The exhaust is one of the most important parts of a vehicle. The exhaust system carries away the toxic fumes and gasses away from the users of the vehicle. The gasses produced by the engine must be carried safely back into the environment, much like a chimney removes smoke from entering a home. There are many parts of an exhaust system that tie it all together and each one is critical to keep the system functioning properly.

Parts of the Exhaust System

The different parts of the exhaust system can be rather confusing when they are looked at by a newcomer. It’s time to generally go over some of the parts of the exhaust system.

Manifold

The exhaust manifold collects the fumes from the gasses that are being produced by the engine from the different cylinders and brings them into one pipe, so that they can be brought eventually to the muffler to be dispelled away from the occupants of the vehicle. These are generally cast iron or stainless steel units that must be able to handle a great amount of heat that these fumes are being expelled at.

Header

The header is designed for performance of the vehicle. The header operates like the manifold, which is many times manufactured aftermarket, and this makes the cylinders of the manifold the same length so that they can operate at optimum levels.

Catalytic Converter

The main purpose of the catalytic converter is to reduce carbon emissions and the amount of pollution dispelled by the vehicle. It does this by converting the pollutants in the exhaust gasses into other pollutants that are less toxic to the environment.

Muffler

An interesting thing about mufflers is that they are usually designed to be on the opposite side of the car relative to the road on which would be driving, which keeps the exhaust away from pedestrians that would be on the sidewalk. This means that in America the exhaust is usually on the left side of the car because people drive vehicles on the right side of the road. In most cases, the muffler is the only visible part of the exhaust system of the car. Many times in more luxury vehicles the muffler is polished and chrome, and designed to make the car look nice. But the main function of the muffler is to release the fumes and pollutants and keep them away from the users of the vehicle.

Each part of the exhaust system is important. Without an exhaust system the pollutants of the engine would be harmful to the driver and passengers of a vehicle. Maintenance of the muffler and exhaust system is a critical part of auto repair and maintenance. Exhaust system repairs are done by a muffler shop, and it is important for drivers to have muffler shops they trust for when their exhaust needs repairs.

For exhaust system repairs and a quality muffler shop in South Florida around Lauderdale Lakes, get in touch with American Muffler at 954-739-1734!