What the exhaust system does
The exhaust system carries the gases from the engine out of the vehicle. The muffler is the part that cools those gases and quiets them on the way out.
BC’s Motor Vehicle Act Regulations require a vehicle with a combustion engine to have a muffler that cools the exhaust gases and lets them out without excessive noise.
Signs of exhaust trouble
These are the usual signs that something in the exhaust needs attention:
- The vehicle is louder than it used to be.
- You hear rattling or banging from underneath.
- You smell exhaust inside the vehicle.
A louder exhaust is often a leak or a muffler that’s wearing out. A rattle can be a loose or damaged part underneath. A smell inside the vehicle is the one to take seriously right away, because of carbon monoxide.
Exhaust leaks and carbon monoxide
A small leak in the exhaust system can let carbon monoxide build up inside the vehicle. Health Canada notes that you can’t see, smell or taste carbon monoxide itself, so you can’t count on noticing it.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists the most common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning as headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain and confusion.
If you drive with the tailgate or hatch open, open the vents or windows too. The CDC warns that with only the tailgate open, exhaust gets pulled into the vehicle.
Health Canada says never to idle a vehicle in a garage, even with the garage door open.
BC’s muffler rules
The Motor Vehicle Act Regulations also set limits on changes to the exhaust. You can’t drive a vehicle with a muffler that is:
- cut out or disconnected from the engine
- missing a baffle plate or another part
- fitted with an outlet that has been opened up or widened
Add-on devices that make the exhaust louder, or that let a flame come out of it, aren’t allowed either.
At Hub Motor Service
We do exhaust repairs in our five-bay shop at Essendene Avenue and Gladys Avenue, in downtown Abbotsford. Our team includes Myron Warkentin, Michael Warkentin and Corey Polson, all fully licensed Red Seal Automotive Technicians.
If your check engine light is on as well, our diagnostics page explains what it can mean.