Exhaust leaks cost you in engine performance and in so many other ways. Lakelands Tire & Auto has some tips that can help you to determine if your car might have an exhaust leak.
Your Car Sounds Louder
Part of what your car’s exhaust does is to reduce the sound of engine noise. That’s not all that it does by far, but when the exhaust system is compromised by a leak, you might feel as if your car sounds a lot louder than usual. At first, smaller leaks might only create a small increase in noise. But as the leak gets worse, the noise is likely to increase quite a lot. You may be seeing other signs of trouble, too.
You’re Seeing a Lot of Exhaust Smoke
When the exhaust system isn’t able to function the way that it normally should, you may start to see a lot more exhaust smoke coming out the tailpipe of your car than usual. That could be because of a leak later in the exhaust system, or it could be that the exhaust isn’t funneling all of the fumes out of the engine, so they’re getting in the way of proper combustion. Either way, it’s a problem that has to be addressed sooner rather than later.
The Gas Mileage Is Worse than Usual
Another clue you might spot could be that your car’s gas mileage is getting a lot worse. Gas mileage is an excellent indicator of how well your car’s engine is able to function. When it’s operating at its best, your car uses gasoline efficiently. When it isn’t able to work at its best, it burns way more gas to accomplish less. That costs you at the pump.
You Can Smell Gas Inside the Passenger Cabin
It’s never good news if you can smell exhaust smells or even gas inside the passenger cabin when you’ve got the windows rolled up. If this is something that you’re experiencing, it’s really important that you have someone inspect the problem as soon as possible. Gas fumes are dangerous to breathe, even for only a few minutes. If you’re also experiencing headaches or other symptoms, you may need to seek medical attention.
Uncovering what’s causing your car to have exhaust issues is really important. Lakelands Tire & Auto in Greenwood, SC can help you to diagnose exactly what’s going on so that you know what repairs are truly necessary for your car.