The muffler works as the silencer of a car. A decent amount of noise is created by the exhaust system of a car. This noise is then controlled by the muffler system. Today, we are going to discuss whether a muffler & exhaust can cause check engine light or not.
Can a muffler cause check engine light?
A muffler can certainly cause the check engine light to come on in different states and situations. An oxygen sensor will show poor oxygen reading if there is something wrong with the muffler and the check engine light of the car will turn on. The muffler will have to be repaired in that case.
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Let’s discuss in detail if a muffler can cause check engine light by taking a look at different states of a muffler.
Broken muffler:
A broken muffler can be dangerous, to begin with. The muffler is mainly responsible for controlling the noise produced by the exhaust system of your car. If you have a broken muffler, the noise emitted by your car will be louder than usual.
A broken muffler can even leak toxic gases into the chamber of your vehicle and outside which is poisonous to the human body.
If you have a broken muffler with holes in it, it will cause the check engine light to come on. This will happen because the oxygen sensor of your car will show an inaccurate reading because of the broken muffler.
No muffler or muffler delete:
People sometimes take the method of removing the muffler from their car which is formally known as the muffler delete system. They do it as a way of getting better performance from their car.
Removing the muffler from your car can cause several problems instead of increasing the performance.
Apparently, if you remove the muffler of newer model cars, then it will cause the check engine light to come on. In cases of older model cars, that is a different matter. Because it will depend on the engineering of the exhaust system of that particular car.
Changing mufflers:
Sometimes the muffler of your car can become faulty. When this happens, you will need to change the muffler. Changing the muffler can be a time-consuming task.
When you remove the old muffler from the exhaust system, the space left by the old muffler will cause the oxygen reading to become inaccurate. It will cause the check engine light to come on.
After you have installed the new muffler into the exhaust system, the oxygen reading once again becomes accurate and the check engine light will no longer come on.
Can an exhaust cause check engine light?
Exhaust can cause the check engine light to come on in different states and situations. The exhaust system of the car is responsible for emitting chemical fumes away from the engine. If there is a leak or hole in the exhaust, then the oxygen reading will cause the check engine light will come on.
Let’s discuss in detail if exhaust can cause check engine light by looking at different states and types of exhaust.
Leak or hole in exhaust:
The exhaust system is an important part of the internal combustion engine. An exhaust system is made of manifold, catalytic converters, flex pipe, oxygen sensor, mufflers, isolators, and pipe assemblies.
A leak or hole in any of these parts will cause the check engine light to come on. This will happen because the oxygen sensor shows a poor oxygen reading.
A leak or hole in the exhaust system will alter the oxygen level that is in the fumes and increase fuel consumption. As a result of this, the check engine light will come on.
Broken or cracked exhaust:
The exhaust system of a car can get broken or cracked for several reasons. A broken or cracked exhaust system will cause the oxygen sensor to show poor reading. Because of this, the check engine light will come on.
The broken or cracked exhaust will need to be repaired immediately. Otherwise, the check engine light will stay on.
Aftermarket exhaust:
Aftermarket exhaust causing the check engine light to come on depends on a lot of things. Some aftermarket exhausts are not certified and will cause the check engine light to come.
While there are others that will perfectly well with other parts of your exhaust system and will not cause the check engine light to come on.
But most often than not, the check engine light tends to come on when you install an aftermarket exhaust system in your car.
What causes a hole in the exhaust and muffler?
There are many reasons why your exhaust and muffler might have a hole in them. Let’s discuss them in detail.
Salt:
The natural cause of holes in exhaust and muffler is salt. Salt can cause corrosion in the exhaust and muffler of your car. This will develop a hole gradually. The source of salt can be the road salt that your car gathers while driving.
If you reside near an ocean, the ocean can be another source of salt making a hole in the exhaust and muffler of your car.
Lack of maintenance:
Just like every other modern device, cars need to be maintained in order to get optimum performance from it. If you do not maintain your car and do not get it checked by a mechanic on a regular basis, it can be responsible for the holes in the exhaust and muffler.
The exhaust system and muffler of a car are very fragile and need to be checked and repaired regularly.
Bumpy roads:
Bumpy roads can cause holes in the exhaust and muffler of your car. While driving on a bumpy road, you need to be careful and drive slowly. Otherwise, the bumps on the roads will cause instant holes in the exhaust and muffler and make it inoperable.
How much does it cost to repair an exhaust manifold leak?
An exhaust manifold leak can be disastrous for the health of your car. If you notice an exhaust manifold leak, you will have to repair it immediately. Otherwise, it can have a long-term effect on the performance of your engine.
In order to do that, you will have to replace the affected exhaust manifold gasket.
The manifold can be removed with the help of a wrench. Sandpaper can be used to get rid of any trace of the old gasket. Repairing an exhaust manifold leak will take approximately three hours.
The labor rate per hour is set at ninety to hundred dollars which brings the total repair cost down to two hundred and seventy to three hundred dollars.
Can I drive with a broken muffler or exhaust?
The muffler or exhaust system of your car can get broken because of several reasons. But driving with a broken muffler or exhaust is not recommended. The muffler and exhaust of the car are situated at the backside of the car.
Sometimes a broken muffler or exhaust can remain unnoticed by a driver because of its location.
But a broken muffler or exhaust will cause noises louder than usual from your car, at that time you will need to check your muffler and exhaust to see if it is broken. A broken muffler or exhaust has to be repaired immediately.
Because driving with a broken muffler or exhaust is neither safe nor permitted by the law.
What happens if you drive with broken exhaust?
There are several things that can happen if you drive with a broken exhaust. Let’s discuss them in detail.
An increase in repair cost:
If you keep driving with a broken exhaust, it will increase your repair cost. Delaying the repair procedure of the exhausting system will mean that the repair cost will be more. So if you find out that you have a broken exhaust, you should repair it immediately.
An increase in fuel consumption:
Driving with a broken exhaust system can increase the fuel consumption of your car. The exhaust system is responsible for the fuel efficiency of your car. If you have a broken exhaust system, your fuel efficiency will decrease and your fuel consumption will increase.
Causes illness:
The exhaust system prevents dangerous fumes from entering your car. If you have a broken exhaust, carbon monoxide will be leaked into the passenger chamber and will make you sick.
It can cause headaches, nausea, and dizziness as carbon monoxide is harmful for the human body.
Breaker of law:
Driving with a broken exhaust is considered dangerous and illegal according to law. If you drive with a broken exhaust, you can get in trouble with traffic and patrol police.
Final Thoughts
A muffler and an exhaust can cause the check engine lights to come on if there is something wrong with them. The muffler is an integral part of the exhaust system. A leak or hole in the muffler or exhaust can cause problems in the car. Muffler and exhaust need to be regularly checked.