Exhaust blowing

[kitteneyes]

I been told that my exhaust is blowing..As a women ,yes i will admit that i dont know lot about cars..Why is this happening and is it safe for me to continue driving till i have the time to get the problem sorted??

[woodchopper]

Probably it is rotten in places due to the effects of corrosion - generally the rear section goes first as that is furthest from the engine therefore colder and more promneto the effects of rust.
Won't do a lot of harm unless it blows onto an important bit of car - but will generally make a lot of noise.
Take it to a local garage to get checked out.

[kitteneyes]

Thank you...The rear section of the exhaust is pretty new ( including cat) about 2 yrs ago....Do you reckon it wasnt fitted properly???

[Andyvon]

Exhaust systems only last about two or three years Kitteneyes. Unless they are stainless steel they are made of mild steel which rusts like crazy. The exhaust companies don't want them to last any longer or they would go out of business!

You should be OK for a while if it's only blowing slightly. But the exhaust will get noiser and noiser and it may eventually start scraping on the road or fall off if you just leave it. It probably won't but don't leave it too long. If it starts to sound like a tractor then get there straight away.

You can't really blame the fitting of the rear section after two years. That is a long time and the rear section rusts more than the rest of the system. Exhausts generally rust from the inside out due to condensation formed by the hot exhaust gases meeting the cold metal. The rear section stays coolest so that rots more than any other section.
If you do lots of short trips around town then the exhaust won't last long at all as you never give it a chance to get really hot and evaporate the condensation inside. If you did longer runs at higher speeds then your exhaust would last longer that if you only run around town. The joints also work loose over time with vibration.

I'm afraid it's just a matter of buying a new exhaust as many of them go on cars after that time. You can buy stainless steel exhausts for some cars which usually last for the life of the car. They are very expensive though and most people don't bother unless their car is special.

[kitteneyes]

Thank you Andyvon....A very well explained answer :)

[chevrolet1.8]

dont forget a blowing exhaust is an mot failure and also will atract unwanted attention from the plod fraternity so if its loud you could end up with a fine and points on your licence on top of cost of new exhaust section. if you have a small car the cost of replacing a box section shouldn't be expensive. don't go to kwik ---

[Toureman]

You should renew the part that is blowing now.

1. it's illegal.

2. It won't cost as much as a new catalictic converter (�100-�250) which could be ruined by a blowing exhaust.