Car sounds like a boy racer's Civic

Danbo!

Driving home this evening, about a mile from the house I noticed the car getting louder as I was accelerating. Drove about 40 miles in total today and nothing strange until nearly home. Its a 1.4 mk4 golf but it sounds like my 17 year old neighbour's lowered civic.

Exhaust problem maybe? Any idea if I should drive it about 5 miles to my nearest exhaust place or would it be best not to drive it? It'd be less embarrassing to tow it with the sound of the bloody thing.

Danbo!

Danbo! wrote: »

Exhaust problem maybe? Any idea if I should drive it about 5 miles to my nearest exhaust place or would it be best not to drive it? It'd be less embarrassing to tow it with the sound of the bloody thing.

More than likely the exhaust. Have a quick look at the dipstick to make sure there's oil in it and you should be fine to drive it to the exhaust centre.

Run_to_da_hills

Danbo! wrote: »

Driving home this evening, about a mile from the house I noticed the car getting louder as I was accelerating. Drove about 40 miles in total today and nothing strange until nearly home. Its a 1.4 mk4 golf but it sounds like my 17 year old neighbour's lowered civic.

Exhaust problem maybe? Any idea if I should drive it about 5 miles to my nearest exhaust place or would it be best not to drive it? It'd be less embarrassing to tow it with the sound of the bloody thing.

You should sell the recipy to your local boy racers.

They would pay to have a car sound like that

peasant

RoverJames wrote: »

More than likely the exhaust. Have a quick look at the dipstick to make sure there's oil in it and you should be fine to drive it to the exhaust centre.

Also make sure that there is nothing hanging off (or about to fall off) before you drive it

anniehoo

Had the exact same problem the last few weeks (honda civic too) and thought i was imagining the noise getting louder. Then this morning on the way to work the exhaust broke off, not sure what the area is called but its underneath in the middle of the car. Thankfully its just a welding job and safe to drive home,to be done in the morning. The mechanic i brought it to this evening just checked it wasnt dangerously hanging low or near the fuel tank. He said itd cost me around €50 or so to weld back on. Glad it happened now as NCT is due next month and probably wouldnt have passed.

challengemaster

Yeah, sounds like a hole in the exhaust. Common enough, had the same issue with two 99-00 cars. Should be a simple weld job if it's just started to sound louder. If it's been like it for a while, there'd be a chance of it falling apart while driving - that's not fun.

anniehoo

challengemaster wrote: »

there'd be a chance of it falling apart while driving - that's not fun.

Nope its not I was actually so embarrassed driving it today with it soundin like a cheesy souped up boy racer car.

Ray Ray

Danbo! wrote: »

Driving home this evening, about a mile from the house I noticed the car getting louder as I was accelerating. Drove about 40 miles in total today and nothing strange until nearly home. Its a 1.4 mk4 golf but it sounds like my 17 year old neighbour's lowered civic.

Exhaust problem maybe? Any idea if I should drive it about 5 miles to my nearest exhaust place or would it be best not to drive it? It'd be less embarrassing to tow it with the sound of the bloody thing.

Get over yourself its just an exuast proplem. no need to be so dramatic about it, ps just because your neighbour has a civic and may be a boy racer it dont mean you should refer to people who drive civics as boy racer's . i think you need to get out more ...:mad:

JerCotter7

At least the boy racer cars sound kind of deep. Unlike a hole in the exhaust which just sounds like crap. Really need to fix mine. And add the catalytic converter that the PO removed

challengemaster

Ray Ray wrote: »

Get over yourself its just an exuast proplem. no need to be so dramatic about it, ps just because your neighbour has a civic and may be a boy racer it dont mean you should refer to people who drive civics as boy racer's . i think you need to get out more ...:mad:

Let me just find Midnight_PG's videos of his civic... :pac:

Danbo!

Ray Ray wrote: »

Get over yourself its just an exuast proplem. no need to be so dramatic about it, ps just because your neighbour has a civic and may be a boy racer it dont mean you should refer to people who drive civics as boy racer's . i think you need to get out more ...:mad:

Relax, I didnt say it sounded like a civic, I said it sounded like a boy racer's civic. I don't know how I'm being dramatic either, I'm not a mechanic, the noise just started, I just wanted to ask people who may know what theyre talking about how serious/un-serious it may be, and whether more driving would make the problem worse.

Back OT, Thanks for the advice, I checked under the car and nothing seems to be hanging down or out of place and the oil is full, so I'll try the local Kwik Fit tomorrow morning.

projectgtr

Danbo! wrote: »

Driving home this evening, about a mile from the house I noticed the car getting louder as I was accelerating. Drove about 40 miles in total today and nothing strange until nearly home. Its a 1.4 mk4 golf but it sounds like my 17 year old neighbour's lowered civic.

Exhaust problem maybe? Any idea if I should drive it about 5 miles to my nearest exhaust place or would it be best not to drive it? It'd be less embarrassing to tow it with the sound of the bloody thing.

Ill get the help out of the way first , Sounds just like a hole developed in your exhaust, it should be fine to drive. Has the exhaust note just deepened or has it become intolerably loud?

Being a lowered loudish Civic driver myself i would get the help of a friend and check for blows or breaks in the exhaust, depending on damage and budget id either gungum it (if it was a small blow) or replace the damaged part with a new one. I replaced the whole exhaust system on my civic from manifod back in about 40min with basic tools

As for your 17 year old neighbour give them a knock next time your passing and tell him theres something wrong with his car, a lowered civic shouldnt sound like your broken Golf

challengemaster wrote: »

Let me just find Midnight_PG's videos of his civic... :pac:

Which civic he has 2
hint: dont say the black one

peasant

If it's any consolation, driving my van at the moment sounds like when you're sitting in the dentist's chair getting a cavity drilled

Silencer was about to fall off, so I had it removed (while waiting for parts) and it's now blowing straight out of the mid-pipe with the turbo as the only silencer.

Yes, there is a lovely growl out of the diesel now as I step on the gas and if it was summer I'd have the window down just to hear it reverberate from walls by the roadside.

But ...when the turbo starts boosting there is this whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine and my tin-can-van picks it up like a tuning fork and screeches at high "a".

Only consolation ...people outside mainly hear the growl .

lau1247

yep the exhaust is the culprit.. mpg will suffer so might as well get it fix

weld it would be the cheap option but may come back again in the short run... alternatively, replace with new one