My muffler exploded...
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 156
From: Jefferson, WI
My muffler exploded...
So it's -20 degrees here in Wisconsin..
I tried to start my car up earlier today and it just cranked and cranked..so I thought maybe my battery was too cold. Took it inside and let it thaw out for 5 hours. Went back outside, hooked it up, and cranked again. This time the car cranked muuuuuch quicker, and almost fired up a few times. I tried to start it maybe 6-8 times when suddenly BOOOOOM.
I thought my battery had exploded, and every single house on the street lit up as I'm sure I awoke everyone (happened at 10pm and I live in a neighborhood of mostly elderly people) haha.
I ran to the back of my car and my muffler was literally in shreds.
My hypothesis is that fuel had pooled up somewhere in the exhaust system from continuous cranking, and when the car finally sparked, it lit all the gasoline which exploded the muffler. I know this is not too rare, but I was wondering...
How common is it for a situation like this to damage other components of my car I.E. head gaskets, or perhaps messing up the block.
Anybody have any ideas?
AND if anybody is interested, I can post pictures of the exploded muffler tomorrow :P
I tried to start my car up earlier today and it just cranked and cranked..so I thought maybe my battery was too cold. Took it inside and let it thaw out for 5 hours. Went back outside, hooked it up, and cranked again. This time the car cranked muuuuuch quicker, and almost fired up a few times. I tried to start it maybe 6-8 times when suddenly BOOOOOM.
I thought my battery had exploded, and every single house on the street lit up as I'm sure I awoke everyone (happened at 10pm and I live in a neighborhood of mostly elderly people) haha.
I ran to the back of my car and my muffler was literally in shreds.
My hypothesis is that fuel had pooled up somewhere in the exhaust system from continuous cranking, and when the car finally sparked, it lit all the gasoline which exploded the muffler. I know this is not too rare, but I was wondering...
How common is it for a situation like this to damage other components of my car I.E. head gaskets, or perhaps messing up the block.
Anybody have any ideas?
AND if anybody is interested, I can post pictures of the exploded muffler tomorrow :P
probably just flooded and when the fuel in the exhaust lit, it backfired and blew up the muffler. shouldnt have damaged anything really, my old Hardbody backfired constantly when i was driving and shot flames, no damage ever came of it
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 89
From: Huntsville, AL
So it's -20 degrees here in Wisconsin..
I tried to start my car up earlier today and it just cranked and cranked..so I thought maybe my battery was too cold. Took it inside and let it thaw out for 5 hours. Went back outside, hooked it up, and cranked again. This time the car cranked muuuuuch quicker, and almost fired up a few times. I tried to start it maybe 6-8 times when suddenly BOOOOOM.
I thought my battery had exploded, and every single house on the street lit up as I'm sure I awoke everyone (happened at 10pm and I live in a neighborhood of mostly elderly people) haha.
I ran to the back of my car and my muffler was literally in shreds.
My hypothesis is that fuel had pooled up somewhere in the exhaust system from continuous cranking, and when the car finally sparked, it lit all the gasoline which exploded the muffler. I know this is not too rare, but I was wondering...
How common is it for a situation like this to damage other components of my car I.E. head gaskets, or perhaps messing up the block.
Anybody have any ideas?
AND if anybody is interested, I can post pictures of the exploded muffler tomorrow :P
I tried to start my car up earlier today and it just cranked and cranked..so I thought maybe my battery was too cold. Took it inside and let it thaw out for 5 hours. Went back outside, hooked it up, and cranked again. This time the car cranked muuuuuch quicker, and almost fired up a few times. I tried to start it maybe 6-8 times when suddenly BOOOOOM.
I thought my battery had exploded, and every single house on the street lit up as I'm sure I awoke everyone (happened at 10pm and I live in a neighborhood of mostly elderly people) haha.
I ran to the back of my car and my muffler was literally in shreds.
My hypothesis is that fuel had pooled up somewhere in the exhaust system from continuous cranking, and when the car finally sparked, it lit all the gasoline which exploded the muffler. I know this is not too rare, but I was wondering...
How common is it for a situation like this to damage other components of my car I.E. head gaskets, or perhaps messing up the block.
Anybody have any ideas?
AND if anybody is interested, I can post pictures of the exploded muffler tomorrow :P
I had an s-10 that I could make backfire on command by leaving it in gear and engine braking. It was so bad it would make your ears ring. I made it backfire right next to a poor guy jogging one day and the muffler exploded in half. It was worth it though because the guy must've thought he was shot based on his reaction lol!
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 156
From: Jefferson, WI
OKAY HEY GUYS JEEZ I forgot I made this thread.
im going to post pics in thd next ten minutes.
No banana in the tailpipe, I did need new spark plugs, annnd to excentuate the problem, all the water that pools up in the exhaust system when the car is off had frozen solid inside the exhaust. Removed the muffler and it is extremely destroyed.
Put on a new muffler and the car sounded like it had straight pipes.
By the way I dont have a cat on my car so the "clogged cat" hypothesis had nothing to do with it, although I see the potential.
Anyways, after further inspection, the resonator was broken real bad *pics coming* and the y pipe completely split at the y joint.
I cant post pics of the y pipe bc my buddy has it at his place so he can weld it back together.
Be patient!!
im going to post pics in thd next ten minutes.
No banana in the tailpipe, I did need new spark plugs, annnd to excentuate the problem, all the water that pools up in the exhaust system when the car is off had frozen solid inside the exhaust. Removed the muffler and it is extremely destroyed.
Put on a new muffler and the car sounded like it had straight pipes.
By the way I dont have a cat on my car so the "clogged cat" hypothesis had nothing to do with it, although I see the potential.
Anyways, after further inspection, the resonator was broken real bad *pics coming* and the y pipe completely split at the y joint.
I cant post pics of the y pipe bc my buddy has it at his place so he can weld it back together.
Be patient!!
maintenance much?? 
Member
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 290
Agreed^^^
Playing around with explosives and such a person learns that pressure will "usually" take the path of least resistance. So its surprising to me also that the pressure was so great that the muffler could not vent it quick enough that it went boom! Are you sure no one put something in your tail pipe, lol, j/k'ing I'm sure you would know if someone did.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 156
From: Jefferson, WI
Ha ha ha. Yeah well the problem happened because funny things happen to cars during cold weather...especially when the low temp for the day was -45 degrees. Literally.
I did all I could man. Kept my battery inside overnight, put a can of Berrymans b12 Chemtool in the tank (displaces water that can freeze in fuel lines) changed plugs, etc.
Unfortunately the car just pumped gas in the engine and out the exhaust valves where it pooled up until the spark plugs finally sparked and exploded said gasoline.
I did all I could man. Kept my battery inside overnight, put a can of Berrymans b12 Chemtool in the tank (displaces water that can freeze in fuel lines) changed plugs, etc.
Unfortunately the car just pumped gas in the engine and out the exhaust valves where it pooled up until the spark plugs finally sparked and exploded said gasoline.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 156
From: Jefferson, WI
Agreed^^^
Playing around with explosives and such a person learns that pressure will "usually" take the path of least resistance. So its surprising to me also that the pressure was so great that the muffler could not vent it quick enough that it went boom! Are you sure no one put something in your tail pipe, lol, j/k'ing I'm sure you would know if someone did.
Playing around with explosives and such a person learns that pressure will "usually" take the path of least resistance. So its surprising to me also that the pressure was so great that the muffler could not vent it quick enough that it went boom! Are you sure no one put something in your tail pipe, lol, j/k'ing I'm sure you would know if someone did.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 156
From: Jefferson, WI
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 89
From: Huntsville, AL
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Turbonut
5th Generation Maxima (2000-2003)
46
Oct 21, 2015 08:28 PM