What Makes a Car Loud?
Is your car extra loud lately? It might mean it’s time for an oil change or in need of repair—or it might be the result of an aftermarket mod you made.
Written by Cameron Thiessen
Reviewed by Melanie Reiff
There are a variety of reasons why your car might be loud. It could have a faulty muffler, or it might be time for an oil change. Or, it might just be that way because of its large exhaust tip.
Ask yourself when the loudness started popping up—perhaps after an aftermarket modification that you’ve recently made? Or, maybe your car has always made a loud sound.
If you’re at a loss for answers, there’s nothing to worry about. Answers are kind of our thing. Read on for six reasons why you might have a loud car, presented by
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6 common reasons you might have a loud car
Leaking exhaust
Your car’s exhaust system is a very important part of its overall health, and a leak therein is one of the most common reasons why a car is loud. A crack in an exhaust pipe or exhaust manifold can cause the whole system to rumble and rattle, often producing a loud, irritating car sound.
An exhaust leak could mean that dangerous emissions are getting into the cabin, too. This can make you sick, and it might also cause a fire—yikes! Have your exhaust checked by a professional ASAP if you suspect there’s a leak.
Faulty muffler
Part of the job of your car’s muffler is to dampen the sound of the engine. So if there’s something wrong with it, you’ll definitely notice that your car has gotten louder. Other symptoms may include worse fuel efficiency and an increased amount of
exhaust fumes
being released where you don’t want them to be (see above).Alternatively, many car enthusiasts want to make their car louder, so they poke a hole in the exhaust pipe (in a safe location), or they might just bypass their car’s stock muffler. But it’s doubtful you’d be reading this article if that was the case for you!
Worn-out torque converter
If your car has an automatic transmission, it probably has a device called a torque converter, which does the job of a clutch in a manual transmission. Rather than having to manually disconnect the engine from the transmission, the torque converter manages the torque from the engine and ensures that the optimal amount of rotational energy is transferred to it.
If your torque converter fails, it could lead to an unwieldy grinding sound when you have your car in gear. You could just be low on transmission fluid, or the converter’s needle bearings could be worn or damaged. Either way, if you’re hearing a grinding sound coming from your engine or transmission, you’ll want to take it to your mechanic for an inspection.
Large exhaust tip
If you’ve recently bought a used car that may or may not have had some off-road modifications done to it, and you’ve noticed that it’s excessively loud, it might just have a larger exhaust tip than you’re used to. Some people will intentionally add an exhaust tip to mimic the exhaust sound that a car with a turbocharger would make.
It’s a rather contentious issue as to how much a larger exhaust tip will actually change the sound of your engine, though. The consensus seems to be that it probably doesn’t do much.
Missing catalytic converter
The job of your car’s catalytic converter is to reduce harmful emissions—such as hydrocarbons and sulfur—that are released from your car into the environment. Not only will a failing catalytic converter mean your car could fail emissions testing, but it will also experience similar symptoms of a leaky muffler.
Your engine will sound louder, and your car’s mileage will likely be reduced. A bad catalytic converter will usually cause your check engine light to turn on. Don’t ignore that engine light!
Bad spark plug
Spark plugs are very important because they’re responsible for providing the initial spark that lights the air-fuel mixture in your car’s combustion chamber. A faulty one will cause you all sorts of problems, like engine misfires and uncouth noises. Luckily,
spark plug replacement
is an easy fix.Overdue oil change
If your car’s engine oil is getting old, it’s probably also getting dirty, and it’s likely your car needs an
oil change
. Dirty oil will do a worse job of lubricating the moving parts of your engine, and this is likely to cause your engine parts to grind together, producing a louder sound than usual. If you’re noticing that your engine sounds different than usual—maybe it’s gotten louder or is making loud noises like humming or grinding—check that oil! Clean oil will look light and transparent, while dirty oil will look dark and opaque and be gritty to the touch.
Aftermarket mods that make your car louder
If you’re trying to make your car louder, you might consider getting an aftermarket exhaust. Aftermarket exhausts are often built to maximize airflow for turbo systems—and they’ll also make your car louder.
One common aftermarket mod commonly referred to as straight piping involves bypassing the muffler and catalytic converter altogether and installing a straight metal tube in its place. Overall, this is kind of a silly thing to do, because it can cause a whole slew of potential problems.
Plus, it’s an illegal car modification if you plan on driving your car on public roads. It might even make flames spit out of your tailpipe like in Need for Speed!
Other aftermarket mod alternatives for making a car louder include connecting welded hangers to the exhaust system. You might also consider tuning or replacing your ECU.
MORE:
How to modify a car
How to find cheap car insurance for your ride
If you have a beloved modded car—or just a used car that you can drive and maintain cheaply—you’re going to want to equip it with quality
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