Our services
Exhaust Repairs in Leeds
Blowing, rattling, louder than it used to be, or an emissions warning on the dash? We repair and replace exhausts at our workshop on Dolly Lane.
Your exhaust does three jobs: it carries hot gases safely away from the engine and the cabin, it quietens them through the silencers, and on modern vehicles it cleans them up through the catalytic converter, the diesel particulate filter and the sensors that feed the engine management system. A fault in any of those shows up quickly as noise, smell, a warning light or a failed MOT.
The signs are usually obvious. A deeper or louder note than usual means a blow (a hole or split, often at a weld or a corroded joint). A rattle or knock over bumps is usually a broken hanger, a loose heat shield or a baffle that has come adrift inside a silencer. A smell of fumes in the cabin needs looking at straight away. An engine management or emissions light can point to a lambda (oxygen) sensor, a tired catalytic converter or a DPF problem.
Exhausts are made in sections, so a blown rear silencer or a corroded centre section does not usually mean a whole new system. We look at the whole exhaust, tell you which part has failed, and say honestly whether a repair (a weld, a new clamp, a hanger or a flexi joint) will do the job or whether the section needs replacing. Where a weld is the right fix we do it in-house: welding is one of our core services.
Catalytic converters, DPFs and lambda sensors are handled the same way: we diagnose first, because a fault code pointing at the cat or a sensor does not always mean that part has failed. All the work is done on site at Dolly Lane, Harehills, and you get the price before anything starts.
The exhaust in the MOT test
The exhaust is inspected in two parts of the MOT. In the exhaust system section of the DVSA inspection manual (6.1.2) the tester checks the whole system on any vehicle with an internal combustion engine, including hybrids, for security and leaks:
- An exhaust system with a major leak, or one that is insecure, is a major defect, so the vehicle fails. One or more missing or defective mountings does not on its own make the system insecure; the tester judges the system as a whole.
- Exhaust fumes entering the cabin is a major defect. Fumes causing a danger to the health of people on board is a dangerous defect.
- Exhaust noise unreasonably above what you would expect from a similar vehicle with a standard silencer in average condition is a major defect. Any part of the noise suppression system that is insecure is major, and dangerous if it is likely to become detached.
The emissions section (8.2) then looks at the emission control equipment and the exhaust gases themselves. Manufacturer-fitted emission control equipment that is missing, obviously modified or obviously defective is a major defect, as is an induction or exhaust leak that could affect emissions levels. Petrol vehicles have an exhaust gas test that includes the lambda reading, and an engine management light that is inoperative or showing a fault is a major defect. Diesels have a smoke opacity test, and a vehicle fitted with a DPF that emits visible smoke of any colour is a major defect.
If your exhaust is blowing before the test, having it repaired first saves a fail and a retest. We can check it over when you book your MOT with us.
Repair or replace?
Our rule is simple: repair when the repair will last, replace when it will not.
- Repair: a small blow at a joint on an otherwise sound section, a snapped hanger, a loose clamp, a rattling heat shield, or a split flexi pipe where the rest of the downpipe is good.
- Replace: a section corroded through along its length, a silencer with a baffle loose inside it, a crushed or kinked pipe, or a catalytic converter or DPF that has failed internally.
We use quality parts and explain the options before we start, so you decide with the facts in front of you.
Request a booking online or call us on 0113 244 3544 and we’ll find a time that suits you.
Common questions
Exhaust Repairs questions
Can a blowing exhaust be welded rather than replaced?
Often, yes, if the metal around the blow is sound. If the section is corroded through, a weld will not hold and replacing that section is the honest answer. We will tell you which it is.
Will a blowing exhaust fail the MOT?
A major leak or an insecure exhaust system is a major defect under the DVSA inspection manual, so the vehicle fails. Excessive exhaust noise and fumes entering the cabin are also major defects.
Why is my engine management light on with an exhaust fault?
The engine management system monitors the lambda (oxygen) sensors and the catalytic converter, and a leak ahead of a sensor can also trigger a code. We diagnose the code first rather than replacing parts on guesswork.
Something else? Call 0113 244 3544 or request a booking.
More from NHG
- MOT TestingClass 4 & Class 7 for cars, vans and light commercial vehicles
- ServicingInterim and full servicing for all makes and models
- DiagnosticsFault finding and diagnostic checks
- WeldingWelding and repair work
- Brakes & SuspensionRepairs and replacements
- TyresTyres supplied and fitted, wheel balancing and alignment
- Air Con RegasAir conditioning regas and servicing
- DPF CleaningDiesel particulate filter cleaning and regeneration
- Car RepairsFrom minor fixes to major overhauls
- MechanicTrusted local mechanics in Leeds
Find us
- Unit 2, 2 Dolly Lane
Harehills, Leeds LS9 7TUA few minutes' walk from St James's Hospital, just off the A64 York Road. - 0113 244 3544
Monday - Friday: 8:30am - 5:30pmSaturday & Sunday: Closed
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