When you’re trying to figure out how to make your car louder, it might seem like all of the options cost too much or they simply don’t work with your vehicle. However, you might be surprised to learn that there’s a ton of different methods that you could try without breaking the bank.
Wondering how to make your car louder? Try one of these suggestions:
- Install a new muffler
- Upgrade your engine
- Make your exhaust pipes bigger
- Add an exhaust tip
- Use welded mounts instead of rubber hangers
- Drill holes in your exhaust
Throughout this article, you’ll also learn details on each of the suggestions, reasons why your car might be quiet, and whether or not your make and model can be upgraded to increase the noise.
Different Ways to Make Your Car Louder
There are all sorts of reasons that you could want to make your car louder. For example, you might want to let everyone know that you’re coming around the corner for safety purposes. You might even just like the loud sound, who knows?
Regardless of your reasoning, I’m sure that you’ll be able to use one of the following suggestions to make your vehicle louder:
Install a New Muffler on Your Car
Mufflers are designed to do exactly what it sounds like; To muffle the noise coming to and from the exhaust pipe. Without a muffler to block the sound the engine would be too loud for you to hear anything. Get your hands on a muffler that’s designed to increase noise while still controlling the output.
Upgrade Your Engine to a Bigger One
Perhaps the most significant reason that your car is quiet is that the engine is too small. By upgrading to a bigger engine, you can increase the power and sound produced by your car. Just make sure that the rest of your car’s components are capable of housing such an engine.
Purchase Larger Exhaust Pipes
Exhaust pipes blow out most of the noise produced by your engine. Once the sound gets past your muffler, it shoots out of the exhaust pipe(s) in your car. If you get larger exhaust pipes, the sound won’t be dampened; It’ll be amplified!
Add an Exhaust Tip
If you want to save some money and keep your exhaust pipe, you can add an exhaust tip to the end of it. These specially designed tips are made to increase the volume of your exhaust pipe by reversing the effects of a muffler. The result is a roaring engine.
Install Welded Mounts if You Have Rubber Hangers
Most exhaust systems use rubber hangers to suppress the sound that’s being produced. Rubber is excellent at sound dampening, while metal amplifies it. If you weld mounts onto the exhaust system (legally), you’ll increase the sound of your car by quite a bit.
Drill Holes in Your Exhaust
Drilling holes in the exhaust is the cheapest and most popular way to make it louder. These holes allow the air (sound waves that travel through the exhaust) to escape before it reaches the muffler.
You will need to drill a few holes between the catalytic converter and the muffler (make sure they are after the catalytic converter for emission reasons.) Start with making a few holes and then test out the sound.
Why Your Car Won’t Get Louder
If you’re trying to do everything you can but your car is staying quiet, it can be frustrating. Some engines don’t pick up as much as others, so you’ll have to do some manual work to fix this problem. Don’t worry, though. You’ll be able to increase the volume in due time.
Here’s a list of reasons that your car won’t get as loud as you want:
- Your engine is too small. Some compact cars have small engines from the manufacturer. Even if you install a new muffler and an exhaust tip, there’s nothing you can do with a small engine that produces a quiet noise. Your only alternative will be to try 4 out of 5 of the suggestions above in hopes that they outweigh the engine.
- Modern technology has fought your efforts. Most car manufacturers seek to produce quiet cars since the average driver prefers a quiet, smooth ride. If you want to increase the sound of your car, you’ll have to do some serious digging and repairing to reverse the anti-noise effects of the company.
- Your exhaust system is dirty. After years of use, some cars get quiet, while others get louder. If there’s some sort of buildup or clog in the line, you’ll have to clean it out prior to trying out any new modifications. Otherwise, you’ll end up wasting your time and money. Try the PIY Painting Brush. It works for all sorts of applications.
- Your car is incredibly aerodynamic. While it’s perfect for those who embrace fuel economy and smooth rides, the aerodynamic shape of modern cars can reduce the sound drastically. There’s not much that you can do with this problem, unfortunately.
- You installed the wrong exhaust tip. Some of them are designed to reduce the sound, while others produce a low growl or a high-pitched noise. Make sure that you study up on the type of exhaust tip that you want before purchasing and installing one.
Can You Make Any Car Loud?
It’s common knowledge that a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat will be louder than a hybrid Toyota Prius. Nobody expects a quiet compact car to come roaring out of the dealership, but can you still make it loud if you wanted to?
Yes! It’s safe to say that pretty much any vehicle can have at least a minor sound production increase by trying out the suggestions in the opening section. You might not get as much of an effect with a commuting car as you would with a muscle car, but both of them will see results.
The problem with increasing the volume of a small vehicle is that they’re usually equipped with small engines. You can do your best to change exhaust pipes, add a tip on the end, and change the rubber hangers to welded mounts, but you still might not get a deep roar or growl. That being said, it’ll definitely raise the noise.
It should be noted that removing a muffler is illegal in some states, so always check with local authorities before making this mod. If you get the go-ahead, some car owners prefer to drill a couple of holes in the muffler. This alteration will let some of the sound leak out before it gets to the exhaust pipe.
If you’re in a city and state where it’s legal, you can also switch to an off-road exhaust system. They’re designed for overlanding and conquering snow, mud, dirt, and sand. The noise will be much louder since it’s not made to cut down noise to street-legal levels. Just remember that you could be breaking the law if your state prohibits it.
Finally, trim the exhaust pipe back a bit if you’re trying to increase the noise of a car that won’t get louder. This will reduce the amount of sound-dampening pipes that are installed in a car by the manufacturer. Again, check with local laws and regulations, and hire a professional if you want to stay on the safe side.
Common Mistakes
Sometimes, it seems like you’ve done all that you can to make your vehicle louder but it just doesn’t cut it. Your muffler is supposed to be quiet, which is why modifying it can result in serious issues if you don’t know what you’re doing. According to Precision Tune Autocare, bad smells, unnecessarily loud noise, and reduced fuel efficiency are all side effects of a bad muffler.
Here are a few other mistakes that people make when modding their vehicles to make them louder:
- Cutting the exhaust system too short can have serious problems. Your car needs to be able to dispose of exhaust fumes, which can ruin your vehicle completely if they bottle up and don’t leak out. Make sure you turn the exhaust tip away from the bottom of the car if you cut it back.
- Illegally modifying a vehicle might make it sound louder, but it could end you up with a massive fine. You’ll end up spending more money to pay a ticket than you did on the modification process.
- Making a vehicle too loud is another problem. We’ve all heard a person drive down the street with an incredibly loud car. As Exhaust Videos puts it, there aren’t any laws against loud cars, but many states ban you from modifying your vehicle to intentionally make it louder.
Conclusion
Making your car louder isn’t as complicated as it seems. You just need to change the exhaust system in one of many different ways. Using the modifications found throughout this post, you’ll be able to make any car sound much louder.
Here’s a quick recap of the post:
- Adding an exhaust tip, trimming it back, or completely replacing your exhaust pipe can increase the sound of your car.
- Some modifications are against the law, so check before you change anything.
- Aerodynamics and noise-dampening systems in modern cars can limit your ability to make your car louder.
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- By CarRoar