| Your car's exhaust system carries away the | | | | outside in the form of rain. |
| gases created when the fuel and air are burned in | | | | Short trips in your car can shorten the life of |
| the combustion chamber. These gases are | | | | your exhaust system. When you shut down your |
| harmful to humans and our environment. A | | | | engine whatever water vapor is in the pipes |
| frequent check of your exhaust system is a | | | | condenses and turns back into a liquid. On a short |
| must to provide for you and your family's safety. | | | | trip the water never has a chance to get hot |
| Make sure there are no holes in the exhaust | | | | enough to turn back into water vapor and just |
| system or in the passenger compartment where | | | | stays in the system and rusts away the pipes. If |
| exhaust fumes could enter. Let's begin by listing | | | | you drive for short distances consider replacing |
| the parts of the exhaust system and their | | | | your exhaust system with stainless steel when |
| functions. | | | | the plain steel one rusts through. If you drive |
| Exhaust manifold: The exhaust manifold attaches | | | | more than 15 miles at a time then you should not |
| to the cylinder head and takes each cylinders | | | | have to worry about this. |
| exhaust and combines it into one pipe. The | | | | If you live in an area, which uses salt on the |
| manifold can be made of steel, aluminum, stainless | | | | roads in the wintertime, make sure to wash the |
| steel, or more commonly cast iron. | | | | underside of you car with water every few |
| Oxygen sensor: All modern fuel injected cars | | | | weeks. Salt speeds up the corrosion process and |
| utilize an oxygen sensor to measure how much | | | | getting it off as soon as possible will help stop the |
| oxygen is present in the exhaust. From this the | | | | corrosion. Make sure you run the engine after |
| computer can add or subtract fuel to obtain the | | | | washing to drive off all of the water on the pipes. |
| correct mixture for maximum fuel economy. The | | | | Noticing a decrease in your gas mileage? Your |
| oxygen sensor is mounted in the exhaust | | | | oxygen sensor could be going south on you. As |
| manifold or close to it in the exhaust pipe. | | | | time goes on the oxygen sensor begins to wear |
| Catalytic converter: This muffler like part | | | | out and becomes less accurate. This sometimes |
| converts harmful carbon monoxide and | | | | results in a rich fuel mixture where your engine |
| hydrocarbons to water vapor and carbon dioxide. | | | | burns more fuel than is needed. Most of the time |
| Some converters also reduce harmful nitrogen | | | | your check engine light will come on and alert you |
| oxides. The converter is mounted between the | | | | to a failing oxygen sensor. I suggest changing the |
| exhaust manifold and the muffler. | | | | oxygen sensor every 60,000 miles just to be |
| Muffler: The muffler serves to quiet the exhaust | | | | safe. Even though your check engine light might |
| down to acceptable levels. Remember that the | | | | not be on, you could be using more gas than is |
| combustion process is a series of explosions that | | | | needed. Pay a few bucks and change the sensor, |
| create allot of noise. Most mufflers use baffles to | | | | your wallet will thank you when you have to buy |
| bounce the exhaust around dissipating the energy | | | | less gas down the road. |
| and quieting the noise. Some mufflers also use | | | | The next part in line to go is the muffler. Most of |
| fiberglass packing, which absorbs the sound | | | | the time mufflers rust through and need to be |
| energy as the gases flow through. | | | | replaced. There are allot of options out there for |
| Exhaust pipe: Between all of the above mention | | | | replacement mufflers. Some cheap and some |
| parts is the exhaust pipe which carries the gas | | | | expensive. It holds true... you get what you pay |
| through it's journey out your tail pipe. Exhaust | | | | for. If you plan on keeping your car for any |
| tubing is usually made of steel but can be stainless | | | | period of time, spend the extra cash and get an |
| steel (which lasts longer due to it's corrosion | | | | OEM muffler or a high quality name brand muffler. |
| resistance) or aluminized steel tubing. Aluminized | | | | On rare occasions the catalytic converter will |
| steel has better corrosion resistance than plain | | | | become clogged and need to be replaced. |
| steel but not better than stainless steel. It is | | | | Symptoms include loss of power, heat coming |
| however cheaper than stainless steel. | | | | from the floor of your car, glowing red converter |
| Common Problems: | | | | or a sulfur smell. Never let a mechanic tell you |
| Well the worst enemy of your exhaust system is | | | | that you can do without the catalytic converter. |
| corrosion.... or more commonly known as rust. | | | | Removing this component is illegal in most states |
| Rust is caused by moisture reacting with the iron | | | | and can lead to a hefty fine to the government if |
| in the steel and forming iron oxide. Moisture, or | | | | you are not careful. |
| water vapor is present in the exhaust as a | | | | That's about it for the exhaust system; just |
| by-product of combustion and the catalytic | | | | remember that rust is the biggest enemy to your |
| converter. Moisture can also come from the | | | | exhaust system. |