I've been noticing this strange hissing sound coming from underneath my sedan whenever I accelerate, and it's gotten noticeably louder over the past few weeks to the point where I can even hear it inside the cabin with the windows up. At first I thought it might be a loose heat shield or something simple, but I took a quick look underneath and it seems like there might be a small crack or hole in the exhaust pipe near the front, because the sound is definitely coming from that area and I can smell a faint fumes smell when I'm stopped at traffic lights. I know driving with an exhaust leak isn't great for fuel economy and it can mess with the oxygen sensors, plus obviously the fumes are a safety concern if they start getting into the cabin. I'm not really confident enough to try fixing this myself because I don't have a lift or the right tools, so I'm looking for a place that can diagnose it properly and do the job without trying to upsell me on a whole new exhaust system when it might just need a small section welded or replaced. I've heard there are a few workshops around Al Quoz that handle this kind of work, and a friend mentioned a spot that does
professional car exhaust leak repair in Al Quoz so I'm planning to swing by this weekend. Before I do though, I wanted to ask if anyone here has had a similar issue and what the typical cost ended up being for a repair versus a full replacement, because I want to have some idea of what's reasonable before I start getting quotes. Also, is there any way to tell whether the leak is just a small pinhole or something more serious before taking it in, or do they need to put it on a ramp and run a smoke test to pinpoint exactly where the problem is? Any advice would be great because I really don't want to be driving around with this for much longer.
