Inspecting for Car Exhaust Problems- By: Musarrat Sheikh

Description : There are several problems that affect the exhaust system that do not require you to call on a mechanic. These problems should be identified early enough and this is because if they stay for long they may lead to engine problems and that is because the exhaust's main purpose is removing the harmful elements from the engine. If they are not identified early enough, these exhaust problems start releasing dangerous carcinogens into the air. Inspecting for car exhaust problems on a regular basis is very important and this includes the search for cracks and fissures that are in the exhaust system.

If you think that your pipes are corrodes you should poke them using a screwdriver to see if they give in they are supposed to be replaced. The muffler should also be replaced if it appears not to be solid or shinny. The tailpipe is the only place the smoke from the engine should come from. The exhaust fumes are mostly colorless as well as odorless and they pose a lethal threat and this is because they affect the perception and judgment of the driver and this is why the cracks should be checked on a regular basis. You should know there is something wrong with your exhaust system when you hear a hissing or popping sound from the engine.

The sounds mostly indicate that the muffler or the pipe is leaking. For those vehicles that have 4 cylinder engines have a harmonic resonance and this is due to exhaust problems which will produce a bussing noise. By turning the system which will dampen the noise you will be able to rectify this problem. A majority of these vehicles have manuals that will help you in rectifying some of these problems. If these sounds do not go away you are supposed to install a second muffler or a resonator. One of the common exhaust problems is exhaust restriction which is as a result of the car losing power or using too much fuel.

The most common causes of exhaust restriction are damaged or crushed piped bafflers that have collapsed inside a resonator or a muffler or a catalytic converter which is plugged. To restore this problem is to go to the root of the problem and this includes unplugging of the catalytic converter only if it is a plugged catalytic converter problem. For you to know if you have an exhaust restriction problem you are supposed to go through the engine's manifold vacuum only when the car is idle. The figure should always be over 18 inches. Another common problem is the exhaust backpressure.

The backpressure should be regularly measured and one way of doing this is using a pressure gauge to replace the check valve. This should always be below 1.5 psi and anything more than 3 psi will indicate restriction problems. This can also be rectified by removing the exhaust manifold's oxygen sensor through replacing it with an adapter on where you will mount a pressure gauge. Some cases of ignition misfire or leaky exhaust valves cause plugged converter which is another exhaust system problem. This can be rectified by replacing the plugged converter. These are just some of the various ways of how to fix common car exhaust problems.

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Author Resource : This article touched the basics of the topic. I have 2 more resources related to the above. They are and how to fix common car exhaust problems. Do consider reading them.