How Do I Change A Broken Muffler On A 2005 Nissan Sentra?

Lift the vehicle safely and securely on the car lift. If it's a drive-on lift, even better. Put on safety glasses.

Size up the job. Locate the muffler. If it's original equipment, chances are you're going to need more than a muffler in the aftermarket world. Inlet pipes and tailpipes do not always come with aftermarket mufflers. If you do not see a clamp or flange near the inlet of the muffler, you need to replace the exhaust pipe as far as it goes to the next connection, unless the inlet pipe happens to be going straight into that muffler for at least 5 inches. If that were the case, you could cut the pipe and install the muffler and clamp it. If there is any curve on the inlet pipe before it directly goes into the muffler, you're going to have to replace more than the muffler. The problem is the inlet of the aftermarket muffler is straight and if you try to cut the pipe on a curve, it's going to compromise how the muffler fits onto it. If there is a clamp on the inlet pipe and muffler connection, try to determine the condition of the pipe at that connection. You have to be able to heat up that junction between the muffler and the inlet pipe and then be able to separate the muffler from the inlet pipe without incurring damage to the inlet pipe. Two types of inlet pipes are a hop-over or hop-under pipe (meaning hopping over or under the rear axle) or an intermediate pipe that may go all the way to the catalytic converter junction. The type of application will dictate how much you have to replace. In flange connection applications carefully inspect the flanges on both sides because you're going to have to cut the bolts out with the torch and not compromise the other connecting flange. Ideally, this is something you've either looked at already or had an idea of what you were going to need, so the replacement parts should be already at hand.