Your car's exhaust involves more than just the muffler and tailpipe; the exhaust system also includes a catalytic converter, which helps to reduce the car's fumes and emissions. There are also parts connected to the engine that pull oxygen out of the chambers, so that there is always a proper mixture of fuel and oxygen that is needed to create combustion. Consider a few common problems with these parts of a car's exhaust system, so you can determine what needs to be fixed on your car and what to expect by way of repair bills.
1. Smoke from the tailpipe
There is a difference between smoke and warm air coming from the tailpipe; if it's very cold out, you'll typically see some wisps of what appear to be smoke but which is simply warm air from the engine hitting the cold air around the car, much like how you can see your own breath on cold winter days. However, if you know it's actually smoke coming from the pipes, this is often caused by a dirty air filter. The air filter needs to trap contaminants coming from the engine before it's exhausted from the car, but when that filter is old and dirty and clogged, those contaminants get sent out the tailpipe in the form of dark smoke.
White smoke from the tailpipe often means that coolant has leaked into the engine. This is often caused by a damaged cylinder head. When the coolant burns, it creates white smoke that is then pulled from the tailpipe. Note, this is different from a coolant leak from the radiator, as a radiator leak won't drip coolant into the engine. The white smoke you see from the tailpipe means something is burning in the engine, most likely that leaking coolant, so check the head gaskets rather than just the radiator.
2. Rattling
The car's muffler quiets some of the sounds of air escaping from the engine, but rattling and rumbling don't always mean that the muffler itself needs repair or replacement. Your car's tailpipe is held to the car's body by brackets, which can come loose over time or due to rust and other corrosion; this causes the tailpipe to rattle. A clogged catalytic converter will also start to rattle, as air tries to pass over the contaminants that are clogging this part. Rusted holes along the tailpipe can also cause rattling, as air runs out the pipe in those areas and rattles as it passes over those jagged edges.
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