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