Exhaust Leak

Hello! I have a '97 Wrangler (4 cyl automatic) and recently (3 days ago) the exhaust has become quite a bit louder. I am pretty sure it is an exhaust leak from what my friends have told me, but I was wondering if other things could cause this as well?

I plan on taking it to my mechanic as soon as I have the money, but in the mean time I was hoping someone could let me know if this is causing any harm in the meantime. Also wondering how difficult (i.e. expensive) of a repair this generally is.

FYI, I have recently replaced my O2 sensor due to a problem with the engine occasionally stuttering while pulling out into traffic; not sure if this makes a difference or not. Changing the O2 sensor mostly fixed this problem, but it does still happen every now and then.

I do love my Jeep (rolling around in Maui with no top and no doors really cannot be beat, I'm not sure how I'm going to adjust to any other car after this) and want to make sure I'm not causing her any damage, but at the same time the funds are a bit low right now!

Thanks in advance for any help!

i have some possibly good news and some possibly bad news for you. If it is just a crack or weld in the pipes then a new piece can be welded right back on for cheap, but if it is something like a catalytic convertor that could be expensive to replace if you need to have one in your state. This might be a good excuse to splurge though and get an aftermarket exhaust.

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately while driving today, I heard/felt something drop (not to the street, just a slightly noticeable shift in weight) and now my Jeep sounds like a semi truck.

My theory is that the muffler has now become completely detached. I do live in Maui so I'm sure the salty air has corroded something away.

Guess I'm going to need to find some money somewhere! :(

Edit: So yeah, my roommate looked at it, and the spot where the muffler connects to the exhaust snapped completely and the muffler is being held up by the skid plate under it. He is actually the one who sold the Jeep to me, and he said he thought the owner before him had had some work done on the exhaust by Midas and that it could be under warranty. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed and will take it in on Monday morning.

When I replaced my muffler I purchased a Magnaflow from the parts store and looked around the welding shops to have it welded on. Total cost under 100.

If you shop around you can possibly find a lower price.