Exhaust Systems
Ensuring your car’s exhaust system is in the best working condition is important for a good fuel mileage, your safety and protection of the natural environment. We will talk about how your car’s exhaust system works, how it can fail, and the best repair options.
Your vehicle’s exhaust system is responsible for carrying away the gases formed when air and fuel mix together and burn in your vehicle’s combustion chamber.
These gases are toxic to both man and the natural environment. Regular inspection of your exhaust system is vital to enhance the safety of every member of your family.
Always ensure there are no openings in the exhaust system or in the passenger section where exhaust fumes could pass through. Let’s look at major components of the exhaust system and their functions.
- Exhaust Manifold. The exhaust manifold is the part that attaches to the head of the cylinders and takes the exhaust of each of the cylinders to form a single pipe. There are different makes of manifolds-cast iron, steel, stainless, and aluminum.
- Oxygen sensor. Every modern fuel injected vehicle use an oxygen sensor to gauge the amount of oxygen the exhaust contains. From this measurement, the computer either adds or subtracts fuel to get the right mixture for adequate fuel economy. You will find the oxygen sensor mounted near or inside the exhaust manifold in the exhaust pipe.
- Catalytic Converter. This is the muffler-like part of every exhaust system that converts the toxic hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide and water vapor. Some converters can also reduce toxic nitrogen oxides. You can find the converter between the muffler and exhaust manifold.
- Muffler. The muffler is responsible for keeping the exhaust quiet. Don’t forget the process of combustion creates noise due to the explosive nature of combustion processes. Most mufflers bounce the exhaust around using baffles to dissipate the energy and quieting the noise. Some mufflers make use of fiberglass packing to absorb sound energy as the gases pass through.
- Exhaust Pipe. The exhaust pipe is between all the parts we have mentioned above, and is responsible for carrying the gas out through the tail of your exhaust pipe. Most exhaust tubes are made of either steel or stainless steel. Stainless steel pipes have longer lifespan due to their ability to resist corrosion. Some can be made of aluminized steel tubing, which is known to have lesser corrosion resistance than stainless steel tubes and higher resistance than plain stainless steel tubes.