Experiencing Issues With Your Exhaust?

The blog this week is about the role your exhaust system plays and the issues to look out for that indicate there could be a problem. Everyone is trying to save money at the moment, interest rates are rising, fuel bills are rising, food costs are soaring etc so when it comes to owning a car, we need all the help we can get to keep costs down. Read on to find out more:

The purpose and functionality of your exhaust system are to take the emissions from the front of the vehicle away from the car and into the atmosphere. If your exhaust system is damaged – usually through corrosion (rust), this could potentially lead to harmful gases entering your Volvo or Toyota.

The basic components that make up the exhaust system are:

1)   The Exhaust Manifold: it transports the gases from the engine into the exhaust system via the cylinder heads.

2)   The Catalytic Converter: this takes the harmful exhaust gases (such as carbon monoxide and hydrogen monoxide) and converts them into water vapour and carbon dioxide. These in turn pass through a silencer.

3)   The Oxygen Sensor: also known as a lambda sensor, works out how much oxygen is located inside the exhaust, your Volvo
or Toyota computer can then determine how much fuel should be added for optimum fuel efficiency.

4)   The Exhaust Pipe: this part of the system which you can see at the rear carries the gas from the engine and releases it from the back
of your Volvo or Toyota at street level.

If you notice rust or corrosion on your exhaust pipe, then you should seriously think about having your exhaust replaced at your local independent garage. When your car is in the garage for a service or MOT the garage can inspect the exhaust when it is up on a ramp. That is why it is important to maintain regular servicing of your Volvo or Toyota. It is possible to weld patches over holes and corrosion, however this is likely to be a very temporary fix as the corrosion can return.

The corrosion can occur because of the elements – your exhaust is near a wet road and exposed to grit and salt etc – over time these parts will perish – it is inevitable. If you feel your Volvo or Toyota has become noisy, there could be a hole in the system or damage to the silencer.

If you notice poor fuel economy there could be an issue with the oxygen sensor, a hissing noise could be a cracked exhaust manifold, a knocking noise could be a broken bracket or a pipe that has become disconnected from the box. This could occur when going over large speed humps, hitting potholes (and let’s face it - we definitely have issues with potholes on our roads at present) or parking on kerbs (you could well have heard scaping or banging noises when you are on the kerb and done damage you don’t realise you have).

If part of your exhaust falls off whilst you are driving, please don’t leave it in the road for someone to hit – however do not pick it up with your hands – it will be incredibly hot and you will burn yourself. Move it to the side of the road with your feet. None of these issues will go away.

You will need to take your Volvo or Toyota to your local independent garage for further investigation. An honest garage will tell you exactly what the problem is, how to remedy it and how much it will cost. Don’t ignore it as you do not want to expose yourself or your passengers to the possibility of harmful gasses being brought into the car because there is a fault in the exhaust system. Happy Safe Motoring Folks!

Here at ACC UK Ltd, Winners of The Motor Trader Independent Garage of The Year 2015, 2019 & 2020, The IGA Big Awards 2022, The Inspire Customer Service Excellence 2016 Award, The Eagle Radio Customer Focus 2017 Business Award, The Workshop Magazine Workshop Manager of the Year 2017 Award, The LiveWire Excellence In Vehicle Servicing 2019 Award and The Aftermarket Excellence Award for Best Website 2019, The Eagle Radio Biz Award – Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 & the SME News Magazine Most Trusted Car Servicing Provider 2020, we pride ourselves on offering an outstanding customer experience for a fraction of the cost of a dealership. Give us a call and let us quote you for your next service or repair on your Volvo or Toyota. We service all areas around Farnborough, Fleet, Aldershot, Farnham, Guildford, Frimley, Camberley, Hook, Sandhurst, Crowthorne, Yateley, Hampshire and Surrey. We offer free collection and drop off services. We also have a fleet of courtesy cars to allow you to get on with your schedule whilst your Volvo or Toyota is with us. Happy Motoring from all at ACC UK Ltd – Independent Volvo & Toyota servicing, repair and MOT specialists based in the heart of Farnborough, Hampshire