud noises, smoke or nasty smells. Inspect under the vehicle (With safety in mind. Ensure the vehicle is properly immobilised.) and check for visible damage or misalignment. If the pipe is hanging down, cracked or broken or there is a hole in the silencer box, then there’s your issue. Diesel engine drivers will also have to contend with particulate filters. How to deal with such filters will be in the handbook, or check with your local car servicing expert.

Pay Attention To What Your Car Is Telling You

There might be a clue on the dashboard array. Modern cars have a mass of warning lights that come on at start up and go out immediately. If one stays on, well, there’s a problem. Not all vehicles have a specific exhaust warning light. In some circumstances, if the exhaust system doesn’t have a warning light on its own, the notorious ‘check engine’ light may appear which may signify a problem with the exhaust system anywhere from the engine manifold to the tailpipe.

Very loud noises from the exhaust are a sign of things going wrong. In this case it’s a silencer problem. A silencer aids in controlling vehicle emissions and engine noise. The silencer is the section of the exhaust system most likely to be corroded as it is the part furthest from the engine It’s likely to be the first part of the exhaust system to go. You’ll know it when it does.

Automotive problems like this are the reason that manufacturers recommend regular servicing. Your local professional garage engineers are trained to spot these faults and can advise or repair or replacement. As with anything motoring; leaving it for another time isn’t any option: It will cost more in the long term.