How To Repair Exhaust Leak

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An frazzle leak can create a peachy bargain of dissonance, increase your emissions and cause the check engine light in your vehicle to come up on. Extensive leaks can fill the motel of your vehicle with carbon monoxide, which can make y'all feel sick or even autumn asleep while driving. While extensive rusting or rotting of your exhaust organisation volition require replacing all or parts of it, modest leaks can be resolved using exhaust tape or epoxy. You tin can even brand a patch out of soda or beer cans.

1. 1

   Park the vehicle on a level, house surface. In social club to repair the exhaust leak, you will need to jack the vehicle up to locate it. When you jack upwards a portion of the car, the weight of that portion volition be centralized into the relatively small space beneath the jack. It's important that you choose a surface that can support that weight. Yous as well need the surface to be level, every bit it's extremely dangerous to jack up a car at an bending.^[i]

   • Black meridian or concrete are acceptable surfaces to jack upward a car.
   • Never jack up a car on grass, dirt or gravel equally it may cause the jack to topple over.

2. 2

   Permit the exhaust to cool. The exhaust piping in your vehicle can achieve extremely high temperatures while the engine is running. Allow the vehicle to cool for a few hours before attempting to piece of work on the exhaust to avoid called-for yourself.^[ii]

   • It may take a number of hours to let the exhaust to cool enough to bear upon.
   • Touch the hood of your automobile. If it is yet warm, the engine and exhaust are both still extremely hot.

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3. 3

   Jack up the vehicle. Slide a scissor or trolley jack below the vehicle at one of its designated jack points. If you are unsure where these jack points are, refer to the vehicle's possessor'south manual to help y'all locate them. With the jack in the correct space, jack up the machine until it is loftier plenty to safely work beneath information technology.^[3]

   • Once the vehicle is jacked upward, identify jack stands beneath the vehicle to support its weight.
   • Never work below a vehicle supported simply by a jack.

4. 4

   Inspect the exhaust piping. From beneath the vehicle, inspect the frazzle piping starting at the front end of the vehicle and working your mode back. If you have an idea of where the leak may be, you lot tin can begin your inspection in that area. Wait for signs of damage such every bit scrapes, rust, cracks or holes.^[4]

   • In lower vehicles, exhaust leaks can be caused by the underside of the vehicle bottoming out on things like speed bumps or pot holes.
   • Rust is as well a common cause of exhaust leaks. If rust penetrates through all the way through a piping, it will result in a leak.
   • Cracks in the piping are another common cause of exhaust leaks.

5. 5

   Start the vehicle to assist locate leaks. If you are unable to readily place the source of the leak with a visual inspection, have a friend start the vehicle. From below the car or truck you should be able to spot the leak every bit puffs of exhaust smoke escapes from it.^[5]

   • Be extremely careful working under a vehicle that is running. Go on your hands away from any moving parts.
   • Make sure the vehicle is in park (for automated transmissions) or is in neutral with the wheels chocked (standard transmissions) before starting it.

6. 6

   Assess the extent and blazon of damage. Depending on the type of impairment you lot identify on your frazzle pipage, your repair options may vary. If the exhaust piping is covered in extensive rust, that unabridged component of the frazzle may demand to exist replaced by a professional person. Small scrapes or holes can exist addressed without cutting out portions of the exhaust.^[6]

   • Modest holes may be repaired using frazzle tape or repair putty.
   • Larger holes will demand a slice of aluminum in conjunction with an epoxy to seal.

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1. 1

   Scrub the area surrounding the leak with a steel toothed brush. Because the exhaust is located on the underside of the vehicle, it often gets caked with mud, dirt and rust. Once yous locate the leak, apply a steel toothed brush to scrub the area surrounding it. Virtually repairs will not stick or seal if done over dirt and grime.^[7]

   • Scrub the unabridged portion of the pipe around the leak, including the top side if you can reach information technology.
   • Make sure to wearable eye protection while scrubbing the area to prevent droppings from getting in your eyes.

2. 2

   Use sandpaper to prepare the surface of the pipe. One time y'all accept scraped off most of the dirt and grime, have a piece of fine grit sandpaper and use information technology to scrub the portion of the pipe you lot need to repair. Sandpaper will remove the final bits of dirt equally well as creating tiny micro abrasions in the metallic to help the record or epoxy attach to it.^[8]

   • If you lot are using frazzle record, make sure to scrub the pipe all the way around with the sand paper.
   • Roughing up the surface of the metallic will create a stronger bond for the patch.

3. 3

   Wipe the surface down with acetone. Once you have brushed and sanded the pipe around the leak, wipe the area down with acetone to clean it and help the exhaust epoxy bond to the metal. Acetone is the primary ingredient in nail smooth remover, and so using nail polish remover will piece of work well for this purpose.^[nine]

   • Be very careful not to drip acetone into your eyes or mouth while wiping downward the pipe with information technology.
   • You can buy acetone in the cleaning chemicals section of many retail stores, or nail smooth remover in the health and beauty sections.

4. 4

   Determine if the pigsty is small enough to be sealed without a patch. Small cracks or pinholes can be sealed using just epoxy or frazzle tape, but larger holes will need a patch. If the leak is a thin crack or pocket-sized hole, you can proceed without purchasing or making a patch to assistance. If the pigsty is larger, you lot volition need a patch besides as epoxy.^[10]

   • Attempting to seal too big a hole without a patch can consequence in an imperfect seal or the frazzle leak resurfacing after a few hours of driving.

5. 5

   Wrap the exhaust tape around the pipage. If you are using exhaust repair record, wrap it all the fashion around the pipe, covering the exhaust leak with at least two layers of tape. Make sure to wrap the tape effectually the pipe for a few inches to either side of the leak as well. Unlike kinds of frazzle repair tape will require different application methods, so exist sure to read the instructions thoroughly before you begin.^[xi]

   • Some exhaust repair tape must exist applied to warm pipes in guild to establish a seal, then you may need to beginning the vehicle and let it run for a few minutes before applying.
   • Other forms of exhaust repair record needs to be wet earlier applying.
   • Y'all can purchase exhaust repair tape at most motorcar parts stores.

6. six

   Mix the epoxy together and apply it to the leak. If yous are using epoxy to seal the leak, mix the two parts together using a wooden dowel. In one case the ii parts are mixed, it will brainstorm to cure immediately, and so apply it to the leak quickly. Dab the epoxy over the leak, then use the wooden dowel to spread it around the area. Leave a thick layer of epoxy over and around the leak.^[12]

   • You lot may also choose to wrap the leak in exhaust repair tape after applying the epoxy.
   • Different types of epoxy have different curing rates, and then read the instructions on the package to know how long to allow information technology to sit before driving the vehicle.

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1. 1

   Make up one's mind the size of patch needed. You can buy exhaust patch kits from your local machine parts store, but cutting up a piece of an aluminum can volition actually practise only as good equally chore at serving every bit a patch for a larger exhaust leak. After scrubbing and cleaning the surface area, determine how large the patch will demand to be to embrace the leak and leave at to the lowest degree a half inch or so of extra material beyond the hole itself.^[thirteen]

   • If the surface area that needs to be patched is larger than almost iii inches, that portion of the frazzle will likely need to be replaced.
   • If you purchase a patch kit, make sure to read the directions to appraise the size of a leak the kit can fix.

2. ii

   Cut an aluminum patch to fit over the leak. Employ a pair of heavy duty scissors to cut your aluminum tin can into a patch large plenty to cover the leak. Yous may also cull to wrap the can around the pipage. For smaller leaks, you lot can just cutting a circle of aluminum that is a half inch larger in bore than the hole.^[14]

   • You lot may want to wearable gloves while cutting a can or aluminum patch to avoid being cut past precipitous edges.
   • Wrapping the can or patch all the way around the pipe will provide the all-time seal.

3. iii

   Cover the area surrounding the leak with epoxy. Just as yous would seal a leak with epoxy, mix it together and apply it to the piping around the leak. Make sure to use enough epoxy to create a seal for the patch, just don't employ then much that the epoxy begins to baste into the exhaust piping.^[15]

   • Employ the epoxy to an area surrounding the leak that is equal size to the patch you are applying.
   • If you are going to wrap the patch all the manner around the pipage, apply most of the epoxy to the area around the leak and a lighter glaze all the way around the pipe.

4. 4

   Place the patch over the leak. Either place the small patch directly over the hole or wrap a large patch all the way around the piping. If wrapping the patch around the pipe, make sure the middle of the patch is over the leak itself.^[xvi]

   • Information technology'due south okay if some of the epoxy squeezes out the sides of the patch when you apply it.
   • Make sure none of the leak extends beyond the sides of the patch.

5. five

   Apply epoxy over the patch. Use a wooden dowel to utilise more epoxy to the edges of the patch. You may even choose to coat the patch itself with epoxy. This will help agree the patch in place equally the epoxy dries while also creating a more solid seal to prevent any exhaust from leaking.^[17]

   • Make sure to coat the perimeter of the patch with epoxy at the least to ensure there are no pinhole leaks.
   • If you wrapped the entire piping with a patch, you exercise not need to glaze the unabridged patch, but pay special attention to wear the patch meets on the reverse side of the pipe from the leak.

6. 6

   Secure a large patch in place with hose clamps. If yous wrapped the patch all the way around the pipe, use two hose clamps to secure it in place and ensure a tight seal. Place ane hose clamp on either side of the leak on the pipe, and then apply a socket wrench or flat head screw driver to tighten the clamps into place over the patch.^[18]

   • The hose clamps will aid ensure a tight seal along with the patch and epoxy.
   • Yous may want to clip the backlog ends off of the hose clamps once you are done.

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Add New Question

• Question

  Can y'all drive a car with an frazzle leak?

  

  This reply was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated information technology for accurateness and comprehensiveness.

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor

  Staff Answer

  

  Support wikiHow by unlocking this staff-researched answer.

  Information technology is not advisable to bulldoze a car with an exhaust leak because the exhaust fumes are toxic and may exist leaking into your machine; carbon monoxide poisoning is mortiferous and you lot cannot scent or sense its presence. Moreover, your car's fuel efficiency will driblet markedly and if the exhaust piping is making loud noises, and you live in an area where the police tin give you a citation for causing pollution, you might get cited. And leaking exhaust can also wreck the catalytic convertor, which is very expensive to replace. And then, in a nutshell, don't drive a car with an exhaust leak––instead, get information technology repaired quickly!

• Question

  How much does it cost to fix an frazzle leak in a car?

  

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  On average, the cost will be around $200 to $400 but it really depends on the labor costs, the brand of car and what sort of replacement parts are needed. Talk to your local mechanic to get an accurate figure for your particular problem.

• Question

  How much does information technology cost to fix a broken exhaust pipe?

  

  This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor

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  Support wikiHow by unlocking this staff-researched reply.

  The answer will depend on what damage needs fixing, how much of the pipe needs replacing, and whether or non you're doing it yourself or having a mechanic fix it (the latter being what most people will require). Yous'll need to factor in the cost of the materials, the labor and any additional warranty. Likewise, you may need to account for the automobile existence at the mechanic's for a day or and then, which might entail paying for other transportation. That said, the toll tin range anywhere from $50.00 to $800.00, depending on the motorcar make, where you have it stock-still and what exactly needs fixing. If a turbocharger or catalytic convertor is part of what needs repairing or replacing, await the toll to go over $thou.

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Article Summary 10

To patch an exhaust pipe, commencement by jacking upward your vehicle so you can inspect the frazzle pipe and locate the leak. Next, scrub the expanse around the leak with a steel-toothed brush, sand the surface of the pipage to rough upward the metal, and wipe the piping down with acetone. Then, wrap the exhaust record around the pipage, covering the leak with at to the lowest degree 2 layers. Finally, mix the epoxy together, apply it to the leak with a wooden dowel, and allow the mixture cure completely before driving your vehicle. For tips on sealing a leak with a patch, read on!

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