How do I Make My Car Exhaust Quieter Without Losing Performance
Although some car fans are constantly trying to make their exhausts louder – chasing the ‘roar’ of powerful engines – an overly loud exhaust can be a pain in the tailpipe. Unfortunately, many obnoxiously loud exhausts are caused by performance exhaust systems UK which cannot be removed without affecting the performance of your car.
While it may seem like you have to choose between your hearing and your car’s performance, there is a third option, so keep reading to learn more about what’s causing that noise and how to fix it.
Why is Your Car Exhaust so Loud?
If you notice that your car’s exhaust is getting louder, but you haven’t made any modifications that would cause this, it may be due to wear and tear or damage to your exhaust system. In rare cases, a loud exhaust can also be caused by an exhaust system that is too powerful for your car, though a leak is more likely.
Before we talk about possible fixes for overly noisy exhausts, you need to stop and see what the problem is before you try and fix the wrong thing. Checking your exhaust for damage is the quickest and easiest way to inspect your car, so we recommend parking on a level surface and looking for any smoke, puddles or visible damage on the underside of your car before taking it to a mechanic.
How to Quiet your Exhaust Without Losing Performance
Now that you’ve (hopefully) identified the main culprit behind your loud exhaust, it’s time to fix the issue and get some peace and quiet. Here are a few solutions which should help you dampen the noise of your exhaust without affecting your car’s performance:
1) Fix any Leaks:
Leaks in your exhaust system will often make alarming noises as you drive, and will lead to serious damage if left untreated, so you need to fix them right away. Thankfully, you can fix most small leaks with a little heat-resistant epoxy or patch kits, so try to patch up any holes in your exhaust (once it has cooled enough to handle!), or take your car to a mechanic to fix this issue.
2) Replace your Muffler
Mufflers (also known as silencers) are the most effective way to reduce your exhaust noise, and if a leak isn’t to blame for high noise levels, then your muffler may be damaged or missing. Because many drivers trying to get performance exhaust systems UK on the cheap illegally remove or disable their mufflers, you may need to replace or upgrade your muffler to bring your car to normal noise levels.
3) Upgrade your Muffler
In the UK, all cars are fitted with mufflers designed to limit noise levels to the legal limit, but you may want something even quieter, which will probably require an aftermarket muffler.
Conclusion
While there are many reasons for your exhaust to make an unusual amount of noise – such as leaks, missing parts, or aftermarket modifications – most of these can be fixed without any performance loss. Furthermore, any changes to the sound or volume of your exhaust could be a sign of damage to your car, so you should try to get it looked at right away.
