Slide under your firmly supported vehicle. Bring a flashlight and a pair of gloves with you and wear safety glasses.
Locate the muffler, which is the final section of the exhaust system. Mufflers come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, but it will have a large center section with pipes running into it from the forward exhaust system, and it includes the tailpipes. There may be one, two or four tailpipes.
Check your muffler. Look for rust, dents, loose connections and holes. Dents and surface rust are not terminal for your muffler, but they are indicative of aging. Touch any rusty spots to determine how far through the metal the rust may be. Some holes can be repaired, but most cannot.
Feel around the top of the muffler for rust and holes as well. Use your flashlight to illuminate any dark areas. Watch out for sharp edges.
Look at the exhaust hangers to see if they are broken or missing. Exhaust hangers are normally thick rubber loops that mount the exhaust system to the vehicle.
Examine the exhaust section attachments. These are flanges where the various sections of the exhaust system are bolted together, and a complete muffler check looks for loose connections.
Slide yourself out from under the car. Your muffler check is complete.
