When it comes to your vehicle maintenance, most people do not pay too much attention to their exhaust system. They prefer to focus their time and money on what they consider more important areas like the engine, windshield, brakes, and tires. However, having issues with your exhaust system can be a very serious thing that can lead to a wide array of other issues including serious health implications. That is why it is so important to be able to determine when you are developing an exhaust issue. Here are five signs that there may be an issue with your exhaust system.

Increased Engine Noise

A sudden increase in the amount of noise that your engine is outputting is one of the most obvious signs of a possible exhaust problem. A faulty exhaust manifold gasket could lead to a leak developing, which could result in a hissing or tapping sound being produced, especially when accelerating or starting the vehicle in cold weather.

Decreased Power and Fuel Efficiency

Altering the sound of your engine is not the only effect that an exhaust problem will have on your engine, it also affects its performance. Once a leak develops, you will no longer have the same acceleration power that you once had, and this will get progressively worse until the issue is addressed. In order to make up for this deficiency, the engine will have to work harder, which of course means that it will burn more energy and therefore more fuel in the process. Not only is your vehicle not performing nearly as well, but you are also being forced to spend extra money every time you drive anywhere because you are losing much higher levels of fuel.

Burning or Gasoline Smells

For those of you that pride yourself on how well you and your vehicle smell, this one could be particularly upsetting. An exhaust leak can potentially lead to extremely hot gases escaping near engine wiring or plastic components, which would produce a burning plastic smell and potentially even lead to smoke developing. It could also result in just the fumes escaping, which could lead to the unpleasant smell of gasoline seeping into the cabin of your vehicle.

If you notice any of these symptoms or have any other reason to suspect that you might have an issue with your exhaust system, then stop by our shop and we’ll have one of our pros look into it for you.