Muffler Repair: The Ins and Outs

You can trust that the auto repair team at South Orem Master Muffler knows a thing or two about mufflers.

The muffler plays an essential role in any vehicle. Its many components all play a part in how your vehicle performs, as well as how it sounds. It’s a standard part of all vehicles, thanks to brothers Milton and Marshall Reeves who patented the exhaust muffler in 1897.

What a Muffler Does

Your muffler is part of your vehicle’s exhaust system. It is a series of pipes and chambers that direct the flow of engine fumes out of your vehicle. It also muffles or dampens the sound your vehicle makes when it’s running.

PARTS OF A MUFFLER

• Inlet: The intake for the exhaust system where exhaust fumes and sounds enter.

• Resonator: This is an echo chamber in the exhaust system that cancels sound waves.

• Perforated Tubes: Inside the muffler are perforated tubes that suppress or amplify sound. 
• Outlet: The pipe through which emissions and sound exit the exhaust system.

While you can certainly drive your vehicle without a muffler, or with a damaged one, it’s not ideal. There’s a slight chance you’ll not only annoy everyone who has to hear your car drive by but that you’ll also risk allowing toxic fumes into your passenger cabin.

What Causes a Muffler to go Bad?

Ideally, you’ll get anywhere from five to seven years out of your muffler. However, road conditions where you drive can cause damage to your muffler, or cause damage that calls for repairs.

As with any part of the car’s undercarriage, the muffler is susceptible to rust. If you live in an area with a lot of snowfall, the combination of moisture and road salt can do a number on your muffler. You can avoid rusting out your muffler in the winter by getting your vehicle washed regularly to remove salt buildup.

Mufflers can also be damaged or broken off a vehicle if it’s driven over rough roads, or if it high-centers on a road obstruction. Low-riding vehicles need to strategically navigate around potholes and speed bumps to avoid bottoming out and hitting the muffler.

Our Master Muffler auto repair team in South Orem is adept at repairing and replacing mufflers, as well as customizing exhaust systems to get the vehicle performance you want. Let us know if we can help you address any issues you’re facing with your muffler or exhaust system as a whole.

How You Know Your Muffler is Bad

Your car’s performance may not suffer at all if the muffler is broken or missing, but you’ll certainly know when there’s a problem. The muffler is responsible for dampening the sound of your vehicle’s exhaust. Without a muffler, your vehicle will drive much louder than it did before.

Another sign that your muffler is bad is a misfiring engine. If there’s a hole in the exhaust system, such as in the muffler, the engine’s intake is affected and can cause it to misfire.

Repairing vs Replacing a Muffler

At Master Muffler, we can repair or replace your muffler, whether it’s a necessity or a customization. 

The good thing about muffler repair is that sometimes you just need one or two new parts. A pipe might need to be replaced, or a hole patched and you’ll be on your way again. If you’re regularly having your car maintained, have your mechanic update you on your exhaust system each visit. This way you’ll know if there’s any wear on the system that needs to be addressed before the problem gets worse.

If you’re looking for a customized sound in your vehicle, replacing the muffler with a custom system is the way to go. We can upgrade you to a performance exhaust system, and help your vehicle run quieter than you ever imagined. Or, if you want a roaring road rocket, we’ve got you covered there too.

A full-blown replacement muffler may be necessary even if only a few parts are rusted; chances are if one pipe has eroded, the problem exists throughout your entire exhaust system. If you’re unsure, come to see us at South Orem Master Muffler to get your vehicle inspected.