Questions and Answers
Hole In The Muffler
Q. I just bough a new 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee (in-line 8 cylinder) and about a month later I hear an exhaust leak and check under the car. I feel air pulsating out of the seam where the exhaust pipe enters the front of the muffler just forward of the clamp. I take it back to the dealer and the repair manager says it was designed this way!!
Something about a hole for water to leak out so it won't rust. I tell the manager he's crazy and Chrysler would never design a car so it would poison all the occupants, but he refuses to fix it, saying there's nothing wrong. Am I nuts or did Chrysler intentionally design a car with an exhaust leak?
Thanks,
RichA. The dealer is correct, that hole is supposed to be there and it does just what he says it does. This drain hole is quite common on mufflers. The further away the muffler is from the engine, the more likely you will see this drain hole. Water and acid vapors are a by-product of combustion and the vapor condenses into a liquid as it goes through the exhaust. If this liquid were allowed to sit inside the muffler, it would rot out fairly quickly so the drain hole is added to allow the liquid drains out.
While it is true that some exhaust gas does exit this drain hole, it is not enough to present any danger to the occupants of the vehicle.
Additional Information provided courtesy of ALLDATA
