The exhaust system is an integral element in your vehicle. It helps send engine waste products into the air, preventing them from polluting your car cabin. Yet, a noisy exhaust is a nuisance to most people.
It would be best to identify a way to quiet the engine without affecting the horsepower or performance in such cases. This article explores all the relevant insights and solutions to consider.
Why Is My Exhaust So Noisy?
An overly noisy engine and exhaust will readily cause passengers discomfort and attract unwanted attention from passers-by. Your exhaust could be loud for various reasons: age, damage, leakage, or enhanced power.
An exhaust leak is one of the biggest causes of noise. It highlights a relatively loud rumble whenever you accelerate, and its existence significantly affects engine performance. Notably, a bigger leak causes harsh vibrations that will be felt throughout the vehicle.
An aging exhaust is susceptible to considerable noise. Various elements and parts become loose or damaged as the exhaust ages, resulting in noise. Rust can also progressively cause an increase in exhaust noise.
A damaged exhaust will also be relatively noisy. For instance, if you hit something on the road, your exhaust could end up leaking or getting deformed. In this case, noise becomes inevitable.
How to Reduce Exhaust Noise Without Losing Performance
You can quiet your exhaust in different ways: leakage sealing, mufflers, and silencers. The choice will depend on your budget and personal preferences. The following are the best ways to realize lesser noise yet with increased performance.
Check if there is a leak
For excellent results, it would be best to embrace a hands-on inspection approach on the exhaust. It helps determine how leaky the exhaust is and how damaged it could be. Typically, a leaky exhaust produces a hissing or a loud rumbling sound.
Gas pedal vibrations could also indicate a problem with your exhaust. This vibration is caused by the exhaust fume leaving the system through a relatively small hole, resulting in reverberations.
Once you identify how big the leak is, it becomes easier to find an excellent solution. You could use heat-resistant epoxy or muffler cement to seal the leak. Heat-resistant epoxy suffices for relatively small leaks, while cement muffler works best for more significant issues.
But before using either heat-resistant epoxy or muffler cement, you must clean the surface. Verify that the surface is free of any corrosion, dirt, or accumulated dust. As a result, you get comfort and value for your money and the seal lasts for a respectably long period.
Invest in a New Quiet Muffler
A quiet muffler is a device attached to the exhaust, aiming to reduce the noise produced by the engine. Since this muffler is made from steel coated with aluminum, it boasts significant heat and temperature resistance.
Various types of quiet mufflers are at your disposal, meaning you must understand what suits you best before purchasing. Some of the most common types you could consider are multiple baffles, turbo silencers, straight-through, and performance silencers. Each option offers you a distinct sound.
Be careful when selecting your new muffler. It should have the ability to dampen sound, providing you with cabin comfort. You’ll also need to consider the material used on the muffler, with stainless steel and aluminized steel being the most common options. In addition, this damper must fit the exhaust.
DIY installation is the most straightforward and affordable option. You can watch YouTube tutorials and understand how to fix it by yourself. You could also consider hiring a professional if you are looking for better results.
DIY Quiet Mufflers
Understandably, you could be on such a tight budget that you will not afford a new quiet muffler. A DIY quiet muffler will be an excellent choice in this instance. Ensure that you build a relatively strong, heat-resistant, and reliable damper.
The effectiveness of your muffler will depend on the sound-dampening materials you choose. Some of the best materials to consider would be fiberglass, steel scrubs, and metal wool. Whichever material you choose, ensure that it can withstand extreme temperatures and corrosion.
Invest in a Silencer
Silencers are excellent sound dampeners that help reduce noise by narrowing the hole where the exhaust noise travels. They come in various types and sizes, allowing you to choose whichever fits your exhaust better.
All you need to do is compare what each option brings to the table before you decide. Preferably, choose a device from a reputable brand and with premium-quality materials.
You’ll have a relatively easy time installing this silencer, thanks to how straightforward the process is. You could also rely on a professional to help install it. This move provides you with better results in the long run.
DIY Silencer
A DIY silencer comes in handy when you are on a tight budget. This device aims to dampen noise traveling through the exhaust, ensuring that you remain comfortable in the car cabin. However, it would help if you made a silencer that can comfortably allow enough airflow.
Tips to Make the Car Cabin Quieter
While you could manage to dampen noise from the exhaust, keeping the cabin quiet might require other steps. The following are some of the things you should consider whenever you want to quiet the car cabin.
Use Sound Dampeners
Investing in sound deadeners helps minimize noise levels in the cabin, and significantly so. These deadeners aim to address the noise from tires and the wind. You’ll place these dampeners strategically, including on the door panels, trunks, and floor.
Most of these sound deadeners come with self-adhesive insulation, meaning installing them is straightforward. You can attach the strips to cracks and gaps, ensuring that there is no sound leakage. However, you must invest in excellent sound dampeners, regardless of the initial cost.
Further Reading: Best Sound Deadening Sprays in 2023
Get New Tires
One of the main sources of road noise is tires. Old and worn-out tires are likely to expose you to a lot of noise, which will be uncomfortable inside the cabin. It would be ideal to use softer rubber tires to reduce this noise. The best option would be to get wheels with a higher profile.
Adding a thick layer of rubberized underbody coating will also help. This coating significantly dampens noise, ensuring that your car cabin remains relatively quiet.
Sound Deadening Sprays
Sound muffling spray paints are an excellent choice for anyone on a budget. These soundproof spray paints are heat-resistant and can withstand extreme weather conditions. You can rely on them to seal gaps and cracks. This way, there will barely be any sound leakage.
Final Thoughts
A noisy exhaust is a nightmare to any driver, passenger, and even pedestrian. Yet, it does not condemn you to eternal discomfort. As long as you understand how to deaden the noise, you can get the comfort you need. With the details above, choosing an excellent option will be relatively easy.
Further Reading: How to Quiet Noisy Lifters? Fix the Lifter Tick & Prevent Damage