Exhaust Repairs Clayton South | Service One Automotive

Exhaust repairs

If it has gone loud, something has gone open. That matters more than the noise.

Service One Automotive repairs exhausts at Factory 9, 266 Osborne Avenue, Clayton South VIC 3169. Blowing joints, rusted pipes and mufflers, broken hangers, and the sensor and catalytic converter faults that set off the engine light. Ring 0434 949 091. Please call to confirm current opening hours.

The noise is the smallest part of it

An exhaust that has rusted through is venting gas before it reaches the back of the car. Carbon monoxide is odourless, and a leak under the floor can find its way into the cabin, particularly with a rear hatch or a window cracked open.

So a sudden change in exhaust note is worth acting on quickly, even though it is tempting to live with it.

Leaks upstream confuse the engine

The oxygen sensors are how the engine computer decides how much fuel to inject. A leak in front of a sensor lets fresh air in, the sensor reports a lean mixture, and the computer adds fuel that the engine did not actually need.

The result is worse economy and an engine light, from what looks like a purely mechanical problem. It is a common reason a car fails an emissions check with no obvious fault.

Catalytic converters

A converter usually fails because something else damaged it. An engine burning oil, or running rich, or misfiring, will kill one.

Fitting a new converter without fixing the reason the last one died just buys you a second dead converter. We check what caused it first.

Signs of an exhaust problem

The car has suddenly got louder, especially under acceleration
A rattle underneath that changes when you blip the throttle
A smell of exhaust inside the cabin
Visible rust holes or a hanging pipe
The engine light is on and the code mentions the catalyst or an oxygen sensor
Fuel economy has dropped without a change in how you drive

Questions about exhaust repairs

Can a section be repaired, or is it a whole new system?

Often a single section. Exhausts are built in parts, so a rusted rear muffler does not always mean replacing everything forward of it. We will tell you which it is once it is on the hoist.

Will a louder exhaust fail a roadworthy inspection?

It can. Noise limits apply in Victoria, and a blowing or heavily modified exhaust is one of the things an inspection looks at. Bring it in and we will tell you where yours sits before you spend anything.

Is it safe to drive with a blowing exhaust?

For a short distance to get it looked at, generally. Not as an ongoing arrangement, because of the fumes and because the leak tends to grow.