Your vehicle’s exhaust system is more important than it may seem: It’s tasked with safely expelling the byproducts generated by your engine. Exhaust issues can turn out to be costly, so it’s important to stay on top of things. To do so, you’ve got to pay close attention to how your car drives and sounds.

Here’s some possible signs that you may need to replace your muffler, courtesy of the experts here at our Livingston area Toyota service center.

Signs of Muffler Problems

New Sounds: By now, you’re probably pretty familiar with how your car sounds when you start it up and accelerate. If it’s suddenly generating newer, louder, unpleasant noises as you drive, that could be a sign of muffler issues.

Holes or Rust: The muffler is exposed to plenty of heat, and since it’s on the bottom of the car, it also takes a fair bit of moisture. The metal can wear out over time, leading to holes, rust, or both. If you suspect a problem, take a good look at the muffler–possibly lifting the car on a jack first–and check for these signs.

Water leaking: Your muffler typically expels a little bit of condensation, that’s totally normal. But if water is leaking out in multiple locations, that could mean trouble.

Excess heat: This is a tough one, because you may not know how hot your muffler is typically supposed to get–and you obviously should NEVER touch it when it’s running. But if you stand or place your and near it with the engine idling and sense that it’s unreasonably hot, get it checked out.

Muffler Service Near Livingston

If you suspect there’s something wrong with your exhaust system, have it checked out by a professional here at Toyota of Morristown’s service center. Our trained experts know your car inside and out, and we work with exhaust systems frequently using only authentic Toyota manufacturer parts. Don’t let the problem get any worse–schedule your service today!