GET TO KNOW YOUR EXHAUST SYSTEM
Like the human body, your car comprises many different systems that all work to power your vehicle. In fact, there are more than 30,000+ parts in the average automobile. Your vehicle’s exhaust system is one of those complex systems, and it is what we will talk about in-depth today.
Your vehicle emissions/exhaust system is tied together with your engine. Its processes start at the motor and ultimately end up at the tail end of your car. Various gases lie in the combustion chamber that needs to get discharged out of your vehicle safely and efficiently. The exhaust system is responsible for transferring and transforming these gases into safe, breathable vapor before releasing them into the air. The overall method includes many pipes that work concurrently to minimize the output of damaging gases so that our atmosphere doesn’t become polluted. The parts included in your exhaust system consists of the exhaust manifold, catalytic converter, oxygen sensor, tailpipe, muffler, and resonator.
- The exhaust manifold is at the start of the process, so it sits closer to the engine. The manifold is the part that collects the engine’s byproducts from the cylinders and moves them away from the engine.
- The catalytic pipe converter then changes the deadly gases, such as carbon monoxide, into water vapor and carbon dioxide. The gases aren’t safe to breathe in until they leave the cat.
- The oxygen (O2) sensors are little pieces responsible for reading the oxygen level present in the exhaust stream. The sensors send the measurements to the powertrain control module for proper fuel control.
- The tailpipe is the metal pipe that most people see from the backside of the vehicle. It frees the water vapor and CO2 out of the car.
- The muffler is the part of the system that acts as a dampener. The process of moving and converting gases can be very noisy. To make driving more manageable and less distracting, you have a muffler to limit excess noise.
- The resonator is very similar to the muffler because it restricts the sound that comes from the engine. It also contributes to good airflow.
Now that you are familiar with the exhaust system and its terminology, we hope you can put your knowledge to good use. If you encounter troubles with your exhaust system, feel free to reach out to the professionals at Eric’s Automotive Inc.