Water dripping from mufler

I store my 2003 Silverado 1/2 ton over the winter. I drive it occasionally when the roads are dry, maybe putting on 500 miles in 4 months. Once in awhile I back it out of the garage to get it out of the way then let it idle a few minutes to let the oil and coolant circulate and battery charge up. The last couple of times, I?ve seen water dripping from the bottom seam of the mufler. And it?s left a trail of water back into the garage when I?ve put it back in. I assume this is water coming from the converter. The sound from the exhaust hasn?t changed and I don?t see exhaust coming out of the mufler. The trucks got 50,000 miles on a 5.3 l engine and with the original exhaust system. Is the mufler shot?

Reply to
tommyhorse
Loading thread data ...

Many factory mufflers are designed to let water drain out of them to prevent corrosion. If there's an actual seam degraded from rust or acidic corrosion you should be able to detect an exhaust leak.

Reply to
Augustus

Mufflers are made to allow condensation to exit. Internal moisture buildup is the exhaust system's #1 nemesis on a normally operating vehicle. And very often mufflers and tail pipes on vehicles driven for short durations as to not let them warm completely corrode faster than a well driven vehicle. Some vehicles like the Honda are so efficient that the exhaust is too cool at the end of its travel thus hastening the corrosion process.

Reply to
Meat Plow

The factory muffer has a small drain hole in the back! Right in the middle and right above the seam. This lets out the water from condensation when you first start up the engine. If it doesn't get drained out it rots out the system. If your just doing short trips all the time, the exhause never gets fully hot and water will just stay in the system and cuase it to rot all the more faster then one say being used to Commut. In town driving IS harder on your car then Highway use. It applies to your exhause along with other things also.

I'm 99.99% sure your muffer is still good! It's simple enough to get under your truck and take a peek.

Reply to
JBDragon

This is normal actually. It isn't good for the system to be started and not driven in order for the exhaust to dry out. It needs to be run long enough for all the condensation to dry; even with the newer stainless steel exhaust systems. Example: My wife drives 1.2 miles to work and 1.2 miles back (RT), before stainless steel exhaust systems, we had to have it fixed every 18 months or less. With stainless it lasts for 5 years, or some times more.

But my daughter that drives 32 miles to work (RT) has never had any type of exhaust wear (RUST or COROSSION) problems, before or after stainless. Greg

Reply to
GKShadow

Arnie Quarry = dumb troll

Reply to
Napoleon Blownapart

water dripping from the muffler = blown head gasket

condensation

Reply to
Arnie Quarry

Most O.E. mufflers have a small drain hole on mufflers. normally in the back, sometimes the front also, on the bottom near the seam of the muffler. It's perfectly normal for water to leak out there, that's why the holes are there. It helps get the water out of the muffler. High Humidity in the air, more water, taking short trips and not letting the exhaust heat up fully to take care of the water, your going to see more. A lot of times, especially on Hot days you'll also see water leaking out the front right of the car also. This is because of the AC. Again it's basically the same principle as what happens in the Exhaust. Water Vapor in the Air turning into a solid and collecting and running out. They don't put Stainless Exhaust pipes into cars just for the hell of it these days. The pipes don't normally rust from the outside in, but from the inside out.

Reply to
JBDragon

It turns into ice?

Reply to
scrape

No it's turning from a Vapor into a Liquid. Think of having a drink of something cold in a Glass, it gets wet on the outside all around. The glass isn't leaking, it's picking up the water vapor in the air all around you. Again turning from a Vapor into liquid.

Reply to
JBDragon

I get it. I was making a smart ass comment about you saying it turned into a solid.

Nevermind.

Reply to
scrape

Sure it is.......if your head gasket is blown.

Reply to
Rick Cooper

And it's perfectly normal if the head gaskets are not blown.

Reply to
aarcuda69062

?? EVERY Brand NEW car out there with a Engine will have Water in the Exhaust and have nothing at all to do with a Blown head Gasket. Besides, one is just Water, the other would have Antifreeze in it! Most people don't notice this, as it evaporates, You also get water dripping on the right front also from the AC being used, and most don't notice this either. It's also not a coolant leak. It's leaking right out of the drain hose like it's suppose to. Higher the Humidity, the more Water Vapor in the air. If you have a Air Compressor, all the Air Tanks have a Valve on the bottom to drain out the water. It you don't drain it daily or have one that will Auto Drain for you, you'd be surprised how much water can collect inside in a short amount of time. Just like the Air pump, what do you think a Engine is? It's also a Pump.

Reply to
JBDragon

Is that what it was?!?! I guess I don't get the smart ass remarks from a short message? I think that's more of a, needing to be in person to read their expression to really get it. At least for me.

Reply to
JBDragon

Guess I should have found an appropriate smiley or something...

Reply to
scrape

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.