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If your car sounds like a big Harley
Davidson, you know it's muffler time.
Yet it's rare that a car needs only a muffler.
Usually other parts too, such as:
the exhaust pipe, tail pipe, clamps and hangers.

The longevity of muffler and pipes depends on what kind of steel the
components are made of, how pipes are routed under the car, where
the
muffler is located, and whether or not the car has a catalytic
converter.

Original equipment pipes made of aluminumized steel generally
last about
5 to 7 years, except in areas with a lot of road salt and
moisture.

In these areas, pipes may need replacing about 5 yrs or less.
Original equipment pipes made of stainless steel (which are used from
the converter forward on most cars and for the entire exhaust system
on some) can last up to 10 yrs or more.

Most aftermarket pipes, by comparison, are made of ordinary steel which
is good for about 3  to 5 years of service.
Aluminumized and stainless pipes are better, but cost more.
With mufflers, stainless holds up the best, followed by double-sided
galvanized steel.
Single sided galvanized and aluminumized hold up fairly well, while
plain steel offers little or no corrosion resistance.
As a rule, the hotter a muffler runs the longer it lasts.
Mufflers on vehicles with catalytic converters run hotter and last longer

than those on older vehicles without converters.

Mufflers rust from the inside out.
Rust is caused by moisture in the exhaust.
Moisture condenses in the muffler when the engine is shut off and
the muffler starts to cool.
Some mufflers have a small pin hole
that allows condensation to
seep out.