Stratford Auto Repair

A popping sound from the tailpipe can be startling, especially if it happens when you let off the gas or start the car in the morning. Sometimes it is a harmless burble that comes and goes. Other times, it is a sign that the engine is not burning fuel cleanly, and the exhaust is dealing with the leftovers. Either way, the sound usually has a cause you can track down with a little pattern-spotting. What The Popping Sound Usually Is Most tailpipe popping is extra fuel igniting in the exhaust instead of inside the cylinders. That can happen when the air-fuel mixture is too rich, when a cylinder misfires, or when outside air sneaks into the exhaust and changes how things burn. People often call it a backfire, but on most modern cars it is more of an afterfire happening downstream. The difference matters because it helps narrow the list of likely problems. A true intake backfire is less common on newer vehicles. Tailpipe popping is much more often about fuel control, ig ... read more