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Designed to take care of engine noise, a muffler is usually located at the rear or underneath the vehicle. All state laws require vehicle owners to drive with a fully functional muffler, which means that you can get pulled over by a traffic cop due to excessive muffler noise.
After all, your car will make horrendous noises without a well-functioning muffler, which nobody would enjoy listening to. Therefore, it should be attended to as soon as you start to hear rattling noises while driving. If left unchecked, it can cause further damage to the car.
As such, a well-performing muffler brings a lot to the table. It increases fuel efficiency and decreases emissions of toxins. Above all, it diverts damaging fumes away from the car’s engine. All these factors combined will keep your vehicle running in good order.
How Much Will I Pay For A Muffler Replacement?
Getting the muffler professionally replaced will cost you anywhere between $50 to $500. The cost depends on how much the parts would cost and who does the work.
For instance, the modern-day vehicles feature mufflers made out of aluminized exhaust parts or stainless steel, which bear more cost than mufflers made from regular steel sheets and tubes.
| Auto Center | Price |
|---|---|
| Mr. Tire | $200 – $500 |
| NAPA | $185 – $500 |
| Pep Boys | $90 – $420 |
| Your Mechanic | $180-$490 |
| Walmart | $50 – $120 |
Not to mention that the aftermarket parts of moderate quality can be acquired at a lower price, which again is another factor that determines how much you will actually end up spending from your wallet.
The fact that a muffler is connected to many other parts, which may fail in conjunction with the car’s muffler, be prepared to devote another $20 to $30 for related car components such as hangers, silencers, gaskets, etc.
Important Information: Aftermarket parts are not made bearing a specific car in mind, rendering them incompatible for some cars. So, you shouldn’t be getting an aftermarket part on your own if you don’t have any mechanical background to boast about. The more you pay for a muffler, the more it will usually last. But, be sure to compare prices between different vendors. Also, parts of a luxury car won’t come at the same price as your regular car, which is to say it will be costlier to replace parts of luxury cars.
What Causes the Muffler to Go Bad?
There are two main culprits that can cause the muffler to go bad over time: rust and crack. The muffler rusts mainly because of the water getting collected inside the exhaust system. Other than this, regular car driving in the rain and snow can lead to rust collection over time.
Apart from rust, cracks caused due to rough driving can cause holes in muffler, which will keep the vehicle from performing at its best. The risk of cracks is usually high when the car is driven on potholes.
When a muffler fails to do its job, your vehicle will get really loud. Not to mention that your car will also run hotter than usual.
How Does a Bad Muffler Affect a Car?
Well, it will affect your car on several fronts, as discussed below:
- You will notice a dip in the gas mileage.
- A lot of noise will come from the car’s engine.
- You will smell fumes at the time of driving.
- You will also smell smoke from the car’s tailpipe.
All these signs should alert you that you longer have a healthy muffler. So, the next question is how to get the muffler replaced? Let’s address it.
Muffler Replacement Procedure Explained
For you to install the new muffler, you will need to get rid of the old one. So, let’s show you the steps on how to remove the old muffler and replace it with a new one.
- Begin by parking your car on a flat service and not on grass, gravel, or any other uneven surface. Jack the car up because you have to get under the car safely to access the repair area.
- You will start the repair work by disconnecting the battery, which is a normal norm followed for a technician’s safety. After all, this will ensure that the vehicle won’t start accidentally when you are working on the car.
- Next, spray penetrating fluid on the muffler’s mounting bolts and allow them to soak for a while. This will break all the rust gathered on them, allowing you to remove them easily.
- You can use a socket wrench to loosen the bolts on the exhaust clamp. At this point, you will be able to remove the damaged muffler from the system to be replaced with the new muffler
- Make sure to apply jointing paste on the joints and pipes before you fit the new muffler. Fit the new muffler and tighten everything into their respective position.
- Of course, pay close attention to any markings that will indicate how the new muffler should be fitted in the system. Once the new muffler is fitted in the car, lower the car and start it.
- Once the engine is fired, check for leaks, noises, and vibrations. If none of these symptoms exist, take your car for a short ride, which will tell you if the procedure was successful or not.
Important Information: Do not start working on a car that was driven a few minutes ago to avoid burn marks on your body. You should allow the car to sit idle for a few hours before you start working on the exhaust. As mentioned earlier, do not forget to disconnect the battery terminals when working on the vehicle.
How to Save Money on Muffler Replacement Cost?
Of course, you can save quite a lot of money by replacing the muffler yourself. That said, replacing a muffler requires some degree of technical expertise. So, you better know what you are doing. Some mufflers are welded into their respective place.
So, the only way to get rid of them is through a cutting saw, which may make you uncomfortable handling the task. The cost of the muffler is another area where you can save some money by shopping for it by comparing prices from different vendors.
What’s also worth mentioning over here is that muffler repair would be cheaper than muffler replacement. So, if there is any scope for repair as opposed to getting the muffler replaced, you should opt for the former. For instance, a simple hole on the muffler can be an easily repairable job for an expert car technician.
Not to discount the fact that you won’t have to drop more than $40-odd dollars for a simple fix of this nature. The good news is that good auto car centers might also warrant their work for a certain period of time.
