Is a drip from my exhaust normal or a leak?
Determining if an exhaust drip is normal or a leak from age is difficult because people rarely catch it as it happens. They are left trying to identify the issue from layered staining, which they cannot diagnose by scent if they have a stuffy nose and cannot smell well.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1asking mechanics on internet forums to visually diagnose the partDid this help you?
- 2Checking for a sewage smell to rule out damaged sewer pipesDid this help you?
- 3Contacting the city water department or HOA to investigateDid this help you?
- 4Monitoring the area to see if the liquid flows constantly or sporadicallyDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“my concern is it's sewage, there is a big silver maple about 15 feet away that has damaged pipes in the past.”source ↗
“I can never catch it as it happens, but the staining has many layers and my nose is stuffy and I can't smell very well.”source ↗
“Is this normal? Or is does it have a leak from age?”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 11Is my outside unit leaking oil or condensation?
- 3Is smoke coming out of this engine part normal?
- 17How to tell if a coolant leak is a water pump failure
- 36How to find a hidden engine oil leak spraying on components
- 4How to tell if crusty residue on a basement pipe is a sewage leak
- 6Unexplained powder leak under car