Have you suddenly noticed that your car is louder than it used to be? When you drive down the street in McHenry, do people cover their ears as you go by? Do you find yourself shouting at the top of your lungs when trying to order drive-through food?

These are all ‘subtle’ clues that your exhaust system may require some attention. If it’s bad enough, you may even experience another clue – the kind where a McHenry Police Officer pulls you over and gives you  a ticket for loud exhaust.

If the car is loud now, if you don’t do something about it, it will only get louder. As the car grows louder the sound indicates that parts of the exhaust system are broken or deteriorating.

Rust is one of the first offenders when it comes to attacking the integrity of your exhaust system. Over time, the rust can work its way through solid metal until pin holes develop. The rust will also weaken the metal to the extent that road bumps can cause exhaust parts to fracture.

If you’ve ever seen someone driving down the road with a muffler hanging loudly below the car, they’ve experienced a broken exhaust system. It’s quite possible that the muffler is dragging on the ground creating a shower of sparks that are bouncing off the bottom of the car – the bottom of the gas tank. Clearly, that’s not an optimal situation. You might say it’s downright dangerous.

Rust will create holes in the exhaust pipes, in the muffler, in the catalytic convertor and eat at connectors and exhaust hangars.

The problem with an exhaust system that is deteriorating isn’t just that it’s loud. It also tends to allow more pollutants into the atmosphere. Mufflers are designed to reduce pollutants as well as noise.

Additionally, a faulty exhaust system can affect a car’s performance. The exhaust system is designed to create a certain amount of backpressure. This helps the car’s engine to run smoother and more efficiently. When the exhaust system starts to breakdown, the backpressure is reduced as is the engine’s performance.

Another concern with a deteriorating exhaust system is that the fumes that are supposed to exit near the back of the car are able to exit the exhaust system sooner. From those forward exit points, the fumes have a chance to seep up into the car’s cabin. This can give an adult quite a headache. Imagine what it could do to a child or infant.

The good news is that you can usually have your exhaust system checked for little or no charge when you bring the car in for one of its regular oil changes. If it needs work, a qualified auto repair technician will quickly remedy the problem.

Along with the other benefits of a properly working automotive exhaust system, you may discover, as you drive down the streets of McHenry, that your neighbors aren’t giving you angry looks anymore.