Scotty’s Automotive advises that if your exhaust manifold has a crack, the exhaust will hiss or tap as it escapes out of the manifold. The best time to listen for this noise is when you first fire up your automobile. Aside from the hissing or tapping sound, there are other signs that you have a leaking exhaust manifold. We are going to list these signs below.
Reduced Performance
Unfortunately, when the exhaust manifold leaks, it reduces your engine’s ability to perform. The exhaust gases that escape from the manifold take up space in the engine rather than dissipate. Unfortunately, this affects the engine’s ability to produce combustion in the combustion chamber. Consequently, you will find that your engine does not have the power that it normally has.
Reduced Gas Mileage
Anytime the engine’s performance is reduced it uses more fuel. Consequently, another sign that your exhaust manifold is leaking is a reduction in your fuel mileage. This may not be noticeable at first, but, eventually, you will realize that you are heading to the service station more often. For those on a tight budget, this can create a tremendous financial burden.
Hot/Burning Odors
The exhaust gases that take up space in the engine are hot enough to overheat the engine. In addition, they are hot enough to damage rubber engine parts or plastic engine parts. As such, you will smell hot or burning odors coming from the engine while you are driving your automobile and right after you turn off the engine. The engine will also run too hot.
Strong Exhaust Odors
The exhaust gases can also enter into the passenger cabin. This can happen if the ventilation system circulates them through the vents. Unfortunately, this makes driving your car, SUV, or truck dangerous. You will inhale the exhaust gases while you are driving. In addition, the gases are untreated because they have not been processed through the catalytic converter.
Illuminated CEL
Finally, your vehicle’s main computer chip is going to receive malfunction codes from various system sensors throughout the engine. It cannot resolve the problem because it cannot replace the exhaust manifold. Therefore, it has no choice but to turn on the check engine light to let you know your car has a problem. In this case, the problem is a leaking exhaust manifold.
Scotty’s Automotive in Montague, NJ, can help, so call us today to schedule a service visit. We will inspect the manifold and replace it if it is cracked.
