Those passionate about their car know the importance of having a good quality, high-flow exhaust system in their vehicle. The engine’s performance is directly related to the exhaust’s condition.
Does a broken exhaust affect acceleration? yes it certainly can because engine and exhaust is kind of dependent on each other for acceleration. read on to know more about it in details.
Table of Contents
Does a broken exhaust affect acceleration?
Yes, a broken exhaust can affect the acceleration of a vehicle. To move a car, its engine and exhaust work hand-in-hand. If your car slows down and the accelerator doesn’t work smoothly, there is a high possibility of a problem with the exhaust system.
For the loss of “back pressure,” the car’s acceleration gets affected. Besides that, for a broken exhaust, the car’s fuel consumption also increases and releases more harmful gasses. The car starts to create noises.
When any exhaust gets blocked, or some of its parts get broken, it can’t be able to efficiently remove “water” emissions or fumes that are generated from the vehicle’s engine. As a result, it releases more polluted gasses into the air, and the engines start to generate more noise.
So every car owner needs to check the exhaust from time to time. To get the best possible outcome from your car, you must keep a special eye on its exhaust.
The exhaust of the cars mainly gets damaged by rust and corrosion. It gets rusted mainly for moisture. The combustion of cars creates moisture automatically.
But if you can keep the exhaust healthy, the car can have great control over the harmful gasses; the catalytic converter works efficiently, the engine works smoothly and makes less noise, reduces the temperature a little bit, and the servicing and repairing charges get reduced a lot. A perfect exhaust is a must in a vehicle to get great driving satisfaction.
What problems can a broken exhaust cause?
A broken exhaust can cause a lot of consequences. Some of them are mentioned below.
🚗 MOT test failure
This is one of the most annoying consequences of a broken exhaust. According to a study, approximately 7% of the MOT test fails for faulty or broken exhaust. The two main reasons for this failure are a loose exhaust mount and a damaged exhaust.
Everyone can’t check the car’s exhaust before every MOT test. So, whenever you find irregular noise, please tell the mechanic to check the exhaust once.
🚗 More fuel consumption and higher emission
The main work of an exhaust is to take the fumes away from the front of the vehicle. Doing so reduces the engine noise and maintains fuel efficiency. If for any reason, the exhaust gets damaged or has a leak, then the pressure in the exhaust system will be reduced a lot. It will increase fuel consumption, and there will be higher emissions.
When a car engine starts, it generates 6 types of gasses, and 3 of them are toxic: carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, and nitrogen monoxide. The main purpose of the exhaust is to channel these fumes so that the air emitted from the car’s tailpipe contains fewer harmful elements.
In the case of an exhaust leak close to the engine, the vehicle’s fuel consumption increases a lot. So when you feel that the car is consuming more fuel, please thoroughly check its exhaust once. It will help you to save many dollars.
🚗 Other car parts get damaged
When the toxic air generates from the car engine, they are extremely hot. If there is an exhaust leakage, this harmful hot air passes through other components. It increases the chance of damage to the other car parts. And it increases the risk of fire.
The location of the leakage is one of the key factors here. If the hole is close to the tailpipe, then it will create a small impact on its surrounding parts. The more parts get damaged, the more you need to spend money at service points.
🚗 Toxic gas can enter the cabin
This is one of the most serious consequences that a damaged exhaust system can cause. If the generated poisonous gasses do not find their way out, they will directly enter the cabin. These gasses are very harmful to those who are present inside the car.
If gas like carbon monoxide or nitrogen oxide gets released inside the car, people may become ill; in extreme conditions, death is also predictable.
Can I drive with a broken exhaust?
If you are searching for a direct answer, you can drive a car with faulty or broken exhaust as long as it meets the emissions standards set by your state. But you have to face many problems. First of all, the vehicle won’t deliver its best performance. Its fuel consumption will be increased a lot.
You will be fined by local traffic for not maintaining proper exhaust (when it cannot meet the state’s standard). Sometimes, in extreme conditions, the vehicle can be seized. Your car will start to create heavy noises which will disturb all passers-by, and your neighbor may complain to the authorities. Moreover, you will have a very uncomfortable condition.
How do you know if your exhaust is broken?
Some symptoms directly indicate that there are some problems in the exhaust system. In a car’s exhaust system, mufflers are an important component. You need to check it occasionally because these wear out with time.
Some symptoms indicate that your car’s muffler has some issues. If you find any of the below-mentioned symptoms in your vehicle, you should check the exhaust pipe and muffler.
- Extreme loud exhaust noise: If you hear loud, unusual noises from the rear section of your vehicle, it indicates some problem in the muffler. Either the exhaust pipe is blocked, or the muffler is slightly broken. You need to replace it immediately.
- The engine’s performance gets reduced: A damaged exhaust pipe is one of the main reasons a car’s performance gets reduced. Please tell the mechanic to check the exhaust pipe thoroughly if you detect any such issue.
- Hanging Pipe: This is another symptom of a damaged exhaust pipe. This mainly happens when something gets cracked inside the pipe.
- Reduced performance: A broken muffler can make acceleration and braking more difficult and indirectly reduce the car’s performance.
- Smell in chamber: Exhaust fumes can escape through a broken muffler, causing both passengers and drivers to be in danger.
- Emissions Increase: Damaged mufflers can increase emissions from the car. These poisonous gasses are very harmful to the environment.
- More fuel consumption: If your car suddenly reduces its mileage, please check the muffler once. One of the main reasons for more fuel consumption is a damaged muffler.
- Here we are mentioning five of the most common reasons a muffler can be broken: rusting, foreign objects, excessive heat, excessive wear and tear, and improper installation. But whenever you find any defect in the muffler or the exhaust pipe, try to figure out the root cause; it will help you later.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How much does it cost to fix a broken exhaust?
Generally, it costs 100 to 300 dollars to fix a broken exhaust. To prevent harmful emissions and to increase your car’s performance, a damaged or broken exhaust must be repaired as soon as possible.
It is very important to know the root cause of the issue. For this reason, always check your car from an authorized service point, where you will get experienced people. It may cost you some extra dollars, but you can get a permanent solution to your car’s problem.
Will an exhaust leak cause loss of power?
Does a broken exhaust affect performance?
Conclusion
Broken exhaust is a dangerous thing for the health of your vehicle. As soon as you detect any problem in the exhaust system, try to resolve it as soon as possible.
It reduces the car’s performing capability, and if you leave your car with a damaged exhaust, then after a certain time, it will not be able to meet the emissions standard set by your state. On the other hand, with a healthy exhaust, you will get better performance, great fuel efficiency, less noise, and a smooth driving experience. So, If you were confused about “does a broken exhaust affect acceleration? I hope, I have been able to clear your confusion.
