Gurgling noise from exhaust at idle

[Draken187]

Also...
If the problem is the gas tank
Why only one exhaust is making that sound?

Most exhaust gasses/air is released on that side.. Less on the other

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[Oliseles]

I've found that this only happens when I leave it outside for the night, it's cold and wet (humid) outside and my gas tank is less than half full. When I keep it inside for the night it doesn't happen, and if my tank is topped up it doesn't happen as well. I've read that in cold humid places if your tank has a lot of empty space, the water can condense inside and basically over a night it adds up. Either way, I can't keep my car inside all the time but keeping the tank topped up had solved this for me.

Most exhaust gasses/air is released on that side.. Less on the other

The right exhaust? Why is that?

 

[NorthernEX-T]

The right exhaust? Why is that?

What's the status now?

 

[Draken187]

The right exhaust? Why is that?

No idea.. Its always that way it seems on i4 dual exhaust engines..

 

[Oliseles]

What's the status now?

Well Im keeping the fuel tank full as bluegreencheese suggested
and unfortunately it doesn't change a thing

 

[bluegreencheese]

Well Im keeping the fuel tank full as bluegreencheese suggested
and unfortunately it doesn't change a thing

Sorry to hear that, I've been keeping it above 50% and haven't been having the issue anymore. Two days it was like 15% and raining and it happened again though, but after top up it's gone.

 

[Oliseles]

Sorry to hear that, I've been keeping it above 50% and haven't been having the issue anymore. Two days it was like 15% and raining and it happened again though, but after top up it's gone.

Thats weird because since Ive had the car 90% of the time its been above 50%
Ill give it another try since I have the same exact sound you had
I havnt used the car very often lately
The real test will be next time I use it
Its been parked outside for a week now 100% full
Well see

 

[NorthernEX-T]

Thats weird because since Ive had the car 90% of the time its been above 50%
Ill give it another try since I have the same exact sound you had
I havnt used the car very often lately
The real test will be next time I use it
Its been parked outside for a week now 100% full
Well see

Well jezzz, expect problems if you let her sit through the winter like that.. how many Km's on it now?

 

[Oliseles]

Well jezzz, expect problems if you let her sit through the winter like that.. how many Km's on it now?

I dont see how not using my car for a week will cause problems
Its at 2000km now

 

[NorthernEX-T]

I dont see how not using my car for a week will cause problems
Its at 2000km now

A daily driven car is a happy car. You still might hear it just saying..

 

[Oliseles]

A daily driven car is a happy car. You still might hear it just saying..

Even If I keep her happy she will still keep on farting

 

[Draken187]

Might hear what?
The noise even if I keep my car happy?
Yeah most probably
Even If I keep it happy
It will still keep farting

Keep it happy.. I drive about the same as you do.. I still start the car every 2 days and do a few circles in my area.. Make the oil recoat things.. Its not good to just let it sit..

 

[Oliseles]

Update
Well Ive kept the gas tank rigorously topped up for a month now
Yesterday it was very humid and rained like crazy
This morning the sound was so loud I could hear it from inside the car with my music playing
This is the loudest its been

 

[BarracksSi]

OP, does it happen after you've been driving a while? Or only after the car's been idling for a few minutes or longer?

Betcha CAN$20.00 (which is, what, US$475.00 by now?) that it's exhaust water vapor collecting inside the muffler.

(glad you bumped the thread, because I've got a cool story about it!)

----
Where I used to live, just a couple blocks from the US Capitol, there's been a police cruiser posted on the street corner nearly every day. They'd sit with the engine idling, as cops always do.

One winter day, I'm walking by the idling cop car and I hear the exact same sound your car is making. Sounded like water gurgling in a pipe. I stopped and asked the cop, Do you hear the noise in your exhaust?

He says, "Yeah, it happens when it's cold. It's just the water sitting in the exhaust."

"Oh, I got it," I say, "Because you're just idling, the muffler doesn't get hot enough to make the water evaporate like it usually should?"

"Yup, that's it," he said.
----

To expand on this --

The action of burning hydrocarbon fuels like gasoline always makes water vapor. It's just how combustion works.

Normally, driving around pushes enough hot exhaust through the system to keep everything warm, all the way to the end of the tailpipes. Because the piping is warm, the water vapor stays in a vapor state and doesn't condense into liquid.

Now, when it's cold enough, and/or humid enough, and the engine isn't under very much load (load creates hotter exhaust) and isn't being revved (higher revs move more exhaust), the farthest reaches of the exhaust system -- here, it's the mufflers and tailpipe tips -- might be cold enough that the water vapor from the engine condenses into liquid water. This is just like how water condenses on the outside of cold drinks, except on a bigger scale.

HOW TO FIX IT:

Don't idle so much. Drive the car.

 

[BarracksSi]

BTW -- go find a tuba player and ask what kind of sound their sousaphone makes in cold weather when it's full of "spit". They'll probably make the same noise.

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