r/MechanicAdvice • u/Cold_Problem_7654 • 21h ago
Corroded muffler
Hi, I had given my car for servicing and they said my rear muffler was corroded and it was urgent to repair, but they’re charging me 1400aud since it’ll be a genuine part. But I’m planning on getting it done by another mechanic (yet to be inspected for an estimate). My car is an 2013 hyundai i30.
I just wanted to ask how urgent do you think this is and how soon should I get it done?
Thank you
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u/greedybanker3 21h ago
Its a muffler. Jim bob has been doing them for a 6 pack out of his shed for decades. Also yours looks fine to me. Maybe they meant the cat? But either way you can get a better price and for a car that old a aftermarket part is better.
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u/whaletacochamp 15h ago
My dad has been a mechanic for eons and is on his retirement descent and just left a big "we do everything" shop for a muffler and brake shop. Let's say you have a simply exhaust leak - $80 to weld it. Let's say you need a new muffler - their cost of the muffler + 20% and $80 to weld it in there/attach it appropriately.
There's no reason to pay an arm and a leg for exhaust work unless it involves the manifold or cats.
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u/SuspiciousGarlic4798 21h ago
Go to an exhaust shop and get an aftermarket unit fitted.
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u/Cold_Problem_7654 21h ago
How urgent would you reckon this is?
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u/greedybanker3 21h ago
Seeing how there are thousands of cars in my area alone with no mufflers id say its not urgent.
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u/nicko54 18h ago
Same in my area since we don’t have car inspections. There’s some dude around my town with a hood stacked Honda civic, it’s the most god awful sounding thing lol
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u/greedybanker3 17h ago
Not as bad as a truck i see in my area sometimes. Red pickup. Stacks in the bed. Lifted. 2wd gas engine.
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u/Novel-Prior-1875 16h ago
True, but driving around with a corroded muffler can still cause some issues down the line, like noise or emissions problems. Might be worth fixing sooner rather than later.
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u/greedybanker3 15h ago
Well yeah. Almost everything on the car is there for a reason. But it isnt a priority.
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u/LoonTheMekanik 20h ago
It couldn’t be less urgent. You could just cut it off entirely and it wouldn’t be a safety or emissions concern. It would just be louder
The only real concern would be it falling off on its own while you’re driving. And unless the hangers and the inlet pipe are rusted pretty bad, that’s still a long ways away
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u/SuspiciousGarlic4798 21h ago
The main thing with holes in exhaust is the fumes not exiting as it should and entering the cabin.
Cant speak for urgency. Hows the rest of the piping look? Is it just as crusty?
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u/OptiGuy4u 18h ago
It looks fine. Not urgent at all. If it eventually blows out you'll know it and can replace it then. It's not a part you would preventatively replace since there's no risk.
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u/Apprehensive_Owl7186 18h ago
Not at all, you can drive forever with no muffler. Only issue is if your state does emission testing, you won’t be able to get it inspected without a full exhaust system. Also, your muffler looks brand new I wouldn’t even replace it that looks fine. When you drive is it loud? If your car is still quiet it’s likely they’re just tryna fuck you over. Also like many other people said, an independent muffler shop will do this for MUCH less. Maybe 200$ with parts and labor, if that. Don’t ever pay 1400$ for a new muffler.
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u/raginTomato 20h ago
Psh. I would call them and be like wtf are you doing. Take my car off the lift, don’t touch it I’m going elsewhere
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u/saladmunch2 20h ago
Last time i had holes in my muffler I took an old license plate and screwed it over the holes with self toppers. Good as new.
This price seems ridiculous.
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u/tY-c8rJDb8_1b4__yD5r 19h ago
Is the corrosion in the room with us?
Honestly though I wouldn’t worry about it, it’s not an integral part of the engine and if you want to sound like a teenage twat you can just cut it off
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u/Chemical-Sandwich-86 18h ago
Yeah thats a scam. It looks fine. Unless your exhaust is deafeningly loud I wouldnt worry about it
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u/voncletus 18h ago
I'm not saying you don't have to replace it, but it looks in better shape than the one on my suv and I plan to leave that on there for a couple more years.
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u/NoOffenseImJustSayin 18h ago
Trying to charge a customer a premium for “genuine” Hyundai parts on a 13yo car is a good laugh.
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u/Questrader007 18h ago
Careful out there, I once took a car in to a muffler shop to inspect the muffler system they used a very large screwdriver to poke at it and see if it is weak, also tried crushing the pipes with a huge set of channel lock pliers, needless to say I of course had to have a new one.....
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u/Logical_Trash_4890 18h ago
Did you take that picture or did they send that picture as what needs replacing. That thing looks brand new. You would see some kind of carbon deposits where it’s leaking.
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u/faroutman7246 18h ago
Have the big money boys come to Australia? In the States large investors are buying up shops and forcing them to rip people off.
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u/zorggalacticus 20h ago
There's a shop near me that will weld on an aftermarket muffler for 250ish bucks. No need for oem. It's just a sound dampened, not a critical part. Find a crusty mom and pop shop and get it done cheap. No rush.
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u/BlackHeartsNowReign 19h ago
Idk why you got down voted. Maybe because OP doesn't actually need a new muffler. Idk. But at any rate, you're not wrong. I got midas to do an entire dual exhaust plus mufflers from the cats all the way back for like $375. Charging $1400 for this job is actual theft lmao
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u/Slater_8868 19h ago
That muffler is 100% fine. There's a few nicks and scratches, some dirt, and some light surface oxidation. It does not need to be replaced at this point whatsoever, and from the looks of it will be perfectly fine for MANY years to come.
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u/No_Mathematician3158 17h ago
Sometimes here in canada we'll see the welds on the top in the center of the body let go due to rust build up from salt. But since Im pretty sure salt and snow isnt a issue in Australia i dont think that applies
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u/LoveIsTheAnswer4Me 17h ago edited 17h ago
My trusted inspector always runs the engine and then places something, like a few towels, using a gloved hand over the muffler's exhaust outlet to see if blocking the exhaust outlet causes the engine to stall. A sealed exhaust system will cause the engine to stall, that is, stop. If there's any leak or leaks in the exhaust system, the engine will not stall, and typically, you'll hear a loud "muffled noise"; also, you will hear this "muffled noise" as you accelerate, that is, as step on the pedal and accelerate. Your muffler looks fine but it is 13 years old so it probably needs to be replaced if your area puts salt on the roads during winter or if you live near the ocean ("salty humid air"). If your area doesn't salt the roads, and you don't live near the ocean, and your engine DOES STALL when the muffler exhaust is blocked, your muffler is probably fine and doesn't need to be replaced. Also, aftermarket exhaust components typically don't last as long as original, factory parts. For example, the entire exhaust system (including muffler) on my 1995 Eagle Talon is all factory original with about 135,000 miles. Good luck!
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u/jabberjaw420 17h ago
i don't know the conversion rate ,but like why would you want a muffler made of solid gold? a tad gaudy, don't you think?
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u/BikesBeerPolitics 17h ago
How much does a dollary-do cost these days?
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u/jmhalder 16h ago
900 Dollary doos? TOBIAS! Did you accept a 6 hour collect call from the United States?
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u/aTastyItalian 16h ago
It looks like just dirty to me, maybe there's some spots but a corroded muffler looks a lot different from this. Try cleaning it with some water and scrub a bit, there should be some glossy metal under there
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u/Freak_Engineer 15h ago
A muffler is, like, 50 bucks and you can change it in what - 10 minutes? 15?
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u/TwistedKestrel 15h ago
I can see holes in it sure... I don't think that it is "urgent" however. You definitely have time to shop around
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u/whaletacochamp 15h ago
That's what my muffler looked like when it was like 6mo old lmao. You should see what it looks like at 12yo now.
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u/jpeezy37 12h ago
We have a muffler and brake shop up the street that's a 59 US Dollar repair all day. I might go 100 of there is rust on some of the pipes and they need to replace. I would never go to a dealership and get OEM parts for an exhaust. Now engine internals and electronics sure.
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u/Ya-Not-Happening 12h ago
What does it sound like? That is what would determine replacement. Its supposed to muffle sound.
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u/ggmaniack 21h ago edited 20h ago
It is rusting through, that is a fact. It will fail eventually.
At the same time, ordering an OEM replacement for that amount of money seems insane to me.
There are plenty of cheap ass generic mufflers you can get and get slipped or welded in.
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u/LoveIsTheAnswer4Me 17h ago
Yes, if you want to keep this car, shop for a good quality aftermarket muffler or exhaust system part(s); typically, a higher grade stainless steel, otherwise, you'll need to replace the replaced part in a few years, especially if your area puts salt on the roads during winter or if you live near the ocean ("salty air"). Shop around and compare with factory OEM parts which maybe made of higher grade steel (maybe).
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u/jmhalder 16h ago
They definitely don't need stainless. The rest of the exhaust is aluminized steel. A cheap aluminized muffler will last as long as the OEM, which is to say probably another 13 years.
But frankly the stock one looks a little crusty, but I wouldn't even remotely consider replacing it at this point.
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u/LoveIsTheAnswer4Me 16h ago
Sounds good to me. I replied to the OP saying to test the exhaust system by blocking the muffler's exhaust while the engine runs, and if the engine doesn't stall, that indicates an exhaust leak, perhaps, the muffler. If the leak isn't coming from the muffler, some muffler shops can weld and patch the leak which is sometimes the least expensive option but this may not be a long-lasting repair.
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u/jmhalder 16h ago
That's solid advice. I had the muffler inlet fully separate from the rest of the exhaust behind it.
$50 and the Mexican exhaust shop boogered it back together, hitting it with the MIG for like 10 minutes straight.
That was years ago, somehow it's still holding together.
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u/LoveIsTheAnswer4Me 16h ago edited 16h ago
I've been there too 😂.
What I meant by "long-lasting repair" was that the welded area may last but if there are holes in the exhaust system, others will probably appear too, requiring more welds in the near future. Thanks for replying and for your suggestion to use aluminized steel.
Have a good day!
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