Muffler & Exhaust Repair in Tomball, TX
Exhaust suddenly loud, rattling underneath or smelling of fumes? Bring it to our shop on Calvert Rd in Tomball and we’ll find out why.
Looking for a Muffler Shop in Tomball?
Your exhaust takes hot, toxic gas from the engine, cleans it in the catalytic converter, quiets it in the muffler and sends it out the back. When something breaks, you usually hear it first: a louder engine, a rattle underneath or a ticking that speeds up with the engine.
Don’t put it off. A small exhaust leak can let carbon monoxide build up inside the car, and you can’t see or smell carbon monoxide on its own. If you smell exhaust in the cabin, get it checked before you keep driving it.
We find the leak and tell you whether it’s a repair or a replacement. We weld, so a cracked pipe or a broken hanger can often be fixed without replacing the whole system. We also build custom stainless steel exhaust systems for classic cars and performance builds. If you need an exhaust shop near you in Tomball, call 936-661-2675 and tell us what you’re hearing.
Mufflers, Leaks and Catalytic Converters
Loud, rattling, smelling of fumes or showing a catalytic converter code? Here’s what each exhaust problem usually means and what fixes it.
Muffler Repair or Replacement
The muffler quiets the engine. When it rusts through, cracks or the baffles inside break loose, the car gets louder or starts rattling underneath.
Can a muffler be repaired or does it need replacing?
A small crack or a loose joint can sometimes be welded or clamped. If it’s rusted through or rattling inside, a new muffler is the real fix. We look at it and tell you which.
How much does muffler repair cost?
It depends on whether it’s a weld, a clamp or a whole new muffler, and on the vehicle. Call 936-661-2675 with the year, make and model.
Why is my muffler rattling?
Usually a broken hanger, a loose heat shield or loose baffles inside the muffler. A hanger or heat shield is a small fix. Loose baffles mean a new muffler.
Is it illegal to drive without a muffler in Texas?
Yes. Texas law says a vehicle needs a muffler in good working condition that stops excessive or unusual noise, and it bans muffler cutouts and bypasses.
Good to know: Muffler tape and repair clamps are a short-term patch. They won’t last on a pipe that’s rusting away.
Exhaust Leak Repair
An exhaust leak can be anywhere from the manifold at the engine back to the tailpipe. Leaks near the engine often tick or tap. Leaks further back make the car louder.
What does an exhaust leak sound like?
A ticking or tapping that speeds up with the engine, a puffing sound, or a deeper, louder exhaust than normal.
Can I drive with an exhaust leak?
Not for long. Fumes can get into the cabin, and a leak near an oxygen sensor can throw off the fuel mix and turn on the check engine light. Get it looked at soon.
How much does an exhaust leak repair cost?
It depends on where the leak is. A gasket or a weld on a pipe is a lot less work than a cracked manifold. Call 936-661-2675 and tell us what you’re hearing.
Do exhaust leak repair kits work?
Tape and paste can seal a pinhole for a while. They usually don’t hold up to the heat for long, and they won’t fix a cracked manifold, a blown gasket or a rotted pipe.
Warning: An exhaust smell inside the car means fumes are getting in. Stop driving it and get it checked.
Catalytic Converter Replacement
The catalytic converter cleans the exhaust before it leaves the car. When one fails, you’ll usually get a check engine light, often code P0420 or P0430, and sometimes a rotten egg smell or a loss of power.
How do I know if my catalytic converter is bad?
A check engine light with P0420 or P0430, a rotten egg smell, a rattle from the converter or an engine that feels choked and slow. A code alone doesn’t prove it, so oxygen sensors, misfires and leaks get checked first.
What if my catalytic converter was stolen?
You’ll know when you start the car: it’s suddenly very loud. Report it to the police and your insurance, and get a legal replacement fitted before you drive it much.
Can I put any catalytic converter on my car?
No. The replacement has to be legal for your vehicle. In Texas, that means an EPA-compliant converter made for your make, model and engine.
Will a bad catalytic converter fail emissions in Texas?
Usually, yes. In Harris and Montgomery counties, gas cars 2 to 24 years old need an emissions test every year to renew registration. The test reads the car’s computer, and a check engine light that’s on is a fail. Waller County doesn’t test.
Good to know: Fix misfires before replacing the converter. A misfire can overheat and ruin a new one.
Exhaust Pipe and Hanger Repair
Exhaust pipes, flex pipes, clamps and hangers rust and crack over time. A broken hanger lets the exhaust drop and bang around underneath. Because we weld, many of these can be repaired instead of replaced.
Can a rusted exhaust pipe be repaired?
If the metal around the hole is still solid, a patch or a new section can be welded in. If the pipe is rotten all the way along, replacing that section is the better fix.
Why is my exhaust hanging low or dragging?
Usually a broken hanger or a rusted-off bracket. Get it fixed before the pipe cracks or catches on the road.
What is a flex pipe and why does it crack?
A flex pipe is a braided section that lets the exhaust move with the engine. Age and worn engine mounts make it crack, and then it leaks and gets loud.
Should I replace exhaust pipes with stainless steel?
Stainless resists rust much better than plain or aluminized steel and lasts longer, but it costs more up front. It’s worth it on a car you’re keeping.
Good to know: Get a loose or hanging exhaust fixed early. It puts strain on the pipes and joints around it.
Custom Stainless Exhaust for Classics and Performance Builds
We build custom stainless steel exhaust systems for classic cars and performance builds. Engine swaps, headers and old cars often need exhaust cut, fitted and welded to the car, not an off-the-shelf kit.
Why use stainless steel for exhaust?
304 stainless has the best rust resistance of the common exhaust metals and can be polished. 409 stainless lasts longer than aluminized steel but stays dull. On a classic you plan to keep, stainless lasts a lot longer.
Can you build exhaust for an LS or engine swap?
Yes. Exhaust is part of a swap, along with mounts, wiring, fuel and cooling. We build it to fit the car and the engine.
Is custom exhaust legal in Texas?
It can be, if it keeps a working muffler and all the emissions equipment the car came with, like catalytic converters and oxygen sensors. Muffler cutouts and bypasses aren’t allowed. Most cars built before the 1975 model year didn’t come with a converter, so classics have fewer limits.
Can you make my exhaust louder?
A different muffler, pipe size or full system changes the sound a lot, and we build that to suit the car. What we won’t do is take the catalytic converters or mufflers off a street car.
Good to know: Tell us the engine, the headers and the sound you’re after. That decides pipe size and mufflers.
Not sure what you’re hearing? Call 936-661-2675 and tell us what the car is doing.
What Brix Auto Group Customers Say
“William was fantastic. Super clear pricing and was done with my truck on time.”
“Ms. Sandy and her team went above and beyond to have my vehicle repaired after I was in a collision accident.”
“I am very satisfied with the quality of work 10 out of 10.”
Exhaust loud all of a sudden?
If you smell fumes inside the car, open the windows and get it checked right away. Call 936-661-2675 or come to 27813 Calvert Rd, Tomball.
Exhaust & Muffler Repair Questions
Sudden noise, exhaust leaks, catalytic converters and what’s legal in Texas.
Why is my car so loud all of a sudden?
Usually an exhaust leak: a rusted-through muffler, a cracked pipe, a blown gasket or a broken flex pipe. If it went loud overnight and sounds like a race car, check the catalytic converter is still there. They get stolen, especially off trucks and SUVs.
Is an exhaust leak dangerous?
It can be. A leak can let carbon monoxide build up inside the car, and you can’t smell carbon monoxide on its own. A headache, dizziness or feeling sleepy while driving are warning signs. If you smell exhaust in the cabin, don’t keep driving it.
What are the symptoms of an exhaust leak?
A louder engine, a ticking or puffing sound that speeds up with the engine, an exhaust smell in the cabin, a rattle underneath or worse gas mileage. A leak near an oxygen sensor can also turn on the check engine light.
What does a catalytic converter do?
It cleans the exhaust. Precious metals inside turn carbon monoxide, unburned fuel and nitrogen oxides into carbon dioxide, water and nitrogen. Those metals are why converters cost what they do, and why thieves cut them off.
How much does catalytic converter replacement cost?
It depends on the vehicle, how many converters it has and which replacement is legal for it. A code alone doesn’t prove the converter is bad: an oxygen sensor, an exhaust leak or a misfire can set the same code. Call 936-661-2675 with your year, make and model.
Can I remove my catalytic converter or run a straight pipe?
Not on a street car. Removing or disabling emissions equipment is tampering under the federal Clean Air Act and Texas law, and Texas law also requires a working muffler. In Harris and Montgomery counties, a car with no working converter will usually fail its yearly emissions test too.
Where can I get muffler and exhaust repair in Tomball?
At 27813 Calvert Rd, Tomball, TX 77377. We fix mufflers, exhaust leaks and catalytic converters, Monday to Saturday.
Exhaust and Muffler Repair Close to Stagecoach and Magnolia
A louder exhaust can usually make the drive. Fumes inside the car can’t wait.
All service areas ↗Typical Google Maps drive times from each town to 27813 Calvert Rd, leaving at 11 am on a weekday.