The exhaust system in your vehicle is one of the most important when it comes to daily performance and safety. Consequently, exhaust manifold repairs are among the most expensive and most time-consuming. Before you send your vehicle to a shop and spend your hard earned money on repairs you may not even need, here are three major red flags that signal it’s time for an exhaust manifold repair.
- Ticking Engine Noise
An exhaust leak in the manifold can cause a ticking sound much like hearing a musician’s metronome, especially when the engine is cold. Broken exhaust manifold bolts allow a cold manifold to seep gases around it versus through the exhaust system, creating that ticking sound. When engine temperatures rise the manifold expands, closing the gap and silencing the ticking noise. Not only will this affect your vehicle’s performance, it could cause a safety issue as harmful exhaust gases can leak into the cabin causing nausea and headaches, basically signs of carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Lower Fuel Efficiency
If you’ve found yourself hitting the gas station to fuel up more than usual, it could be a sign your exhaust system sensors are doing double time with processing erroneous data. Lower MPG can certainly signify many different issues, but lower fuel efficiency coupled with hotter motor running temperatures is one of the first signs an exhaust manifold repair may be on the horizon. A leaking exhaust manifold will send inaccurate data to be picked up by the exhaust system sensors, making them add more fuel to the engine and depleting mileage.
- Engine light appears
If an exhaust manifold repair is put off long enough, engine codes will appear on the dash panel alerting the driver that something is wrong. A burnt exhaust valve could result due to prolonged exposure to incorrect fuel/air mixture. This is a major repair and costly to remedy.
Now that you know the signs, you can be better prepared for when you take your vehicle to be serviced. As always, please consult with your local authorized shop before making any repair decisions.
This article was sponsored by ProMaxx Tool. For more information, please visit our website at promaxxtool.com
