Are you looking for information about increasing the sound of your car? Keep reading because we will be discussing one such method drill holes in the exhaust. Now the question is, can we drill a hole in the exhaust? Does doing this make the car sound louder? Will there be any damage or the pros and cons of doing this hack? We will discuss everything in this article.
The short answer to this question is yes, drilling holes in the exhaust can make your vehicle's sound louder. This increase will happen because the sound will exit from these holes before silencing it with different components. But it’s essential to drill holes at the right place.
Where Does The Exhaust Sound Come From?
The sound is generated because of the combustion process. Many toxic gases and sound waves are produced when the fuel and oxygen are ignited. The role of the exhaust system is to vent these poisonous gases and sound waves after purifying them or reducing them via different components, especially mufflers. The manufacturers must follow regulations and reduce the noise to appeal to a bigger audience.
How Does Muffler Works?
A muffler is made up of a lot of steel plates and chambers. These plates and chambers reflect the sound waves and nullify by colliding.
Why Drill Holes in an Exhaust
Drilling holes in the exhaust at suitable locations can make the car sound louder. Sound waves suppressed by the muffler pass through the holes; this process increases the sound output. Drilling holes is a very cheap process, and you should use a 3/8 inch drill bit for the holes.
Where Should the Holes be?
To avoid damage to the vehicle, drill holes after the catalytic converter and before the muffler.
After Catalytic Converter
The role of the catalytic converter is converting toxic gases like carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide and oxygen. If the hole is drilled before the converter, the gases will not be filtered and exit through those holes into the atmosphere, which will be very damaging and increase the pollution to unbearable levels.
How Many Holes Should I Drill?
It would be best not to drill too many holes in the pipe. I recommend you drill around six holes if you use a 3/8 drill. These six holes will have a significant effect on your vehicle’s sound. If the size of holes is smaller, you can increase the number.
Are Drilling Holes in Your Exhaust Bad?
If you drill the holes before the catalytic converter, you will likely fail the emission test. There is a rule that you have to undergo an emission test every six months in some states. So if you live in those states, you should only drill holes at suitable locations.
Suppose you drill holes around the O2 sensor. This will also mess up the fuel economy because the sensor will provide inaccurate data to the computer. The system will adjust the fuel and oxygen level according to that data.