How to tell if muffler bad in 1992 Lumina
delicatedelinquent
11-09-2006, 11:39 AM
Hi I was wondering if there is a way to tell if the muffler is bad or the intermediate pipe or catalytic converter. It is loud mostly when accelerating and specifically uphill. It is louder than normal when idling but mostly when accelerating is it most noticeable. If the muffler is it easy to replace? I am only planning on having car another 2-3 months and want the cheapest way to quiet it.
Thanks for any help!
Thanks for any help!
gw84
11-09-2006, 12:09 PM
Sounds like muffler to me. If it were the catalytic converter, it would probably make a rumbling sound while sitting with the car in any gear besides "neutral." When my cat. went bad, it sounded like something metal was vibrating. I noticed this mainly when I would be in a drive thru or near a building where the sound would amplify. However, when I put the car in Neutral, the noise would lessen. Hope that helps. If it IS the catalytic converter, it must be replaced. There is no 'fixing' it. They are fairly expensive (especially since you aren't keeping the car). I paid close to $150 parts/labor on mine last year. The muffler is much cheaper. I got mine [installed] for around $50. Good luck.
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