Whether you have a brand new car or an old one, how quietly your vehicle starts can have a huge effect on your relationship with your neighbors. You’ll also have less problems sneaking out. So if you’re wondering if there’s anything you can do to start your car more quietly, then you should definitely stick around for the rest of this article.
Here are 6 tips for starting your car quietly:
- Take your car to your mechanic for maintenance
- Make sure the gas tank is filled
- Check your oil
- Purchase a quieter muffler
- Stuff your exhaust pipes before cold-starting your car
- Purchase a quieter vehicle
These six awesome tips will go over possible reasons for your car’s loud starting, as well as ways to minimize how loudly your vehicle starts up.
1. Take Your Car to Your Mechanic for Maintenance
Car type and age are huge factors when it comes to how much noise your car will make upon start-up. When dealing with an older vehicle, it’s especially important to regularly have it looked over by a mechanic.
As cars age, they are prone to more problems, often making loud sounds, especially when starting up in the morning.
If your car is obscenely loud when you start it up (unless you purchased it that way on purpose), there’s a chance that something is wrong with it.
Here are a few things to check:
- Starter. If you hear horrible grinding noises when turning the key in the ignition, you may be experiencing a problem with the starter. Luckily this can be fixed quite easily and relatively cheaply, depending on which mechanic you use.
- Muffler. Sometimes your muffler can get damaged, resulting in a louder sound when your car starts.
- Torque converter. Your torque converter can wear out in automatic cars if the transmission fluid gets too low.
- Piston rings. If the piston rings in your vehicle wear down, you may notice an increase in loud sounds in your engine upon start-up.
- Exhaust or flange. Older vehicles can make a loud rattling sound if the soldering of the external exhaust bypass has worn and broken due to age. A broken exhaust can significantly impact the sound of your car and should be repaired quickly.
These are just a few of the issues your mechanic may check for when going over your vehicle to diagnose why your start-up is so loud.
2. Make Sure the Gas Tank Is Filled
It might seem silly but keeping your tank full or at least not empty is a great way to keep your car happy and quieter.
Chances are, at some point in your life, you have run out of gas. Do you remember the strange choking sound your vehicle made? When a vehicle runs out of gas, it can strain the fuel pump and eventually break your car if the strain occurs regularly.
If your car is starting extra loud, make sure it has enough fuel.
3. Check Your Oil
I can’t emphasize how important it is to check your car’s oil regularly.
Oil lubricates the moving pieces within the engine. When your vehicle runs low or out of oil, those pieces won’t operate as smoothly, which will increase car sounds and eventually cause your engine to break.
You may have to check your oil more frequently if you have an older car as they’re known for burning oil or leaking.
4. Purchase a Quieter Muffler
How quiet your muffler is can affect how loudly your car starts in the morning, which is why you should invest in a quieter muffler.
Getting a good muffler doesn’t have to be overly expensive. And you can even install one yourself with some research if you’d rather forgo a mechanic.
So let’s take a look at a few of the quietest mufflers available on Amazon:
Thrush 17633 Hush Muffler
This muffler is a great option for those not looking to spend a ton of money, and it comes with premium acoustic control, which means the fiberglass matting absorbs unwanted interior sounds.
Some of the pros of this muffler include:
- Made in the US
- Reversible flow
- Easy to install
The main drawback is that it isn’t the quietest one on the market, though it boasts that it’s quieter than most.
Walker’s Quiet-Flow 21690 Exhaust Muffler
Only slightly more expensive, this muffler is easy to install and has pretty good reviews. If you feel comfortable in your ability to solder a muffler into place, then this one is a great option.
Some of the pros for the Walker Exhaust Muffler are:
- Stainless steel
- Easy to install
- It’s built to lower noise levels
The main drawback of this model is that it might not be an exact match depending on your car, so be sure to check your measurements before purchasing.
Vibrant 1142 Ultra Quiet Resonator
Last but not least is the Vibrant Ultra Quiet Resonator. This muffler is more expensive but also has over 700 ratings.
This muffler’s pros are:
- Designed to dampen exhaust noise
- Utilizes a larger sound absorption chamber
- Stainless steel
- Can withstand high exhaust temperatures
The main drawback to going with this muffler is the price. It isn’t the most expensive muffler, but it’s still a little pricey.
5. Stuff Your Exhaust Pipes Before Cold-Starting Your Car
Many fancy new cars sound loud on purpose. However, when you live in a suburban neighborhood, this can be a bit difficult when you can’t start your car too early or late in fear of bothering the neighbors.
So, I’ll be going over a quick hack for starting your car a little quieter if you have a naturally loud car and aren’t looking to put on a new muffler.
You’ll need:
- A foam pool noodle cut into small pieces that can fit inside your tailpipes.
- An old rag or two.
This muffling process is simple. Before you go out to start your car in the morning, insert the pool noodle with a rag wrapped around it so that it fits securely into the tailpipe, and then start your car.
You should notice it runs so much quieter. Just remove the noodles and rags before driving off!
For a more in-depth walk-through of this process, check out HD Ua6’s video! They do a great job of modeling the difference this hack makes on their vehicle’s sound when they cold start it. Here’s the YouTube video:
6. Purchase a Quieter Vehicle
It can be challenging to get your car to start quietly, depending on the vehicle’s make, model, and age. For example, newer sports models are often loud on purpose, and older cars tend to have more problems resulting in a louder start.
This is why you might want to consider looking into a new ride if it’s within your budget.
How quietly your car starts can depend on many factors, and particular brands of cars are much quieter than others. Hybrids, for instance, practically have a silent start-up!
This is just something to consider if a super quiet start-up is a priority in a vehicle for you.
Key Takeaways
Some noise factors are definitely out of your control when it comes to starting your car. However, there are a few you can control.
Some of these tips should help you achieve a quieter starting car:
- Taking your car in for regular maintenance.
- Keeping the gas tank from being empty.
- Checking your oil regularly.
- Installing a new muffler.
- Trying the foam pool noodle cold start trick.
- Purchasing a quiet starting vehicle.
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- How to Make Your Car Exhaust Quieter
- How to Make Your Car Louder
- How to Start a Car With a Bad Starter
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- By Car Roar