Exhaust Tailpipe

The exhaust tailpipe is the final section of pipe in the exhaust system. It carries exhaust gases to the back of the vehicle, where they exit into the atmosphere.

What is a tailpipe, and what does it do?

When the fuel and air mixture that provides the power for your car is burned inside your engine’s cylinders, the hot exhaust gases need to be removed from the vehicle. This is the job of your car’s exhaust system.

Your exhaust system starts with the exhaust manifold, which routes the exhaust gases out of the engine. The next stop is the catalytic converter, where the remaining pollutants are cleaned from the exhaust. After that, what’s left travels through one or more mufflers, which are there to quiet the sound of your exhaust.

The final step in this journey is your tailpipe, which routes the cleaned and quieted exhaust from the muffler to the rear of your vehicle, where it is released into the atmosphere. Some cars with higher-performance or larger engines may have dual exhausts, in which case they will have two tailpipes instead of one.

Signs of a bad tailpipe

There are several ways to tell that you might have a bad tailpipe. Let’s go through the list:

• Loud engine noise from under your car: Your tailpipe routes both the exhaust gases and the engine’s noise to the rear of your car, where they are left behind as you drive. If your tailpipe is worn out, damaged, or not there, the noise can escape before it gets to the rearmost point of the vehicle. You will then hear it, possibly as a hiss if there is a loose attachment or just a small hole in the tailpipe, or a louder sound if the tailpipe has become disconnected from the rest of the exhaust system.

• A rattling noise under the vehicle: If your tailpipe has detached from the rest of the exhaust system, or it has rusted out, you may hear a rattling sound as you drive over bumps and other road irregularities. This can indicate that there are loose or damaged parts in your exhaust system that need to be repaired or secured.

• A dragging sound from under your vehicle: This is a pretty good sign that your tailpipe may have come loose from where it is attached, and is dragging on the ground. If you hear this sound, stop immediately and do a visual check. If you can temporarily secure the dragging tailpipe to the vehicle, drive it directly to a mechanic’s shop for repairs. Avoid touching the hot tailpipe with your bare hands. If you can’t secure it, have your car towed in before any more damage is done to your vehicle – or the bad tailpipe comes completely off, and damages a car behind you.

• Your check engine light comes on: Your engine computer has been set up to operate with the entire exhaust system in one continuous piece. A problem with your tailpipe can cause your engine computer to trigger the check engine light on your dashboard.

• Vibrations: A bad tailpipe can affect the balance and operation of the entire exhaust system, which is suspended underneath the car with rubber hangers. This can cause parts of the exhaust system to contact the car’s underbody, creating vibrations that reverberate through the car’s structure. These vibrations may be felt through your steering wheel, seat or pedals.

• A loss of power or fuel economy: Your car’s exhaust system is designed to maximize the performance of the engine. If the tailpipe rusts out, gets damaged, or becomes detached, this will affect your car’s performance. Poor engine response, reduced acceleration, and a drop in your fuel economy can happen.

Should you drive with a bad tailpipe?

Yes — right to the repair shop! Exhaust leaks can be extremely hazardous to your health. Carbon monoxide and other toxic gases are odorless and colorless. They can travel from a damaged tailpipe into your car’s interior, causing injury or death to the occupants of the vehicle.

Play it safe — as soon as you suspect that your tailpipe, or any other part of your exhaust system, is not working properly, get it checked out immediately. If the tailpipe is dragging, definitely have it towed. And if you must drive it there, lower all the windows to prevent any accumulation of toxic fumes inside.

## How do you fix a bad tailpipe? Unless you live in a very harsh environment, with high levels of humidity, severe winters, lots of road salt, and rutted, snow-covered roads, replacing your tailpipe should be an infrequent experience. But things like loose connections, broken hangers and impacts with road debris can cause anyone to have a bad tailpipe.

Tracking down the cause involves putting your car up on a lift, and then visually inspecting it for signs of wear, corrosion, damage or loose connections. With the engine running, the sources of any exhaust leaks can be located.

If the cause of your bad tailpipe is simply a loose clamp or a broken hanger, these things can be easily fixed. If your tailpipe needs to be replaced, there are two options:

• A replacement tailpipe made for your car
• A custom-made tailpipe cut and bent into the right shape for your car

Most mechanics will simply replace your tailpipe with one that has been manufactured to fit your car, and bolt it into place. But many muffler and exhaust system specialty shops have the expertise and the tools to make a replacement tailpipe on the spot, and may prefer to do it that way. If the damage to your tailpipe is limited to a small section, they may even be able to cut out the bad section and weld in a new piece.

Can you replace a bad tailpipe by yourself?

If you have basic mechanic skills, and the replacement tailpipe is a simple bolt-on installation, you may be able to do it yourself — as long as you have a safe way to get your car off the ground to work on it. Keep in mind that getting those old, rusted-on bolts loose can be a serious challenge. This can be a dirty, brute-force type of project, so we recommend that you assign it to a mechanic, who is well-versed in all aspects of dealing with a bad tailpipe.