Some cars are supposed to be loud.
Others become loud all by themselves.
If your car or truck suddenly sounds deeper, rougher or a lot louder than it did last week, something in the exhaust probably changed.
The question is what.
If the sound changed suddenly, pay attention
A sudden increase in exhaust noise can come from a broken pipe, a rusted section of exhaust, a failed muffler, a loose connection or even a missing catalytic converter.
Where the sound comes from and when you hear it can give us clues.
But you don’t need to learn how to diagnose an exhaust system by ear. That’s our job. Tell us when you hear it too. A sound that only happens on a cold start, under acceleration or over bumps can point us in a different direction than a noise that’s there all the time.
Loud doesn’t automatically mean dangerous
A loud exhaust isn’t always a sign that the car is about to break down.
Plenty of people bring vehicles to us because they intentionally want more sound.
Stones River installs performance exhaust and does custom pipe work in-house for customers who want to change the sound of their car or truck.
The difference is whether the noise was built into the system intentionally or appeared because something broke. A change you didn’t ask for deserves a look, especially if it happened suddenly.
When does it become a problem?
If your exhaust suddenly gets louder and you also notice an exhaust smell, loss of power, rattling or a check engine light, don’t ignore it.
An exhaust leak can let gases escape somewhere they shouldn’t.
A broken hanger can allow the exhaust to move and hit other parts underneath the vehicle.
A damaged converter or badly restricted exhaust can even affect how the engine runs.
What if I actually want it louder?
Then we get to have the fun version of the conversation.
Tell us what you drive and what kind of sound you’re after.
Some people want a little more rumble without making highway driving miserable. Others want something much more noticeable.
Dallas Beard handles much of the exhaust fabrication at Stones River and has decades of experience doing this work. Thomas Powers calls him the “exhaust whisperer.”
We can install an aftermarket system or talk through custom pipe work when an off-the-shelf setup isn’t what you want.
Let us hear it
Whether your exhaust got louder by accident or you want us to make it louder on purpose, bring it by.
We’ll tell you what you’re hearing and what your options are before anything gets replaced or cut.
Contact
Stones River Auto and Exhaust, 1601 Flat Rock Road, Murfreesboro, TN 37130. Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Call (615) 961-6322.
