hey everyone i was wondering how costly and how hard is it to fix an exhaust leak? Also i was wondering if the exhaust leak would make it harder to pass smog?
when my car is on and i listen towards the tailpipe, i hear a sputtering sound not a smooth constant sound...does that have to do withthe exhaust leak...or what?
Depends on the size of the leak and its location. Could be as simple as patching the leak or as much as replaceing the entire system. Exhaust leaks could throw some smog tests off - really depends on the state of tune your car is in and where you live.
A sputtering sound can be normal - could just be water in the pipe or too rich of an A/F ratio. Could be your carb needs adjustment or valve seats need to be reworked.
Hmm... wouldn't an exhaust leak be beneficial to emissions testing? They probe the tailpipe so any hydrocarbons or CO2 lost prior to that point, through the leak, would reduce total tailpipe emissions.
Sometimes - depends on where you live. But, at least in Ohio and Virginia (grew up in Ohio and work in Virginia), too much air into the exhaust system will cause the car to fail. A leak not only lets exhaust gas out, it also allows oxygen to enter the exhaust stream.
It may be a bad donut gasket. I have '99 VE with about 85,000 and just got mine replaced. Car would make a "sputtering/buzzing" type noise coming from the engine on accelleration.when my car is on and i listen towards the tailpipe, i hear a sputtering sound not a smooth constant sound...does that have to do withthe exhaust leak...or what?
Good thing I have a vo-tech shop I can take it to. No labor costs and only 15 bucks for the gasket 
I have no data upon which to base this opinion, but it would seem to me that a hole in the exhaust system of an automobile would not pemit oxygen to enter the exhaust gas flow downstream since the tendency would be for the gAsses to exit through the fissure, thus displacing the air surrounding the outside of the pipe (which would be at a lower pressure).Sometimes - depends on where you live. But, at least in Ohio and Virginia (grew up in Ohio and work in Virginia), too much air into the exhaust system will cause the car to fail. A leak not only lets exhaust gas out, it also allows oxygen to enter the exhaust stream.
I agree that a relatively small hole in the exhaust system would have more of a positive effect on an emissions test than a negative one. Of course, if that hole was also making more than the normal amount of exhaust noise, then you'd most likely fail the inspection on that basis.
EDIT: oups, wrong topic...
Bikeman982
Sounds logical to me Larry. I would think small leaks would hardly cause it to fail and if they were loud enough - they would be heard easily and that would cause failure.I have no data upon which to base this opinion, but it would seem to me that a hole in the exhaust system of an automobile would not pemit oxygen to enter the exhaust gas flow downstream since the tendency would be for the gAsses to exit through the fissure, thus displacing the air surrounding the outside of the pipe (which would be at a lower pressure).Sometimes - depends on where you live. But, at least in Ohio and Virginia (grew up in Ohio and work in Virginia), too much air into the exhaust system will cause the car to fail. A leak not only lets exhaust gas out, it also allows oxygen to enter the exhaust stream.
I agree that a relatively small hole in the exhaust system would have more of a positive effect on an emissions test than a negative one. Of course, if that hole was also making more than the normal amount of exhaust noise, then you'd most likely fail the inspection on that basis.