If you’re interested in making your car louder, there are some expensive upgrades you could put in place that will change the car’s sound a lot. Unfortunately, not everyone has the coinage to add all these parts. You may need to work within a budget.
However, all hope is not lost. There are options for noise making your exhaust louder, regardless of budget! How can you make your car exhaust louder, specifically?
In this guide, we cover some practical suggestions for increasing the sound of the exhaust, and provide you with the average price of each option so you know how much to save!
How is Exhaust Sound Generated?
What creates the noise from the exhaust? The engine is creating power by igniting a mixture of fuel and air.
In other words, your engine is creating a series of controlled explosions. As the power is created, sound waves move out of the vehicle through the exhaust system.
On the way through the vehicle, the sound waves and exhaust gases are directed through various components including the catalytic converter, muffler and resonator.
Each varying component changes the sound coming out of the vehicle. If you want a more aggressive sound, then you must change the components somehow.
How to Make Your Car’s Exhaust Louder (Ranked by Price)?
To increase the sound of your vehicle’s exhaust, you could increase the sound of your exhaust by removing your muffler. You could also remove your catalytic converter or purchase a cat-back exhaust.
If you’re willing to spend money, you can install a performance muffler, cold air intake, turbocharger, straight pipe exhaust or aftermarket exhaust.
With all the options available to make your exhaust really loud, we put together a more extensive list of ways to make your car exhaust louder by price.
#1. Drill Holes in Exhaust ($0-$25).
This is the least recommended but least expensive way, ultimately, if you want to make your exhaust loudest without buying anything, is to drill small holes in the exhaust.
It will create an exhaust leak causing louder sound. With your power drill and 3/8” bit, simply drill four – six holes into the exhaust pipe.
The holes should be drilled before the muffler but after the catalytic converter. If you drill before the catalytic converter, you could allow dangerous gases to enter the atmosphere.
As the engine releases sound, sound waves will travel through the system and some will leak out of the holes before being quieted down through the muffler.
That said, this method is not recommended over the others, as it could lead to more exhaust fumes coming into the cabin, which is bad for your health. It could also cause you to fail a smog test.
For example, if you have an inspection of the car in your country done annually, that will be an issue.
#2. Take Off Muffler ($20-$45).
Removing the muffler from the exhaust removes the component responsible for muffling. You will need to substitute a pipe in place of your muffler installed into the exhaust system.
If you can find some suitable pipes you may also consider exhaust clamps, though welding is usually the best route to take, though you may need to weld mounts for the rubber hangers.
Removing the muffler from the equation makes a sound that is substantially louder, and most times provides a more aggressive exhaust sound. However, removal is not legal in all states in the US.
#3. Install Exhaust Tip ($35-$65).
The resonator works opposite to the muffler instead of dampening the sound waves the resonator tip will vibrate the sound waves leading to a little different sound and not much louder.
Not every car model has a resonator and is thus just called a exhaust tip. The resonator exhaust tip is not difficult to by any means to install. You will simply clip it to the exhaust system’s tail.
You really also do not have to spend a lot of money to get this job completed.
Unfortunately, this usually does not make a large difference on the car’s exhaust note but it may make just a little difference, it is an easy install and it would improve the appearance of your car’s look.
#4. Remove Catalytic Converter ($50-$350).
The catalytic converter reduces the harmful byproducts of the emissions and the result is that it keeps the noise from your vehicle manageable.
Nevertheless, you can bypass this system by installing a downpipe or any pipe that has a connection that replaces the cat. You will immediately notice a significant increase in noise.
However, especially in the United States, that is typically illegal, and your vehicle could only be legal off-road afterward. You will also have a hard time passing emissions inspections without the cat.
The engine control module also has O2 sensors, which check the efficiency of the catalyst. So by simply removing the cat, you could throw a check engine light on your dashboard, and get a P0420 code on your scanner. If you do decide to remove it, you will need to reprogram the ECU to clear this issue.
#5. Put on Performance Muffler ($65-$150).
A performance muffler can change the sound tone of the exhaust. It may suppress some sound wave levels, but it can also increase the overall sound tone.
A performance muffler will not have as many plates going through the unit and it is hollow, so when you have a quick exit for the gas flow, you will have increased sound levels and performance.
Not all performance mufflers may be legal, so be sure to check your local laws before purchasing one; however, a performance muffler is usually a better option than removing the muffler completely.
#6. Install Cold Air Intake ($150-$300).
If you’re looking for increased performance and a slightly modified sound, the cold air intake is for you. The cold air intake allows the engine to suck in cooler air, increasing performance due to oxygen levels.
There is nothing changed with the exhaust itself; however, the sound that comes from the engine is louder and more aggressive which gives the exhaust a different tone when exiting the vehicle.
If your vehicle has a turbocharger the cold air intake also changes that sound to make turbo chirping sound cooler and more noticeable when you let off the gas pedal or shift gears.
#7. Install Turbocharger ($400-$3,000).
The turbocharger will not raise your car’s exhaust sound, but usually do the opposite – but does make your car engine sound nicer.
The turbocharger will also increase the amount of air in the combustion chamber, which will increase horsepower and torque.
The upgrade does not change any of the exhaust parts but will alter the overall sound due to the added performance.
Nonetheless, this is an expensive upgrade not worth the money unless you require the extra power.
After you have put the turbo on, you might have to change other parts, like the fuel injectors, and it may be required to change the engine control module to interface with the increased fuel use.
#8. Install Straight Pipe Exhaust ($450-$1,250).
A straight pipe exhaust is the best option to really satisfy your desire to make a car exhaust sound loud – really loud.
To go to a straight pipe exhaust necessarily means you will have to remove multiple exhaust components.
You will have to remove the catalytic converter, resonator and muffler, and add a straight pipe system in its place.
For a straight pipe to function correctly, there might be a little tuning involved, and this could substantially add to the cost. However, a straight pipe will remove most of the restriction and cause the exhaust to sound completely different.
#9. Install Aftermarket Exhaust ($250-$1,500).
When you’re ready to change things up and have the money to spend, the best option will be to install a complete aftermarket exhaust system, as that’s the best way to maximize airflow for a super loud sound!
Most likely, the stock exhaust from the manufacturer is very restrictive as they design it with a goal to quiteen down the sound as much as possible, and you can get the most value out of an aftermarket exhaust by getting rid of those restrictions and allowing airflow to perfection.
However, you want to make sure to choose something that is meant specifically for your goals, as well as something that is meant to work with your vehicle! If you aren’t sure what to get, it might be best to talk with a professional so you can get the most benefit from your money.
You can choose to get an aftermarket exhaust system to replace the whole exhaust pipe from the exhaust manifold; or , a cat-back exhaust system, or a combination of both if you have a larger budget.
A catback exhaust is the most popular choice, and that simply means you are replacing the exhaust from the catalytic converter back.
You will find many cat-back exhausts on the market and they will allow for deeper, louder sound to your car still maintaining a functional cat!
The aftermarket exhaust has another decent benefit you may not have thought about. The aftermarket exhaust will allow increased engine performance that your likely never thought about, as there are high airflow restriction features in the factory exhaust left on the stock vehicle.
The engine is breathing better with less blockage, so you will notice a significant difference after you install the new aftermarket exhaust.
Is It Illegal to Make the Exhaust Louder?
There are a number of legal ways to make the exhaust louder, but keep in mind that not all of the solutions I listed above are legal, and that performing some of them could get you into trouble based on where jurisdiction you are in.
In particular, if any part of the exhaust system is eliminated (muffler, catalytic converter, etc.), you could get into trouble. Emissions regulations are very strict, and in some states, you even have to pass an emissions inspection.
So, make sure you are aware of your local laws and regulations before you make any changes to the exhaust.
If you are unsure how to make these changes, I recommend that you have a professional perform the modifications for you. You don’t want exhaust gas to enter the cabin, as this can be very dangerous for you and your passengers.