What Causes Backfire From An Exhaust Pipe?
Is your Toyota backfiring? Is this something you should worry about? Would you need to replace your exhaust pipe or something else? You'll find all the answers you need in this post.
What Causes A Backfire?
Backfiring is not only an annoying sound, but it's an indicator that something is wrong with your vehicle. A backfire happens when unburned fuel causes a small explosion inside the intake or exhaust manifold instead of the engine's cylinders. If the explosion is strong enough, it can crack the exhaust manifold.
The Most Common Causes Of A Backfire From An Exhaust Pipe
Image Credit: ClassicCars
Backfiring is more common in older engines. In fact, it's pretty rare in modern engines. Yet, it still happens. If you're in this situation, there are a variety of possible reasons, including:
- Bent valve(s)
- A vacuum leak
- Engine running rich or lean
- Bad engine valve timing
- A faulty sensor
- Bad spark plugs
- Cracked distributor cap (0n an older vehicle)
So to diagnose the cause of the backfiring, you would need to check a lot of parts. We strongly recommend identifying and repairing the issue(s) as soon as possible. Your car backfiring is bad news.
Why It’s Bad When Your Car Is Backfiring
You may be able to ignore some car problems for a while. Backfiring is not a problem to ignore, though. When your car keeps backfiring, there’s something wrong with it. If you’re in this situation, you need to bring your car to a shop or bust out your tools ASAP.
Your car isn’t producing enough power to run properly. Also, chances are high your car has at least one damaged part that's only going to get worse if it's not fixed ASAP.
If your Toyota keeps backfiring, some of the following things can happen:
- The exhaust system becomes damaged
- The intake system becomes damaged
- Your car’s fuel economy suffers
- The cause(s) of the backfiring can become worse, thus increasing your repair costs
The sooner you can identify the root of the problem (and fix it), the better. You want to fix the issue(s) before they get worse and potentially rack up more repair expenses.